October 3, 2013




9:30 AM Worship Service for October 6th
"Manna"

Our "Walk Through the Bible" this Sunday

takes us to: Exodus16:1-18

we will also be celebrating Holy Communion


Be sure to join us for refreshments after service
and then for...









Faith Conversation Hour,
10:45- 11:45 AM
Great opportunities for all ages 4 yrs through Adult!

















Greetings friends and members of Community of ChristChurch,

 

Last Saturday, over fifty of our sisters and brothers in Christ gathered together for our Congregational Discernment Gathering. Some of the comments overheard at the end of the day:

“I really appreciated learning that in the big picture our congregation is doing pretty well.”

“I thought this would be boring! But I can’t believe how the time flew!”

“We accomplished a lot in four hours!”

 

Indeed, the morning did fly by as we, with the help of Oregon Synod staff members, Pastor Mike Keys and Jan Wierima, engaged in energetic conversation about what it means to be church in this time and place.

 

In four short hours…

-          - we learned about the generational trends in the culture around us and how that impacts church membership and attendance across the board

-          - we gathered in small table groups to discern who we believe God is calling us to be

-          - we grouped those descriptions into 6 categories:

o   Christ Like and Loving

(this became the umbrella category for the other five that followed)

 

Click on these links to learn about each group

*  Belonging

*  Caring, Giving, Sharing, Serving

*  Open & Inclusive (Welcoming)

Learning

*  Engaging

-         - we moved to one of the five tables where we felt the strongest connection and passion

-         - we then asked ourselves, “What is God calling us to accomplish in each of these five areas?”

-         - we recorded these conversations on five posters which were placed on the wall of the Commons

-         - then, we were each given a set of post-it notes (2 Pink, 2 Yellow, 1 blue), asked to put our names and contact info on all but the blue one, and instructed to place them on the posters accordingly:

o   Pink (for Passion!) areas of ministry that we felt passionate about

oYellow (for Curiosity!) areas of ministry we were curious about and wanted to learn more

o   Blue (?) for any area where we thought: Someone should do this, but just not me!

-         - before the event was over we were asked to gather around one of the ministry areas where we had placed a pink post-it, choose a convener and schedule a meeting sometime between now and October 9th (the next scheduled Church Council meeting). At this meeting, each group will summarize the goal of the group (what is the ministry initiative? What do we hope to accomplish in the next 50 days?), decide on the steps they will take to reach that goal, and ask themselves who else should be invited to this conversation. They will submit these to me and to the council so that we can do whatever we are able to support them and help them be successful.

 

Even if you weren’t able to attend the gathering, you are still invited… encouraged even, to add your name to one of these initiatives. What’s on your heart? Where does your ministry passion lie? The summaries of each area are available with the links above, on display in the Commons at church or on our website (look for the PASSION button). 

To add your name to one of the passion groups, you can either:

Print out the summary and add your name and contact info in the box and bring it to church or mail it to 5170 NW Five Oaks Dr.  Hillsboro, OR 97124

or fill out a sticky note, at church in the Commons, with your name and contact info and place it on the display sign where your passion focus is.


  or click on this easy button,      
and enter your information on our automated form.

 


       God’s peace,
                                 
  Pastor David














THIS SUNDAY, Community of ChristChurch is invited to participate in an annual church tradition with other Hillsboro area churches celebrating the Feast of St. Francis, with a blessing of pets.

I will be joining the pastors of All Saints Episcopal, Misión San Pablo, and Calvary Lutheran to offer pet blessings (in English and/or in Spanish) to the wider Hillsboro community. I encourage you to bring your pet to the Sunset Esplanade parking lot (near the Petco on TV Highway) between 3 and 5pm Sunday afternoon.  All pets blessed will receive a free certificate of blessing.








  

Sunday, October 13th is CC Faith Cafe day.  We are in need of 25 volunteers to assist with setup, hosting, serving and cleanup.  If you are able to volunteer, please contact Trisha or sign up in the church Entry.
Thank you!




Be sure to mark your calendar for...

Look for sign up sheets in the church Entry.  Hosted by the Front Porch Team.


Blessings on your weekend, and we look forward to sharing this Sunday with you!


Community of ChristChurch
5170 NW Five Oaks Drive
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-617-9526 
www.comchristchurch.org

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