Church Survey

Today we did a survey at church. We got 211 surveys - so I think that's a good percentage of our members and regular attenders.

So after taking the survey and thinking about our church and future, what came up? What should we be talking about? Or maybe a better question, what do you think God is telling us or teaching us?

PS. the next major church-wide event will be Sept. 21 after church where we'll review the results of the survey and have dialog about where God may be leading us.

Missions at CGPC

Tomorrow and Saturday a group from CGPC will be doing a mission project at Camp Pyoca in Brownstown, IN. We'll be doing construction work helping the camp build some new structures that will help move the Presbytery's camping ministry forward.

How big a deal is "missions" at CGPC. It seems to be part of our DNA. Our funding mechanism is probably unique - at least I haven't found a church that does it our way. Here are some questions to ponder:

• In thinking about our current state, what is the role of missions?
  
• In what way did the role of missions change from our first pastor to our second? (If you've been around that long!)
  
• What changes, if any, do you see over the next 10 years?
  

Saved, healed and made whole

For our devotion/discernment time last night our Core Vision team meditated and discussed something from last week's sermon. Pastor Alice said that the word usually translated as "Save" in the New Testament also can mean "heal" and/or "make whole."

Thinking about CGPC, in what way are we called to be part of God's work in saving, healing, and making whole? For example, how do we relate to and minister to hurting and broken people in our congregation and in our community? Is this part of what it means when we say "disciples change the world?"

One thing that occurred to me after the meeting is the way many people from our church have reached across the street to set up a worship/teaching service on Sunday mornings at The Hearth. To me that's an example of a saving, healing, making whole ministry.

John 3:17. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save (and heal, and make whole) the world."

Strengths Again?

Last night our team met after my hiatus on a mission trip to Tulum, Mexico. We had a great discussion about what we're learning about the strengths of CGPC. We developed and discussed a list of strengths. We asked ourselves 2 questions about the list. 1. What are the top three things that draw you or keep you here? 2. What do you think are the top three things that would encourage a new guest to return?

Here's our list. We'd love to see how others answer the 2 questions:

• Relationship-focused
• Global mission focus
• Biblically based
• Diversity of age groups
• Lay leadership
• Heritage and history
• Home groups
• Engaging pastor
• Friendliness
• Children's programs
• Worship services
• Adult education programs
• Lots of kids and young families in our geographic area
• Ability to learn from our mistakes
• A Praying church
• Resources
• Property
• Location
• Unity
• Hymnals
• Organ
• Reverence

So what do you think?