I received this from a member of the congregation:
“Suggestion”
(includes some additional description comment for discussion)
Principle 1: we are One Church.
Principle 2: we should spend most of our Corporate Time together as One Church family.
Principle 3: that Corporate Time should have a single, ongoing, consistent goal (until such time as Leadership senses the need to revisit). We should be able to say “Sunday’s at our Church is about…” and be able to rely upon it so we know what to expect. Leaders, preachers, and everyone else will recognise this goal in preparation and presentation.
Principle 4: we are relaxed enough to use different styles in delivering the goal in our Corporate Time – but the purpose must be reaching the goal (rather than just trying something different).
Principle 5: it’s fine to have Corporate Time in split groupings – but only where it is required for / complimentary to the delivery of the goal. (So we need to define the goal before we pre-determine whether we have two congregations. However, Principle 1 would not preclude us doing a split Corporate Time once a month, if there was a reason under Principle 5).
Principle 6: Other church activity outside of Corporate Time (e.g. house groups, prayer groups, finance team, outreach work, etc.) is equally valuable for Christian Life, and therefore Church Life. However, such activity is about doing something that is different to our goal on Sundays.
(Note that the above considers both the current Morning Communion and the Sunday Evening services as being group time rather than “Corporate Time”, given the smaller numbers involved. However, Principle 2 would support both the continuation and growth of these services as “most” of our Corporate Time would still be together.)
(of course, the above can be cut and shunted around with other principles).
The Goal: Suppose the goal was “The Difference God makes” (or some variation: “God makes the difference” – but the present tense is really important). This goal would suggest that the services be made accessible for anyone and everyone. As a result, other church activity would need to deliver Discipleship in a focussed way to support continued Christian growth).
Each Sunday’s Corporate Time would still have an individual theme – but at all times look to recognise through everything that was brought that God makes the difference today.
A Visual
I see a tree. The One Church is the trunk. It gives strength and gets its nutrients from the sun, rain, and unseen root system. God feeds us and we have a strong trunk.
The trunk supports the branches (our single goal, delivered by our corporate trunk time, should support the branches of our other activity).
So yes we have time apart (we wouldn’t cover so much area if we all stayed in one place the whole time); the branches increase our spread – but the branches only work because of the trunk, and it only works because of the roots.
“Suggestion”
(includes some additional description comment for discussion)
Principle 1: we are One Church.
Principle 2: we should spend most of our Corporate Time together as One Church family.
Principle 3: that Corporate Time should have a single, ongoing, consistent goal (until such time as Leadership senses the need to revisit). We should be able to say “Sunday’s at our Church is about…” and be able to rely upon it so we know what to expect. Leaders, preachers, and everyone else will recognise this goal in preparation and presentation.
Principle 4: we are relaxed enough to use different styles in delivering the goal in our Corporate Time – but the purpose must be reaching the goal (rather than just trying something different).
Principle 5: it’s fine to have Corporate Time in split groupings – but only where it is required for / complimentary to the delivery of the goal. (So we need to define the goal before we pre-determine whether we have two congregations. However, Principle 1 would not preclude us doing a split Corporate Time once a month, if there was a reason under Principle 5).
Principle 6: Other church activity outside of Corporate Time (e.g. house groups, prayer groups, finance team, outreach work, etc.) is equally valuable for Christian Life, and therefore Church Life. However, such activity is about doing something that is different to our goal on Sundays.
(Note that the above considers both the current Morning Communion and the Sunday Evening services as being group time rather than “Corporate Time”, given the smaller numbers involved. However, Principle 2 would support both the continuation and growth of these services as “most” of our Corporate Time would still be together.)
(of course, the above can be cut and shunted around with other principles).
The Goal: Suppose the goal was “The Difference God makes” (or some variation: “God makes the difference” – but the present tense is really important). This goal would suggest that the services be made accessible for anyone and everyone. As a result, other church activity would need to deliver Discipleship in a focussed way to support continued Christian growth).
Each Sunday’s Corporate Time would still have an individual theme – but at all times look to recognise through everything that was brought that God makes the difference today.
A Visual
I see a tree. The One Church is the trunk. It gives strength and gets its nutrients from the sun, rain, and unseen root system. God feeds us and we have a strong trunk.
The trunk supports the branches (our single goal, delivered by our corporate trunk time, should support the branches of our other activity).
So yes we have time apart (we wouldn’t cover so much area if we all stayed in one place the whole time); the branches increase our spread – but the branches only work because of the trunk, and it only works because of the roots.
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