Our Praise band, Stained Glass, performed at 7th and 8th Christian Church last night. We'd been invited by Rev. Paul Remick to kick off his 15 weeks as the Sabbatical Interim Minister there, while Jeff Cassiter is on Sabbatical.
This strikes me on two fronts. First, it was such a pleasure to perform with the others in the band outside of Sunday worship. There was a wonderful sense of fellowship coming from this ministry of music we engaged in. And more than that, it felt like the band was one community offering its collective gift to another community of faith.
Secondly, Paul invited us so as to offer us as an example to 7th and 8th that there are dynamic and growing congregations among Disciples churches in our area. I can't help but find this incredibly gratifying. In light of the fact that just three years ago the church was, in my opinion and in the opinion of several of the Interim Ministers who served PCC, clearly facing the possibility of a continuing downward spiral in membership and Worship attendance. When I first came to PCC as a student intern from Christian Thelogical Seminary, the average Worship attendance was 75. However, the next year it went up to 92, 104 the year after that, and now we are averaging approximately 130 in worship.
Of course, we have a long way to go. One of our biggest challenges is to encourage real "discipleship" as opposed to just regular attendance in worship. We need to participate in the life-changing ministry that God has assigned to as as followers of Christ. This will require a continuing willingness to look at who we are and who God wants us to be. This will not be easy. However, I am continually hopeful that this church is not finished yet. I am hopeful that God will guide us and direct us to discern the ministry that we can offer in this time and in this place.
Don
1 comment:
First of all, I am honored to be the first commenter on your blog, Don. As a matter of fact, it is my first comment on any blog. But anyways...I am so thankful to God and all the rest of Stained Glass that I get to be apart of something so wonderful and powerful. I see great and wonderful thing in the future for not only our group, but for the church as a whole. I see the fire that is burning quite a few of our members have and the flame that is growing in many more. Like I tell the kids in PRISM, as long as we stay out of the way of the door, the Spirit WILL come in and do powerful works.
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