The elders, staff, transition team, and I want your input! The best way to share your thoughts, insights and suggestions is to join our Summit #2 on Sunday afternoon January 26 from 3-5:30pm, with dinner immediately following. Childcare will be provided. We’ll meet in the worship center and then have dinner with the kids in the youth room.
FAQ
You might be asking, “What if I didn’t attend Summit #1; will I know what’s going on?” The answer is that you will certainly be able to participate. Each summit has specific purposes:
- Summit #1 determined where Sunridge has been. Please take a long look at the Sunridge Journey Wall, which is on the left sidewall as you enter the worship center.
- Summit #2 is to determine where Sunridge is. Our main focus will be to identify our core, practiced values. We can think of these values as our unique, God-breathed strengths as a church. At Summit #2 we will gather into work groups around tables to interact and discuss three main questions:
- What does God value?
- What has God consistently blessed at Sunridge over the years?
- What does our past tell us we need to value more?
- Summit #3 will be to determine where Sunridge is headed (tentatively scheduled for March 9th).
The Importance of Summit #2
The main reason Summit #2 is so important is that it will help us identify the gifts, qualities, skills, and temperament we are looking for in a permanent pastor. If there is a strong values match between a church and incoming pastor, the chances of a long and fruitful tenure increase dramatically.
All Church Fast (Jan 13-15)
This coming Monday through Wednesday, we invite the Sunridge family to participate in three days of fasting. The essence of a fast is to abstain from some normal daily activity (like a meal or two) and use the time to pray instead. A portion of the prayer time can be spent in silence, just listening before the Lord. What are we fasting for? Fast for personal and family needs, and for “spiritual breakthroughs” to help you know God in deeper and more personal ways. We hope you will also fast for our transition season, for the permanent pastor, and for God to visit Sunridge with salvations and an ongoing sense of His presence as we gather on Sundays and during the week.
Night of Extended Worship & Prayer (Jan 15)
We will break our fast on Wednesday evening January 15, from 6:30 – 7:15pm, with a light supper of soup and bread in the youth room. We will then join in the worship center for extended worship interspersed with praying. This is a family event so bring the kids. We will also celebrate communion together. If you have children who are not usually in a morning service when we celebrate communion, you may want to talk with them beforehand about the meaning of communion. And if you’d like to be baptized the water will be warm and ready.
State of the Church (Jan 26)
Whenever I serve a church, I typically share a “State of the Church” message on a Sunday morning, often coinciding with the annual “State of the Union Address” from the President. In addition to teaching from Ephesians, I’d like to share some of my observations about Sunridge over the last six months, some vital statistics, and our plans for the next few months.
Serving with joy,
Pastor Gregg
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