Tis the Season
I am often asked how things are going. Well, the best way to describe this season of Church Planting is "transition". We experience this in almost every area of our community. While it is super exciting, it also requires every bit of margin we have. The analogy I use is a "relay race". Running with a baton is one thing, but keeping that pace while passing the baton requires a lot of energy. The time of passing is short, but it is critical and demanding. Additionally, it can be super rewarding.
That being said, transition is not the end of the update. We have also been investing in new ministry opportunities as well as laying the foundation for future growth. Because the details are so broad and numerous the remainder of this update will be organized by bullet points. Keep the baton image in your mind
That being said, transition is not the end of the update. We have also been investing in new ministry opportunities as well as laying the foundation for future growth. Because the details are so broad and numerous the remainder of this update will be organized by bullet points. Keep the baton image in your mind
- Back in late February we transitioned from the preparation phase into the gathering phase. This meant modifying our existing "gathering events" into "engaging communities". This process is not complete but progress is being made. Example: Our monthly men's group (Third Thursday) was originally designed to build community, it will hopefully become a place to engage new friends with our community.
- One family decided to test drive this idea. In an effort to build community and engage within their neighborhood they reached out to Nashville artist Jenny&Tyler for a home concert. The photo below does not do the event justice. Half the room isn't visible and there was a second entrance with additional seating. But the real fruit was not in the attendance, it was the conversations launched in multiple neighborhoods around the region. Neighbors shared meals and came into each others homes. It was a great start to future conversations.
- One of the many teams we are building is Assimilation. As we engage with the methods mentioned above we need good logistics on stewarding the connections being built. This is another "baton" that we are excited about. In the near future we will have a cloud based process to reach out and establish relationships within our communities.
- Among the other ministry teams (batons) being developed are: Finance, Children's, Worship, Hospitality, Prayer, Technology, Setup and Missional Engagement. Passing the baton on all of these takes time. But the process is exciting to watch.
- An example of this process is the wise council of our Children's team. God blessed us with an abundance of children and we needed to add a new children's class. They are now: Nursery, Preschool, and Grade School.
- We are excited about laying the first seeds of a Junior High Girls ministry. Soon, one of our members will begin investing in regular (monthly/bi-monthly) discipleship dinners. This is essential to laying a foundation of Discipleship based ministry (instead of event based)
- The core of the Church is built on Prayer. Our weekly men's prayer has grown and now multiplied into two groups. The original group is now led by men of the Church and we have launched a new group meeting at another location. The irony is that the new group might reach maximum capacity in the near future. Our goal is for these groups to be both relational and outward facing. We believe prayer is God's means of accomplishing both.
- While the men's prayer is growing, we have needed a platform for the women to connect at the same level. One of the members has recently agreed to oversee the monthly women's breakfast. This is an important time for spiritual connection and rest in the midst of crazy schedules. We want to run and rest with Christ!
- The Church is forming weekly neighborhood gathering groups. This takes time because people have to adjust their schedules. In the past two weeks we have seen the formation of a weekly young singles dinner at the Oaks home. This photo is of the six week trial we have invited folks to join.
- We know that our current Sunday gathering location will need to change. In the next two weeks I will be visiting three locations and assessing their potential for public worship.
- We have built our By-Laws and laid the foundation for Church governance. I am excited to share that our "legal" language puts multi-generational discipleship at the heart of the Church and at the same time keeps us outward faced.
WOW! that's a lot! And it doesn't cover everything. Like I said, "Tis the Season". By faith most of the ministry "batons" will be transitioned in the near future.
One update I did not mention is the fruit of our finance committee. We are now able to accept gifts directly through our website. This means funds donated at www.gatheredbygrace.com are deposited directly into Christ Fellowship's own 501c3 at SunTrust Bank. We have not separated from MNA (yet). To give visit http://gatheredbygrace.com/ and click GIVE in the menu
One piece we are looking to grow is a Thursday morning sceptics group. This is a safe place for men to talk about Christianity with authentic questions.
Some exciting developments to be announced are: One update I did not mention is the fruit of our finance committee. We are now able to accept gifts directly through our website. This means funds donated at www.gatheredbygrace.com are deposited directly into Christ Fellowship's own 501c3 at SunTrust Bank. We have not separated from MNA (yet). To give visit http://gatheredbygrace.com/ and click GIVE in the menu
One piece we are looking to grow is a Thursday morning sceptics group. This is a safe place for men to talk about Christianity with authentic questions.
- a working relationship with the local ARTS alliance (Super Cool Stuff)
- Growing connections with the Chamber of commerce (and similar organizations)
Please Pray
- for 12 "outward facing" families to come alongside our amazing community. These could come from sister PCA Churches, or other gospel believing communities in the region.
- For the healthy transition from "community formation" to "Neighborhood Communities". We believe neighborhood communities deepen existing relationships while opening the door for gospel proclamation.
- For 2-3 men to join the Sceptics group
- our women to experience authentic community
- WISDOM IN THE LOCATION SELECTION
We are looking forward to some vacation this summer. We will be at Ridge Haven for family camp. Let us know if you plan on coming.
Thank You Donors! We are so grateful for your support! Any Gift is helpful. Tax deductible donations can be made through our online portal here. 100% of donations go to the work. Or you can email Brian here with questions.
Thank You Donors! We are so grateful for your support! Any Gift is helpful. Tax deductible donations can be made through our online portal here. 100% of donations go to the work. Or you can email Brian here with questions.
- If you have difficulty in renewing your support the fastest and easiest way to resolve any funding issues is to contact Karen Fowler at 678-825-1223 or email her at kfowler@pcanet.org
