This word from our pastor, Rev. Sterling Severns, was originally published on June 11, 2020.
Pastoral Reflection: The Right People
Pastor Sterling Severns tells the story of a pastor modeling sacrificial love, and talks about God sending us just the right people at just the right time.
Who has come into your life at just the right time? How have you seen God in the people around you?
PREPARING FOR THIS WEEK’S TOWN HALL MEETING, WEDNESDAY @ 9 PM (EST)
PREPARATION:
Please do your best to dive into the data from our church-wide survey and also re-famaliarize yourself with our experimental hospitality covenant from this summer…..prior to our time together.
You also have the option of viewing a recorded slide presentation (20 minutes). The presentation gives an overview of the survey results, including a breakdown of responses from age groups, comments made by the church family, and a quick overview of the experimental hospitality covenant.
(All of the links can be found below)
OBJECTIVE:
We’re not all on the same page as it relates to our tolerance for risk and common understanding of what to expect when we participate in church events in the same physical space. We need to be vulnerable and honest with one another in laying out a basic understanding of what someone should expect when they show up to a church event. Whereas, no decisions will be made at this meeting, we do hope to walk away from the meeting with a better understanding of where folks are on the subject and determine if we think a consensus might be possible in the near future.
The Church-at-Large will need to discern how to proceed with a covenant, related to our physical gatherings this fall, before we launch fall programming.
Recorded Slide Presentation:
Survey link for risk threshold and Temporary Hospitality Covenant: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-CZZ66Z3B7/
Survey link for risk threshold and Temporary Hospitality Covenant WITH responses broken down by age:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-JDNJX3GB7/
Link to Hospitality Covenant
Results for entire survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-CZZ66Z3B7/
Results for entire survey with responses broken down by age:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-M7ZRG3GB7/
Zoom link for this week’s Town Hall Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89484040531?pwd=YVkvSGZmajg0Mkk4K1h1UnpObnAvdz09
+16468769923,,89484040531# US (New York)
+13017158592,,89484040531# US (Germantown)
Continuing the Conversation: Spencer
In many ways, testimony is the most democratic—and empowering—of all Christian practices. The entire New Testament is a testimony, a record of experiences that early Christians had with the transformative power of God. Those early believers wrote down theirtestimonies their experiences of sharing their testimonies, and the impace of their testimonyes on the people around them. This basic structure unerlies almost every book in the New Testament—-most of which claim to “witness” or “testify” to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Diana Butler-Bass, Christianity for the Rest of Us
Our Upcoming Theme: TESTIMONY
Join us for worship on Sunday, August 9, or anytime in the week ahead as we begin our conversation on the role of testimony in the life of the church.
Continuing the Conversation: As the Deer
Last Sunday, some of our musicians shared different arrangements of “As the Deer”. As we continue the conversation this week, we encourage you to listen to the stanzas of the song. You may choose to use the music, and lyrics, as a prayer guide, or as an entry into prayer.
Significant Update: Structure for September – Late December (2020)
Last week, key leadership gathered together for a two hour virtual meeting. We’re pleased to report that the group reached a consensus on our church structure for September – late December 2020. Please set aside half hour to watch or listen to the presentation. Continue to pray for discernment as we have some big decisions to make together in the days and weeks ahead.
God continues to provide and we continue to feel called!
We encourage you to join the conversation as we begin to host a series of weekly town hall meetings. Our first meeting is tonight, Tuesday, August 4, 9-10 PM
Continuing the Conversation: Exploring John 5
Rev. Sterling Severns delves deeper into John 5.