Is it Fall, already? Good grief. Can you believe we are just about 9 years old?
What might this last year of our first decade hold for us? Well, let me offer a few thoughts.
First, we have an opportunity to reach even more deeply into our Seattle culture and Greenwood Community and grow as a church both in the depth of our ministry and in the number of participants we have in our congregation. I am hopeful that our 9th year can be one of those “spurt years”. Did your physical growth come in this way. It did for me. It seemed that I was a a dormant and steady height and weight as a kid, and then, boom! The summer between the end of Junior High and my first year of High School was freaky. I grew from 5’8″ to 6’1″ in just 13 weeks. Boy, it was chaotic and my clothes and clumsiness were legendary. But, it turned out to be a very good thing. Likewise, even is we get a bit awkward and ill-fit looking, it would be a joy to dream of a growth spurt this year. Think of how much more we could be and do with such a burst!
Second, what could it mean for us if we took Scripture even more seriously than ever and with more depth and accountability? Imagine if even just your pastor read scripture more carefully and expected to see its fruit evidenced in his daily life. Could be exciting. Would you like to join in that? You can. Just make yourself available for some of our newly re-tuned small group opportunities featuring more biblical content and reflection … more life application…and more training for our group leaders so that they can help facilitate us in this revolutionary growth process.
Third, I think you will find our sermon series highly engaging this year. Beginning in October, we will be talking about FULL LIFE. In this seven week series, we will discuss scriptural and theological and spiritual formation tools for understanding and living our lives as acts of ministry and mission in every sphere of life from family to work to play to friendship and even death as a Christian discipline. Look for some really cool handouts and creative input for this series brought to you by your pastoral staff and our Creative Team.
After Thanksgiving, buckle up for the Advent Conspiracy – a mercy/justice/action filter for anticipating the difference Jesus Christ has made by entering our world. After Christmas, we enter 2014 with 9 weeks on THE BODY. This series will be highly influenced by the seminal work of the late, Charles Colson, an important cultural figure and Christian thinker in the late 20th and early 21st century. Then, we will go separate directions, you and me. I will be going on a Lily Charitable Trust Pastoral Renewal Sabbatical from February 7 through May 31. Meanwhile, you all will be deep into a series on the New Testament book of Hebrews tied to the Easter Season.
I am excited to be NINE and I hope you are as well. Do me a favor and give us some feedback on the following as we go forward:
1. For you, is worship vibrant, enervating and engaging?
2. For you, are our messages clear, relevant and do they inspire action?
3. For you, is the Bible becoming more clear, alive and inviting as a pattern for life?
4. For you, can you see growth in Sanctuary as a congregation and in our ministry in Greenwood and beyond?
These questions are not intended to throw you into a consumer or critic role, but to use as gauges as to whether our greatest dreams and aspirations as a church are being met. God bless you, and please keep locked into our body for the ride that will be this ninth year together.
Much Love,
Randy Rowland
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