As for the rest of 2009.....

Now that we have wrapped up the Vision Series, 'In Pursuit Of Purpose', now what? The health of any purpose-driven church is almost always centered around the worship experience. Sunday morning is the central hub from which everything happens. It is where God inspires us to go and be His people.

So how is the health of Sunday morning at Emmanuel? There are 4 aspects that I am going to ask us to focus on through the rest of 2009.

1. Children's Ministry: The next 2 Sundays are going to focus on children. We are going to consider what priority should children have in the life of the church and be challenged to answer the call to raise the next generation of Christian leaders in intentional and responsible ways.

2. Music: There can be excellent music. The key is to have excellent music that leads people to worship, not to be entertained. We will be encouraged to continue moving forward in this area.

3. Preaching: not nap time. Be ready to listen, reflect and respond. Poopy sermons are not allowed because the Good News of Jesus is not poopy news.

4. Preparing for Growth: Wanting to grow and being prepared to grow are two different things. Whether growth occurs or not, we should expect to be ready for it through prayers, presence, gifts and service.

As we focus on these 4 areas of Sunday morning, we will also respond in how we dream, plan, implement and evaluate ministry Monday through Saturday. Feedback is always welcomed. But mostly, we want you to be a part of this very cool church that God wants to use to reach out to the community.