After opening with prayer, the group took a few moments to
add to the church timeline from session one, for those who may have missed last
week due to the weather, or any ideas that were remembered afterwards.
|
1953 RENOVATION OF THE SANCTUARY 1967 COUPLE CLUB 1970'S BRIDGE LEAGUES 1980'S THE PROGRESSIVE DINNERS 1981 MEN'S FELLOWSHIP |
1996 TRIP TO 1998 1998 HANDICAP BATHROOMS 2003 TEN WEEK ANGELS |
MARK 10:42-45
1.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS AND
OTHERS WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOCIETY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO?
§ Others feel power by being served, Jesus felt power by serving others.
§ Others felt that they were too privileged to perform some duties and tasks that were considered mundane and beneath them. Jesus did such tasks without hesitation.
2.
WHAT EXAMPLE DOES JESUS PROVIDE US FOR OUR ROLE AND FUNCTION IN
SOCIETY?
· Kings are served, we serve one another
· Leaders should be servants of the lord.
· Jesus gave his life serving
·
Serve and to give yourself
EPHESIANS 2:8-10
1.
WHAT DO YOU, AS A CHRISTIAN, BELIEVE IS THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH YOU
HAVE BEEN MADE AND FOR WHICH YOU CONGREGATION HAS BEEN CREATED?
§ Worship God and serve others by spreading God's word.
§ Save by grace, everything we do is for the glory of God.
§ We are blessed with God's grace, therefore we need to be gracious to others.
§ Build relationships with God and others.
§
Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the
people you can, as much and as often as you can.
ACTS 2:41-42, 44-47
1.
LIST SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE PART OF THE EARLY CHURCH'S
LIFE AS A CONGREGATION.
|
Teaching Fellowship Prayer Praise Sharing Breaking Bread |
Wealth Teaching Eating Working Together Praising Accepting Others |
Friendships Eating Together In Fellowship Gathered Joyful Support Of The Needy |
At this point Barbara presented the following statement for us to complete:
WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN, GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE.
THEREFORE, WE ....
|
Serve Are A Family Help Others Worship Teach Pray Obedient Share Make Music Hopeful |
Comfort Joyful Gracious Have Faith Baptize Educate Celebrate Gods Love Share Communion Forgive Each Other |
Responsible For Spreading God's Love Reach Out To Others/Community Listen Good Stewards Wait On God Read God's Word Faithful In Stewardship Enjoy God's Grace Show God's Love |
|
Food Pantry Bread Distribution 10 Week Angels Home Communion Inter-Faith Hospitality Network Deacon Visitation Bible Study Users Greeters Thanksgiving And Christmas Baskets Men's Breakfast Women's Tea Coffee Hour Progressive Dinner Bible Study |
Strawberry Festival All Church Picnic Golden Agers Luncheon Senior Activities All Church Retreat Library Transportation Birthday Cards Family Fun Night Hospital Visits Phone Calls Deacons Get Well Cards Bundles For Babies (Deacon Baby Baskets) Prayer Chain Senior Exercise |
WORSHIP
AND CELEBRATION
|
Prayer As Foundation Communion Services Choir(s) Usher Guild Brass Band We Come Into His House Meditate To Get In The Right Frame Of Mind Reading The Bible Signing Hymns Children's Performance Participation Of Children - Children's Message Express
Worship Funerals Baptisms Confirmation Ordination Installation Commissioning |
Early Service - Contemporary Minute
For Open Sanctuary Greeting Each Other Special Prayer After Significant Events - 9/11 Being Comfortable In Our Worship Allow Spirit Of God To Take Over Ushers Worship Committee Prayer Chain Thanksgiving - When Dr. Lou Said Every Sunday Needs To Be A Celebration And Feast On God's Word. Special Celebration -
Easter - Ash Wednesday Maundy Thursday Weddings Sermons Homecoming |
|
Adult Education (Evening Bible Study & Sunday Morning Classes) Sunday School Bible Study VBS
- Nursery School Library Inquirers Class Confirmation Class Adult Retreat Youth Retreats Youth Fellowship/Group Special Youth Projects (30 Hour Famine) Sr. Fellowship Men's Breakfast Guest Speakers All Church Breakfast Narthex Displays Small Groups Bible In Pews Men's Fellowship Session Meetings Special Offerings |
Youth Band As Me Kiosk Bulletin Boards Biennial Christmas Procession Newsletter Church Bulletins Web Site Children's Sermon Sermons Presbytery Meetings And Programs Music Programs Special Offerings & Teaching Related To Them Stewardship Campaign Session And Deacon Retreats Seminary Internships Sunday Worship/Service CPNS
- Choir Programs Communion Class Minute
For |
|
Nursery School Thanksgiving Baskets Food Pantry Bread Program Task
- Church Web Site Crop Walk Spring Of Hope/Guatemala Food Ministry Joy Offering Youth
Advertising Visitor Tracking Senior Fellowship VBS
- Prayer Chain |
Grants Souper Bowl Of Caring (Youth Event) Brass Choir 30 Hour Famine (Youth Event) Special Worship Services (Ash Wednesday, Vespers) Scouts House Tours For Cranbury Historical Society Men's Fellowship "Pennies For Presents" Children's
Strawberry Festival Women's Tea Men's Softball Team Youth Group Mitten Tree |
|
Signs For Church - In-Front And As Entering Town Strawberry Festival Historical Tours - Open For Visits Phone Book Web Site CPNS
- Welcome Letters Fellowship Pads Youth Group And Activities Choir
And Newspaper Advertisements Deacons - Indigent Help Food Pantry Nativity And Vespers |
Task
- Senior Fellowship Worship Sunday School Crop Walk 30 Hour Famine Coffee Hour After Church Greeters Stewardship Campaign AA, Scouts, Etc. Inquirer's Class 10 Week Angels Caregiver - Visitations Confirmation Class Small Groups Time And Talent Survey |
|
Worship Service Spring And Fall Cleanup Boy Scouts Strawberry Festival AA Cemetery Nursery School Exterior Bulletin Board Crèche Congregational Luncheons Sunday School Youth Group Committee Meetings Seasonal Decoration Brownies A Focal Point For The Town Funerals Weddings Celebrations Janitorial Maintenance Chimes |
Furnace Snow Removal Air Conditioning Sound System Piano Kitchen Food Pantry Community Meetings Christmas Pageant Handicap Accessibility Repository Of Archives Library Picnics Parking Playground Manses (Two) Furniture Organ |
|
Stewardship Campaign Annual Meeting Aster Flowers Christmas Poinsettias Strawberry Festival Time And Talent Survey Spreadsheet Counting Team Finance Committee Officer Retreats Phone Calling / Email Food Baskets Minutes
For Pledges Annual Report Car Washes Dinners Training Elders And Deacons Coffee Hour Board Of Deacons Elders Task
- |
Use Of Newsletters And Bulletin Web Site Fellowship Hall Poster Endowment Special Stewardship Meeting Church Van Memorial Gifts Talent Of Volunteers Crop Walk Music Programs Communion Shut Ins Youth Group Retreats Nursery School Sunday School Special Offerings (Peace, OGHS, Christmas Joy, Pentecostal) Committees Work Days Food Pantry |
|
Orientation Of Church Officers (Deacons And Elders) Newsletter Annual Meeting And Report Committee Meetings Office Staff Daily Activities Bulletin Newsletter - Church And CPNS Session Meetings Inquirer's Classes Ask Me Kiosk Staff Meetings Bulletin Boards Sunday School Teacher Training |
Database Management Congregational Meeting Presbytery, Synod, General AA? Bulletin Time And Talent Sheets Web Site Publicity In Local Newspapers Concerns Of Church During Service Minute
For Road Signs Prayer Chain Pastor Administrative Activities |
Based on the information presented by the different groups
on the eight categories, we developed the following conclusions and thoughts:
§ The Categories Overlap.
§
There Is
§ The Community Doesn't Know What We All Do, And How Do We Change That View.
§ How Much Energy Is Involved In This Church?
§ How Much Money Is Involved In This Church, To Run It's Programs, Stewardship And
· Missions.
§ We Don't Realize What All We Do.
§
There Are Opportunities For
· Various Gifts And Talents.
§ We Have So Few Volunteers And So Many People Performing Multiple Tasks.
§ The Same People Are Involved. Not The Entire Congregation.
§ There Are Many Avenues To Administer God's Love.
§ We Spend So Much Time Nurturing Others, Not Ourselves.
§ The Need To Communicate To Those Who Were Not Here.
§ Why Can't We Reach Our Stewardship Goals?
§ There Is No Cohesiveness Or Joint Effort.
§ So Many Of These Things Were Started By One Individual's Commitment And Effort.
§ Communication Is Needed To Light The Fire Under Others Of This Congregation.
§ People Have So Many Excuses For Not Helping Or Participating.