Cure for the Common Life

I'm reading Max Lucado's "Cure for the Common Life". A friend bought me the audio CD's for it and I have downloaded it to my MP3 player and listen while following along in the book. This has really helped me focus and read faster and retain more.

One thing he writes is that God pre-packs us with certain gifts. What were you drawn to as a child? What things have you done in life that you enjoyed and believe you did well?

Please look back to your childhood and what seemed to come naturally to you. Please respond and let me know what that is for you.

For me – I would say I have always had an interest in numbers – in puzzles – in making friends – and in getting over issues quickly…

I trained to be an accountant and should have gotten my CPA license when I graduated school but didn’t when I headed into seminary after college. All the way back to grade school and beyond math has come naturally.

And puzzles! For someone with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) to be able to sit and concentrate and figure out the intrinsically different shapes, colors and sizes of pieces wasn’t easy – but something I could do with my grandmother for hours…

It was always easy for me to meet people and to make friends, especially around sports. I remember when we moved from MZ as children and moved to Seat Pleasant (PG County near DC line) I was making friends as the moving truck was unloading. Within 10 minutes I have a football game going in the street outside our home.

Mom always said, of all her children, I could get over things the fastest. I would be upset one minute, going up to my room, only to be down in short order as if nothing was wrong (like water off a ducks back). I never held grudges and can treat the person who harmed me as if nothing happened in short order.

How about you? Can you share with me?

Going Offsite

Open Forum - We had a good discussion this month (November 5th) about the child care on Sunday mornings and about going offsite with a worship service. I want to give everyone plenty of notice about the topic for this coming month’s Open Forum scheduled for 6 pm on December 3rd. The topic will be going offsite. Here are some interesting ideas that might promote some
attendance and some discussion at this and other meetings. I hope this pricks your interest and promotes some thought and ideas.

† Is going offsite something we should consider?
___o When one of our services overflows?
___o If we plan to build a new worship center here?
___o If we desire to do more outreach to the community?

† If we were to go offsite what might it look like?
___o A two campus church?
___o Two churches with some common ministry? A Circuit?
___o Two completely separate churches?

† With the above options what would be some of the considerations we should discuss and work out together?
___o A two campus church would be most like what we are doing now. The difference would be that one of our services would be at a different site. Giving and other support would be dealt with as we currently do.
___o Two churches with some common ministry might share some staff but might have their own appointed senior pastors or one pastor serving both like a circuit. Some ministries like youth ministry and sharing of our current building might be some of the options for consideration. Giving and other support would go to each church and shared bills (like a youth pastor) would be divided in some fashion. They would govern themselves and have a joint council of some sort for shared ministries.
___o Two completely separate churches would carry with it the most change. Aside from two appointed senior pastors other ministries and staff would be determined by those who attended each church. Giving and other support would be for each church individually and they would govern themselves.

† If we went offsite in order to build a new worship center what would we do?
___o We could all go offsite to worship in one service while the new worship center is being built – a suggestion was made by senior members to remove the current Sanctuary and build the new center.
___o We could worship one service in the Fellowship Hall and the other offsite while the worship center was being built.

These are just a few of the discussion items. I hope that you will be present on December 3rd. When discussion grows to the point of votes and decisions we will come before the Church
Council and probably the congregation as well.

We will discuss this and other ideas on this blog page. Join us as we search for truth. What is our purpose and who are we trying to reach as we continue to be the church of Jesus Christ.

Your Pastor and Friend
Rev. Ray