LEAVING THE REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY

After many years of following the Revised Common Lectionary as a helpful tool for planning worship services and choosing sermon texts, Pastor Eric has decided to go in a different direction. Look for a new schedule of biblical readings and worship themes to emerge soon! There will be an effort made to knit small group discussions, Big Kids Bible Workshop sessions, and online tracking of readings together, as a continued option for those who currently track with the Lectionary.

ROAD CREW LUNCH & AGENDA - JUNE 1st

(click on picture to enlarge)

Road Crew Agenda - 11:30am - 12pm

1. Process and Timeline for Discerning Mission and Taking New Steps. How do we participate in process? What milestones will we measure?
2. Survey Results. What themes emerged, regarding Emmaus Road's strengths, shape, calling? What needs/concerns are shared?
3. Facility Search update.
4. Summer plans, general announcements.
5. General Dismissal
6. Q&A for those who wish to remain

FACILITY SEARCH TEAM & PLAN

Road Crew,

An ad hoc Facility Search Team is coming together, including Mike and Teresa Elenbaas, along with Kristen Vander Linden.

The Team is tasked with exploring options for a temporary worship relocation and communicating with the church.  Priority will be given to exploring options in the general vicinity of New Horizons so that we may remain relatively centrally located.

Elements we will be looking for include:

• parking (at least as good as our current street parking)
• space for Nursery, Godly Play, and Big Kids Bible Workshop
• easy to find and access for worshipers, members, guests, etc.
• low cost

Some inquiries have already been made; we will have more details to share soon.

Please pray for opportunity and discernment, 

and that we may trust the Lord, without undue fear or anxiety,

to provide a worship space for Emmaus Road 

just as he did when we first discovered New Horizons so many years ago.

Bear in mind: the project of finding a temporary relocation for Sunday worship is separate from the project of considering Emmaus Road's identity, mission, strategy for growth, etc.  More on that project soon.

WEBINAR ON YOUTH MINISTRY IN TRANSITION

Free one hour webinar, Wednesday, 3/5/14

"Youth Ministry is viewed by the church in a variety of ways and the various opinions about the role and place of youth ministry in the local church are as diverse as the people who express them. Dean Borgman notes that youth ministry is a remedial function, necessary because all he other systems that should support the holistic development of young people are in trouble as well. This webinar will explore the current youth ministry landscape and the challenges of developing a contextual approach to discipleship that is good for the local church. The webinar is designed to allow ample time for questions and is guided by the mantra: What is good for our young people is good for our adults as well." 

More info on specific presenters here

Register here

NEW HORIZONS RENOVATIONS: JAN. 2014 UPDATE

Last week Thursday, January 16th, Pastor Likkel met with Executive Director Mary Steele and looked at blue prints for the upcoming renovations of the New Horizons Ministries building. Upstairs renovations could begin as early as June, while downstairs work would not begin until September or later. Emmaus Road will need to relocate worship during the downstairs renovations, at least temporarily. Soon, Pastor Likkel will be intentionally exploring worship location options for Emmaus Road nearby. Please pray for the Spirit's guidance in this, and for our eyes and ears to be open. Pray also that this is experienced as a good process for Emmaus Road, leading to spiritual and missional growth.

ROAD CREW NOTES CONDENSED; COUNCIL FOLLOW-UP PROPOSALS

From November 24th Road Crew lunch: meeting notes organized/condensed,
with added Council follow-up proposals:

MINISTRY AREA: Sustainability

ROAD CREW COMMENTS

·   Communication vague at times; feeling persists for many of being out of the loop

·   Pastor going part-time not a welcome move….. not yet

·   Size matters; were Emmaus Road little larger, some financial stability achieved

ACTIONS proposed by Council

·   Pledge forms by January 31^st; Stewardship Team carry out; reason: concrete way for members to take ownership, or be faced with it, even if end result is not a useful budget tool (e.g., not enough people participate)

·   Refresh people with budget updates ALREADY online; people lose track of info.; don’t know where to find it; good for people to see details

·   Numerical growth of church! (separate topic/mtg.)

·   Capitalize on offertory moment; cite specific costs

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MINISTRY AREA: Cradle to College; Ministry w/Children, Parents


ROAD CREW COMMENTS

·   Emmaus Road’s emerging generation(s) are expanding; potential for good; future youth group(s)

·   Collaboration a hopeful approach, re: way to develop events-oriented programs

ACTIONS proposed by Council

·   Highlight mentoring relationships; tell stories (Eric capture for eWeekly or Show/Tell on Sunday)

·   Explore partner church opportunities; Cluster relationships; Nicole Molendyk interested

·   “Top Ten” biblical topics/narratives for parents to share w/children beyond Sunday; call together a parental summit to explore, sort out, begin

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MINISTRY AREA: Worship


ROAD CREW COMMENTS

·   Valued

·   All Ages Sundays are appreciated

·   Multi-media important/helpful

·   Small size of worshiping crowd does not affect everyone evenly; some notice, some do not

·   General affirmation

ACTIONS proposed by Council

·   Continue developing kid-friendly messages/liturgies (even for adults)

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MINISTRY AREA: Church & Neighbor: Missional Activity Beyond Belltown


ROAD CREW COMMENTS

·   Broaden the planning team and event leadership; share work load

·   Communication around events/expectations; can never have too much communication!

ACTIONS proposed by Council

·   Raise awareness – need bigger team to carry out planning (beyond Kristen, David, Eric)

·   Strategy needs work; new vision needs to be cast

·   Personal invitations; creates accountability

·   Match church members to neighbors and established opportunities

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MINISTRY AREA: Prayer Parties


ROAD CREW COMMENTS

·   First event at David/Jessie’s off to good start

·   Good strategy to have prayer “champion” around each focus

ACTIONS proposed by Council
·   Arauctos host next Prayer Party, January 24