Growing Pains, Growing Plans

Last Monday morning the peacefulness of my first cup of coffee was shattered as I opened my email program. As I scanned the subject lines of the incoming email, there it was. You know the kind. All you have to do is look at the subject line and you just want to go back to bed and start over. The subject line read “Concern in the Camp.” I was pretty sure the camp in question had nothing to do with holding hands around a campfire and singing Kum By Ya! The email was from one of our elders (there’s some good news). It was not only addressed to me but to all the other elders and to Sean. My first thought was “Ok, what did Sean do now!” Not really. My first thought was #%*@&! They say confession is good for the soul. Yes, you still need to pray for me. I clicked on the email and this is what confronted me...

Gentlemen,

I thought it best to get this info out ASAP. There was a disruption of sorts yesterday morning at the morning worship time. It appears that when Ingrid & I entered the corporate worship area to take our seats, to our surprise, we could not. Why you ask? Because someone we didn't even know had taken ours. Preposterous I say! On top of that, another CCC family of 5 had to relocate to other seating because of the very same thing.

LOL...Praise GOD, that there is "Change" in the wind & this "Change" isn't coming from President O. Thank you Brent & Sean, for the on going face-lift @CCC.

ALL4HIM,

clc

Let me say first that this type of email is just wrong. I’m old and my heart is not as strong as it used to be. Second, you and I both know that Charlie is right. Quite a few folks have seen unfamiliar faces in their sacred spaces recently. And it seems like every Sunday there are more of them than the Sunday before. The only seats available are the ones on the very front row (and the ones next to Ken).

Here’s the issue, we are running out of space. It’s not my fault. You’ve heard my preaching. If you have to blame someone, blame God. He is drawing them. Now that we have assigned blame sufficiently, let’s talk about what to do. (Praying that God would stop sending new people is not an option! Don’t even think about it).

In the short-term, I’d like to ask our regulars to choose seats further toward the front. Yes, I said it. And furthermore, someone is going to have to sit on the front row (i.e., in the spray zone) for this to really do any good. B.Y.O.U. (Bring Your Own Umbrella). This will ensure our guests don’t have to make the “walk of shame” to the front row after the service has already begun.

Our longer term plan, as I mentioned on Vision Sunday, is to begin a second worship service. Our plan is to make the transition on March 29^th. I hope we can wait that long. Why the 29^th. That will give us a couple of weeks to work the kinks out before Easter. The first service will begin @ 9:00 AM the second @ 10:45 AM. There will be a half-hour transition/fellowship time in between. As plans stand right now, Heartland will be offered at the second service only and the first service will have more of a family feel. I’ll be sending out information over the next several weeks to help prepare all of us for this transition. Yet, we believe strongly that God is calling to make more seats available at optimum times, so more and more people can connect with God and experience real change through our ministry at Community. The elders and I welcome your feedback.

Yes, this is another change. Yet, it is a change that moves us more deeply into the mission God has for us. Besides, you might even get your old seat back.

I’m glad to be on this journey with you. I pray that you will continue investing in the lives of those who don’t know Jesus and inviting them to experience God’s grace that flows in this place.

Grace and Peace,

Brent