CORE group work opportunity

You are invited to come to the church this Wednesday, Nov 24, at 2PM in Fellowship Hall to set up for the service project on Sunday morning. (If you think you can make it, please leave a comment below so we'll look for you.)

Sunday morning, after the 9:30 worship, we will invite our guests to join us in Fellowship Hall for a quick service project, coffee, and conversation. We will be signing thank you cards for the teachers at our neighborhood schools.

Because there will be elementary age children joining us, we will be setting up a mural or poster for them to help decorate for the school. If you have a fabulous idea on the specifics of what that might be, please leave a comment below.

Radical Hospitality

Are you praying for the church? Are you praying for those who are not yet here? Have you made a list of who you will invite October 31st to try out the service and give us feedback?


Sunday morning, we discussed shaping a new place for new people by focusing on the needs of others. Worshipers who are experiencing church for the first time, or the first time in a long time, may appreciate learning about the rituals of the church during the service. We also discussed how a multi-sensory approach to worship (using music and visuals) may be more relevant to younger church goers.


In Robert Schnase's book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, he describes Radical Hospitality "as a genuine love for others who are not yet part of the faith community, an outward focus, a reaching out to those not yet known, a love that motivates church members to openness and adaptability, a willingness to change behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of newcomers."


We have also been challenged to find people in our daily lives to extend an invitation to. Schnase also reminds us that "by God's grace, people may be more ready than we realize to accept the invitation and initiative of Christ that comes through gracious hospitality." And, that "God's grace activates an interest and eagerness for relationship." It is encouraging to know that God is already working in us to create a place for new people to connect to Him, and that God is already working in hearts of our friends and coworkers so that they might desire a relationship with Christ.


Pray for our church. Pray for the people God has placed in your path. And just invite them! Be encouraged that God has been working on them already.

Covenant - how we agree to work together

The CORE group for PVUMC930 will:

• have fun and welcome others
• have a strong commitment (i.e. attendance) and accountability
• practice "open communication" and take risks
• use prayer-driven processing
• and participate and support a common purpose.

Our VISION is to create new places for new people to connect with one another and spiritually.


This is the big picture, so now what?

• engage the church (through work on committees)
• be the church
• engage new people / be invitational (stories = ministry)

Covenant - gathering ideas

This morning we met and discussed qualities of teams and leaders. We began the process of brainstorming what would be important to us in a covenant. What behaviors are important to our team?

• Contagious atmosphere / energy
• Attendance - strength in numbers
• Knowledge - pass on what is going on
• Participate - it's okay to do this
• Pray for each other
• Pray for those yet to come
• We are accessible to the world (don't limit ourselves)
• Be bold and do it
• Live the benediction - "...and live in such a way that others will want to know your God."
• Spirit of forgiveness
• Learn from our mistakes

Please post comments to this post suggesting other behaviors we need to consider for our covenant. Next Sunday, we will refine these and create our covenant.