Pastor Jim Clarke Pastor Paula McCutcheon

A Community of Faith

When people are asked where they go to church often they respond either with “I go to such and such church”, or “I attend such and such church.”  It exposes a reality in our world today:  often churches are places we attend, but they aren’t meant to be that.  In Bible Study we just finished reading the Gospel according to John.  This gospel is focused on the community of faith – usually when we read ‘you’ in John it is plural.  For John there was no Christian life outside of community.  The church wasn’t a place to ‘attend’ but a place to be; it was a part of their identity.  For us that at least means the church is a place to be connected and get involved.

The best two ways to get involved in the church are classes and committees.  The classes are winding down for the summer; but you can bet there will be more in the fall.  We usually don’t think of committees as places to be connected – our understanding of committees in the real world is all business – Robert’s rules and so on.  But in the church context whenever we gather we do so in sight and presence of God.  There are therefore times to connect with others and grow in grace.  Relationships are made and deepened.  It is a spiritual time, as well as being a response to the call to be disciples.

The Leadership Selection and Development Committee (used to be Nominations) is trying to wind up their work.  (Our “nominations” year is July to July.)  I have heard people say that they don’t even know what is available to do.  To rectify that, below is a list of some of the committees and what they do.  Some committees require the LS&D Committee to elect officers.  But the ones below are open for anyone to be a part of:

Adult Council is responsible for Adult Christian education in the congregation.  They are also the committee that would form small groups in the congregation.

Children’s Council is responsible for Sunday School, and special events for children in the church – Vacation Bible School, for example.

Preschool Council has been responsible for the creation of our new Joyful Hearts Preschool.  We are blessed to have hired Carmella Bowen as our new director and we will be starting school in September.

Youth Council is responsible for the youth programming in the church – including Breakfast club, youth fellowship and mission trips.

Young Adult Council works to minister to the young adults in our congregation.  They plan events and gatherings.

Membership and Evangelism coordinates the church’s ministry of hospitality toward people who visit our church.  They also create opportunities for the invitation of others to come to our church.  Most recently they were in charge of the new pictorial directory.

Worship Committee works with the pastors to implement worship each Sunday, and plan special worship services.  They attend to many details (ushers, setup lay readers, etc.) but they also discuss our worship.

Congregational Care attends to those in our congregation who are in need.  They send cards, make calls, and sometimes arrange for meals.

Missions and Outreach Committee is involved in our churches outreach to the world, both locally and beyond.  From CROP Walk to supporting a missionary in Nepal.  At one time we had a Social Justice Task Force that was focused on political advocacy, and that responsibility now rests under the umbrella of Missions.