Hi everyone,
Attracting Newcomers
In an article titled: "Getting a Declining Church Growing Again" Gordon Miller, Territorial Church Growth & Development Consultant to the Salvation Army says; "I‘d also seeker sensitise our services immediately. He says the reason is "so they reach both our present attendees and the newer people attending." It is the principle Paul lays down in 1 Corinthians 14:23-24. Miller then adds "I‘d act on this immediately — next Sunday!"
We are not acting quite as quickly as that, but will be at the end of the month. On Sunday 29th June we will be having a baptism for Tristan Summerfield. We expect a number of people will be attending who do not normally attend church regularly; some will even be in the unbeliever or seeker category. To have a communion service would mean that a third of the service would probably have little relevance to them. It would be as Paul says in 1 Cor 14:23 like someone speaking in tongues; they would think we are out of our minds. So we will not have a communion at the 10.15 service that Sunday. Instead the service will focus around the baptism, with testimonies, suitable music, and a talk which will be relevant for the visitors.
Please pencil this Sunday in your dairy as a special Sunday to come and support Fiona, Karl, Lucy and Tristan, on this special occasion.
We are looking at changing to a non-communion service on the first Sunday of the month at the 10.15 service. This is not new for the parish, as this was a service pattern used in the past. The intention is to have a service that we can invite friends, guests and seekers, without them feeling awkward and uncomfortable by having communion. There will still be two communion services in the parish on the first Sunday, 8.45 am at St James and 7.00 pm at St Timothy‘s.
For Lectionary Readings for the week click here