THE BIG THREE

More than fifty lay leaders and staff of FUMC gathered on January 28^th and began to outline the next chapter here.  Led by lay leaders like Tom Bunger, Sue Sgambelluri, Jonathan Purvis, and others the group worked hard to identify the key priorities during the 12-18 month period ahead.

While affirming the ongoing important ministries we do in areas like outreach and mission, music and worship, caring ministries, and the need for facility improvements, the group identified the top tier priorities as:

1.  Spiritual growth opportunities.  (Christian education & spiritual formation.)  This would mean offering small groups, retreats, and on-going classes that would help people grow spiritually and experience God in a more profound way.  First/ The Open Door would offer transformational, Christ-centered experiences that emphasize Bible study and literacy.  These experiences would help people not only connect with Christ, but with one another.

2.  Hospitality and Fellowship.  We would be intentional about living out a radical kind of hospitality.  We would not only welcome guests, but offer experiences/small groups/ serving opportunities where people could make connections with one another.

3. New Member and Equipping Ministries.  We will focus on offering outstanding experiences that will help welcome people, prepare people for the exciting life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, and help equip our members to serve as they know their spiritual gifts and engage need.

From where I sit, it all comes down to two words:  WELCOME and CONNECTIONS.  These mean being the church in very simple, practical ways: welcoming people, helping people grow in their faith through transformational classes/groups/ serving teams, and equipping God loving servants to serve!

A lay leader said it even more eloquently: we are here to connect, grow, and serve.

This is all real basic.  If you look in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35 you’ll see parallels with the early Christians.  People were welcomed.  People experienced God in new and life changing ways.  People rolled up their sleeves and went to work to serve the needy and tell the Good News.

Years ago people in the auto world talked about “the Big Three.”  GM, Ford, and Chrysler were dominating the car manufacturing world.  In some ways they took their eyes off their core mission and nearly went out of business.  Now things are getting better as they focus on their mission of building quality vehicles in a cost effective manner.  As a congregation we believe God wants us to focus on “the Big Three” of these priorities.

Watch for more information about how we will move forward in these key areas: welcoming and connecting; growing, and equipping people to serve.

Welcome to the adventure!

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark