I have discovered that the General Board of Discipleship produces sermon series packets for most of the Christian year. To be honest, I never really connected well with the ideas contained within them and I didn't feel that I could craft sermons that would relate to the themes of the series.

   Well, for Lent, the theme was REHAB. The premise of the sermon series is that I could take the example of physical rehab, such as what I underwent following my accident 2 years ago, and relate it to some spiritual REHAB that we might need to undertake during Lent.

   I liked the idea and as I looked at the accompanying orders of worship, I noted that they were based upon the order of worship as found in the Book of Worship that places the sermon towards the beginning of the service rather than toward the end of the service. Both I and the congregation were used to the sermon coming towards the end of the service. However, as I read through the order of worship, I noted that it would make much more sense for the sermon to come first. I could lay out the thematic elements that would then be repeated in the order of worship that followed.

   So, without consulting anyone, I announced on the first Sunday of the series, that the sermon was getting moved to help better convey the theme of the service. There was no real backlash.

   However, in the weeks that followed--I have not preached 3 sermons as of this writing, I began to get comments. The people seem to like the sermon earlier in the service. To be honest, so do I. Numerous reasons were given by several individuals. All seem to think it helps them better hear the message with it coming at the beginning.

   So. Now I have a choice to make. Will I leave it there when Lent is over or will I revert back to the previous way. As of right now, I am leaning toward leaving it at the beginning of the service. 

   What are your thoughts? Leave it there or move it back?

   It's obvious that communication via this blog has taken a back seat in terms of priorities. Just look  at the last publication date. I hope, however, that this is about to change. The church is about to embark on a new communication strategy to help us get out our message. Before I jump into the future, let's take a look at what we are already doing.

   CHURCH WEB SITE
If you are reading this blog, then you are most likely doing it on the church web site. The site does receive a decent amount of traffic. We have all of our worship services up and available on the site from the last few years. We have information on lots of things that we do. However, even though we do have a mobile version that can be viewed on a smart phone, most viewing is done from in front of a computer. While the mobile version is good, it is still sort of clunky in terms of use. We will not be abandoning our web site. It still provides a legitimate avenue for people to learn about the church.

   DIAL MY CALLS
  This is the calling system that lets us send out calls to everyone or to just the members of a particular group. It is a mainstay of our communication strategy. To date, we have sent more than 800 calls in the time we have been using the system. It has saved us hundreds of hours that would have been spent in making individual calls. It has also saved us lots of money in terms of postage and resources that might have been used to send out notices for meetings. It will remain at the forefront of our communications strategy.

   WEEKLY BULLETIN
This is the weekly one stop shopping place to see what is happening in the immediate future at the church. It contains worship, announcements, servant ministry updates, prayer concerns, etc. The only drawback is that you have to be a church to get one or you have to go to our church web site and look up that particular Sunday and then download a pdf of the bulletin for that Sunday. However, since we use 11x17 paper, hardly anyone will have the capability to actually print it out and read it. We will continue to utilize the bulletin. However, we may be supplementing it on various other communication platforms.

   SENDING ITEMS VIA MAIL
  Think about this. When was the last time you received something in the mail from the church other than your giving statement? We just don't utilize the postal service. It is time consuming to create and send items and it is an added cost in postage.

   EMAIL
This avenue is still an effective means of creating a message-especially if there is an audio/visual element you need to convey along with the message. However, keeping email lists up to date is not as simple as it sounds. Also, sending mass messages to the whole church requires a special kind of email platform. I have tried a couple of these and they are not always that easy to use. So, email has taken a back seat in the last couple of years as a result.

   TEXT
At first this was not a viable avenue for me. I had to pay extra for texting on my phone. However, with changes in my plan I began to utilize texts more and more. It is a quick and convenient way to get out a short message and get back a quick response. The draw back is that not everyone has a phone that allows them to easily and efficiently receive and respond to text messages.

   FACEBOOK
  While Facebook was a one time a great way to get out a message to the wider community, it is becoming more and more difficult to use it in that manner due to changes in the way Facebook does business. While Facebook does provide a viable place to tell our story, it is harder to tell it to people that don't already know about us and follow us.  

   TWITTER
  Sending 140 character messages has just not been an effective way for me to communicate and I get the impression that most church members do not have a Twitter account. So, this avenue rarely gets used.

SO WHERE DOES THIS BRING US...TO THE BEGINNING OF A NEW COMMUNICATION AVENUE

   The church is now officially (well in a few weeks when we get all the paperwork filed and accepted) and app developer with Google and Apple. That means that we will be able to place on the Google Playstore (android) and the Apple iOS Store a dedicated church app. It will be free to anyone that has a smart phone or tablet to download and use. This will be good for us because research show that people tend to spend more time on their phones that they do in front of computers. That means that our church's story will be only an app click away. It means you won't have to sit down in front of a computer and wait for it to come on and open your browser and type in the church web site--it means almost instant access to the church and its ministries.

   We intend to couple this new ability to more effectively reach out with an initiative to reach out to a younger generation. We are going to specifically target young adults and families with ministries to help them grow in their faith and deepen their sense of service and commitment to the Kingdom of God.

  I hope you will get excited about this new way of communicating God's love with a new generation. Even if you are not in that group we are seeking to target, you still need to download and use the church app. Currently, only a trial version is available. You can download and start using it. However, when the dedicated app becomes available, you will need to go to the app store on your phone and download it. I'll let you know when that happens.
 
   Here are the instructions for getting the trial version that is currently up and running. Please note, it is being created a section or so at a time by the pastor. So if you get some pages or links that don't seem to work. Understand that it is a work in progress.

1. On your phone go to your app store (Google PlayStore or Apple App store)
   
2. Download the app My Church App (please note that there are several with similar names so look specifically for one with this name.)
   
3. Install the app and open it.
   
4. Once it is open and running, you then search for Trinity United Methodist Church. Choose that option.
   
5. The next time you open My Church App it will take you directly to the church app that is usable, but still being created.

   I know that at this time of the year I ask a lot from the flock. As your shepherd, I am trying to lead us into some ministry opportunities that only exist during the fall months. As a result, things tend to get a little bit hectic. Just take a quick look at what the Fall Schedule looks like:

• Saturday September 5 & 12, 2015
  • Powell Valley Primary School Back Pack Project and Appalachia Elementary School Warm Hands Project
• Saturday October 10, 2015
  • United Methodist Men's Pancake Breakfast
  • Float in the Town Movie Event Parade
  • Concession Stand at the downtown movie event
• Saturday October 17, 2015: 900 am -500 pm
  • Mountain Empire Community College Craft Days Bottled Water Give Away
  • Will seek to give away 3000 bottles of water
• Sunday October 25, 2015
  • Community Fall Festival at the Church: 300-600 pm
  • Inflatables, popcorn, cotton candy, pot luck meal and more
• Saturday October 31, 2015
  • Trunk or Treat at the church from 500-800 pm
  • Bring your cars and join us!
• Friday November 6, 2015
  • Hand out informational fliers before final home football game about Stew, Soup, Chili and Dessert meal
• Saturday November 7, 2015: 500-7:00 pm
  • Stew, Soup, Chili, and Dessert meal at the church
• Sunday November 22, 2015: 6:00 pm
  • Community Thanksgiving meal open to anyone in the community
• Friday December 4, 2015
  • United Methodist Youth Lock-In
• Sunday December 6, 2015
  • The Great Cookie Caper
  • The Christmas Cantata at 6:00 pm
• Thursday December 24, 2015
  • Christmas Eve Candle Light Communion Service at 700 pm

  Do you see what I mean about ministry opportunities? As a church, I expect us to work hard during this time of the year. Did you ever wonder why? Well, first of all, the winter months are so unpredictable. It is hard to plan an outreach event because we don't really know what the weather will bring our way. Likewise, it's sort of hard to plan things internally at the church for the same reason. So, those months are not strong ministry times for our church.

   Next comes the spring. We begin to thaw out and usually kick things off with our United Methodist Men's Pancake breakfast and our Community Lenten meals, Holy Week services, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Cantata and other spring type activities.

   We pick up speed as we head into the summer months. The big item on the agenda during that time is the Vacation Bible School. We go all out for a few weeks and then slow down to catch our breath because we know that fall is just around the corner and with fall comes out biggest time of ministry and impact on our community.

    These events and activities are important to our church, community, and ultimately God's kingdom. They allow us to meet people beyond our doors. They allow us to welcome people into our church. They allow us to share God's love. They allow us to share one another's burdens. They allow us to be the church in action.

   All of these things are great places to start, but they are just the start. I hope that we will be able to continue to discover new opportunities to minister and reach out. I hope that we will continue to be a bright beacon in our community.We can. However, it requires that we work together to make these things happen. I cannot do any of these events or activities by myself. No one can. Only working together, as the Body of Christ, each person doing what he or she is capable and called to do, can we achieve what God has in store for our church.

   So, in the days ahead, I need you to give an extra push. You may be tired. You may be sore. You may not want to get up and get involved, but your church needs you to get involved. Without you, we will not succeed. 

   Thank you so much for all the time, effort, sweat, and love you have already put into ministry on behalf of the church. Don't slow down now. There is still plenty that needs to be done.

   The NOW (Nurture, Outreach, Worship) Team seeks your input and your service. The NOW Team is the group that plans and carries out the various ministries of  our local church. Everyone is invited to participate in the planning of these ministries. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the ministries of our church. Take a look at some of the ministries of our church:

NURTURE Ministries

· Related to Christian Education: Sunday School Classes for Children & Adults; Vacation Bible School; Special Bible Studies

· Related to People Groups: United Methodist Youth, United Methodist Men, United Methodist Women

· Prayer Team: ministries focused on prayer: Wednesday night prayer group; monthly prayer emphasis; Free Coffee Fridays curbside prayers

· Shepherd Team: Ministries geared to the members of our church

OUTREACH Ministries

Evangelism ministries:

· Mountain Empire Bottled Water Giveaway; Great Cookie Caper

Outreach ministries:

· Community Block Party; Powell Valley Primary School Back Pack Project; Appalachian Elementary School Warm Hands and Heart Project

WORSHIP Ministries

· Chancel Choir; Special Worship Services; Special Worship Musicians

· Worship service opportunities: Lector, Announcements, Ushers, Greeters, Children’s Message, Communion Stewards

· Home Communion Ministry

· Baptismal celebrations

  This is not an exhaustive list, but it does give you an idea of what the NOW Team does. We really want you to come and join us as we seek to serve God. The team meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

 

Ponder--v. verb

· 1. To think about (something) with thoroughness and care.

· 2. To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care

  If you are an astute listener, you will have heard me use the word “ponder” on numerous occasions since my arrival back in June of 2012. Lest you think, however, that it is merely some speech affectation, let me assure you. It is not. Ponder is a word that speaks to my soul. It is used numerous times in scripture.

Psalm 4:4:“When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.”

Psalm 48:9: “We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.”

Psalm 64:9: “Then everyone will fear; they will tell what God has brought about, and ponder what he has done.”

Proverbs 15:28: “The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.”

Isaiah 14:16: “Those who see you will stare at you, and ponder over you: “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,…”

Luke 1:29: “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

Luke 2:19: “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

   As you can read, it is used in numerous passages and all of them, in one way or another, seem to point to pondering our relationship to God. Maybe you can begin to see why I like the word so much and frequently slip it into conversations. If I tell you I need to ponder some idea or a question that you ask me, don’t assume that I am trying to dismiss the idea or question. I want to give it serious thought and not give you a snap kind of answer. Ponder—it is a small and powerful word.

   I pray that all of us would be more eager to ponder the things of God that are revealed to us in Scripture and the experiences of God’s presence that we encounter in our day to day lives. Ponder. You need to try it sometime and don’t be surprised by what might be revealed to you when you do.

 

  Every now and then you come across that turn of phrase or that quote or passage that just sort of speaks to you. This week, I came across such a passage in an email from a web community called FaithVillage that was telling its members that it was having to close its doors because things had not worked out.  To be truthful, I remember signing up for Faith Village, but I never really made it one of those sites I visit, even sporadically. Now it’s closing, but the founder and senior editor, Brad Russell, said the following to site members:

“Our FaithVillage journey has not been about media or technology as an end in itself, but rather about applying the latest technology to fulfill perennial ministry goals, to share compelling faith stories, to build community, to disciple and form faith, to disseminate art and ideas, to sharpen leadership skills, to build collaborations that advance Kingdom causes.

In a world with declining church attendance and institutional loyalty, myriad distractions from what’s truly important and cultural change that is exponentially faster than before, the church is challenged to engage people every day and not passively wait for the world to enter the church door.

All around us, religious institutions are challenged to respond to this dramatically changing world. Some are courageous; others are timid. Our technology was our courageous response. We will always be grateful for those who caught the vision and joined us.

I’ve long appreciated the wisdom of Eric Hoffer, who wrote: “In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.”

The only way to learn is to innovate. And as Peter Drucker says, “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.”

But we can’t be romantic about innovation. In the end, our most courageous efforts are subject to funding, timing, misperceptions, incorrect assumptions and a myriad other forces. As it’s oft said, if innovation were easy, everyone would do it.”

  These words spoke to me because I think they speak to our current situation as a church. I sometimes think that we are the learned who are about to find ourselves “...perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.” That is one reason that I have begun a major push into social media in these now waning summer months. I think that as a church and denomination, we are on the brink of extinction because we fail to take advantage of the opportunities that exist right in front of us. I know that many of you do not engage in most of these social venues that I have been promoting. But there is a vast community around us that does.  To paraphrase Drucker, “If we want something new to happen in our church, then perhaps we are going to have to change or stop some of the old ways we are doing things.”

  Please share your thoughts with me on this issue.