Jul 16 2010
I’m back!
I’m so grateful for both the time off in general and specifically the time off from preaching these last few weeks. It’s helped a lot. I’ve had a chance to work ahead in my sermon preparation a bit as well as address a number of other administrative issues that I often don’t have time to attend to.
Plus, I did take a few days and visit some family and friends back in Ohio, where Crystal and I are from. While there we also celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Thank you Crystal, for being my partner in life and in ministry the last decade and a half!
This week I return to the “pulpit” (pulpit is religious word describing the preaching podium) with the beginning of a 3 week series called RESET.
Let me ask you: are we a successful church? How do you know? This week we begin an exploration (and rejuvenation!) of our purpose, mission, and vision and in doing so we’re going to answer that question.
As a church, we’ll be four years old this August. We’ve grown from a launch team of 35 adults to a worshipping congregation of just over 300 each week (representing the top 20% of the UMC nationwide).
Spiritually speaking we’ve witnessed 145 new or renewed commitments to Christ.
We’ve conducted around 50 different “special forces” missions in our community during the last four years and through them have expressed (we figure), around 25,000 distinct, tangible and personal representations of God’s love.
In our own community with regard to responding to the economic recession, our crisis care ministry has helped nearly 4 dozen different families with over $15,000 in bill coverage, and untold amounts of money in gently used appliances, furnishings, household items and clothing that came through our congregation.
All over our community people are shocked that so much help and so many different life-changing, difference-making ministries are coming from a church our size when there are other churches in our community that are much larger but don’t seem to be doing as much (proportionately).
How did all this happen? Starting this Sunday we’re going to RESET by revisiting the spiritual DNA that launched this emerging community of faith known as CITY ON A HILL.
If you’re new to the church this is your chance to really buy in to who we are and what we feel God is calling us to do. If you’re a long-time-attendee it’s your chance to remember and celebrate what it was that drew you to your commitment here long ago.
This is a great Sunday to “get back to church” if you’ve missed a number of Sundays or if your attendance in general has been hit and miss.
This series can also be about you hitting your own personal RESET button and rebooting your own spirituality and commitment to Christian faith.
Before another school year begins, let’s all RESET!
Hope to see you Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00. And for those of you on Facebook thank you for posting the RESET promo video to your profile page. It’s a great way to get the word out and invite others!
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Lastly, I’d like to invite you to share with me your thoughts about possible future sermon series. It’s about the time of year when I really get serious about detailed planning of next year’s (2011) sermon series calendar, while also brainstorming some initial thoughts about the year following next (2012).
Would you consider sharing with me your answers to some of the following questions?
1. What is a topic/subject that you would just love to hear a sermon or sermon series about?
2. What books or parts of the Bible would you be interested in learning more about?
3. Are there Christian doctrines that trouble you or you don’t understand and would enjoy a sermon or sermon series that would explain them better?
4. What are the most pertinent issues that our society and culture are dealing with today that could use being addressed in a sermon or sermon series?
5. What would be a sermon series that you know you could get your unchurched friends or family to attend if we sponsored it?
Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.
Keep growing CITY ON A HILL! Keep being a light!
Lot’s of Love!
Chris
Rev. Chris Bryant
Lead Pastor
CITY ON A HILL
a new united methodist church
Our PURPOSE is to create a community where persons can see and then become deeply committed followersof Jesus.
Our MISSION is to serve with compassion, bring other seeking people, grow through small groups and bible studies, and become what Jesus wants us to be.
Our VISION is to change the world, one loving act at a time.