E Notes Article - 2018-07-10

We have done a lot of talking and dreaming this past year in visioning for a future.  While exploring where we have come from, where we are and where we are going, a lot of people were able to share and bear witness to the way in which they became a part of Grace Lutheran Church and means by which we are church.  As your new pastor, this has proved to be incredibly helpful.  These conversations and visions have helped me have a greater understanding of what it is you all feel God is calling us and leading us to be as a community united in God's Name.

After several meetings and discussions of what it is we as leadership can make happen in the next year.  We landed on three important areas that need our focus in the next year:  Communication, Community, and Worship.  Communication needs to improve as the current means of sharing information is not being effective.  Things are put in the bulletin and E Notes but people are not receiving the information.  The community can also grow and help means of a communication but also as we strive to be a place for this community to gather, we need to have ways in which we can be involved and have times of fellowship.  Our Worship is strong with many being involved, yet we are also not meeting the needs of all and so we are looking into a more contemporary style of worship.

So how shall we be hoping people get involved and what will this coming year look like?

A change in E Notes will be tried in order to share the information of our church more effectively to everyone.

Small Group

Aug - Advertise and Explain and Sign up

Last Sunday in Aug - have a Fellowship dinner with a Guest Speaker  - This guest speaker will help us better understand how can we be a community of people who support one another through prayer, advice or action.  

Sept to November - Start basic small groups - Get together for a meal (small group determines times and frequency)

Offer a Bible Study if they would like.  Have small groups do a volunteer with options from "God's Work, Our Hands" wall.

Dec - take some time off for the holiday if people would like to get together, let them.  

Jan to Feb. Small groups - revive them after the holiday encouraging a book or video series to help build the relationships.  Again having the volunteer opportunities as well.

March to April - Lent - have small groups meet during a meal on Wednesday and have conversations at the tables.  With table tents having the questions as resources to talk and guide the conversation if desired.

May - Encourage small groups - offering Bible studies and volunteer opportunities to continue.

Volunteer Opportunities

God’s Work Our Hands has a lot of success.  I am wondering about making that into a year-round wall.  A group would find ways in which small groups or larger groups could volunteer at our ministry partners or at the church.  They would write those opportunities on a hand. When a group is going to do that task, they would take the hand, do the task but then also do a small article that could be shared within E Notes.  

Worship

Through this year, we are going to experiment with some different styles of worship to see what it is we would like to have to share with the community around us. We may try some new songs, a new order of worship, and even create our own worship experience. So be prepared if you would like to be a musician, to have some fun in worship, and of course we would like your feedback.

Aug - Sept. - recruit musicians and music selection

Oct and Nov. - rehearsals

December - Advent -