God’s Business-Serving People
Written by Administrator Friday, 14 May 2010 12:53
As promised earlier this year, it was the intention of the Executive Committee and our Board to periodically update our church body on the various changes that have been made or are in the proposed mode. Not only did we want to keep everyone abreast of “what’s happening,” we also want to consistently remind all of us that we are a “family,” a body of believers that are here to encourage and challenge each other to be the best that we can be.
Our theme this year is “God’s Business-Serving People.” Various things that have been done around this theme involve having communion every other month in the morning service so that more of our people can participate. The pastoral staff will soon be implementing blogging on the internet, we are changing the phone system to be more “user friendly,” encouraging every elder to contact their people at least once a quarter, expanding the Nursery to meet our future needs, implementing an on-line giving process, and weekly updates on our giving status. These are but a few with more to come.
Two significant meetings will be taking place shortly. The pastoral staff and the Executive Committee will be holding a “retreat” in June and the Sunday School leaders will be meeting in July. Both of these times will be devoted to critically evaluating what we can do better to serve our people. I can assure you that we are laying the groundwork for what needs to be done in order to make Immanuel a vibrant place to worship.
While the Board and Staff are doing their part, may we challenge each person to do theirs. We are a living body of believers that have different opinions on what direction our church should take. First and foremost, we can assure you that doctrine will never be sacrificed. This is the Lord’s church and we must hold fast to Truth as defined in God’s Word. Methodology is a different matter and we must evaluate the best ways to communicate in our changing world.
Recently I was reminded in an article that growth is not a “me” thing, but a “we” thing. Growth can sometimes be painful, but it is a necessary component to be what God intends us be. Each of us must reflect on the question “am I going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?” I was taught early in life that God wants to bless His children, but it is, to a degree, our job to be “blessable.” As a family of believers, may all of us take up the challenge of doing everything we can to present Immanuel to our community as a body that is vibrant and loving, as God would have us be. Stay tuned.
Doug Greenwood
Chairman, Board of Elders