Questions/suggestions from Fall Cottage Meetings

At the fall Cottage Meetings, a number of questions and suggestions were offered up. We were listening! Here are a few we have responded too.

Why do we need two sign in pads in each pew? That seems to defeat the purpose of the pad.

Good point! The purpose of the worship sign in pad is to serve as a way of getting to know folks. As this member pointed out, two pads in each pew defeats that purpose. The idea for the pads is that they get passed down the row and everyone signs in. Then the pad should get passed back down the pew so everyone can see the names of those who have signed in. It helps members to get to know each other, but more importantly to identify visitors. Hopefully, if there is someone visiting and they sign in that way, members in the pew will greet them and make them feel welcome. With two pads, they tend to meet in the middle and then go back.

Why do we receive offering envelopes in the mail? Why don’t we give out boxes of envelopes at the start of each year like most churches do? It seems like a waste of postage and envelope.

Studies have shown that sending monthly envelopes out to members is a more effective way of encouraging good stewardship. Giving is better over the course of the year. Churches that do give out the boxes end up paying more postage as they have to mail the boxes first class to the many members who don’t pick them up at church. Boxes get lost and have to be replaced. Although it may not fit your giving pattern (giving once a month, giving once a year) it has proven to be a more effective way of doing stewardship for the entire church.

Why are we printing some of the bulletins? Isn’t that a waste of paper? Why have hymnals if we are going to print the whole bulletin?

Currently we are printing 2 of our 4 bulletins. (We still use the worship booklets for “Now the Feast” and the “Chicago Folk Mass”.) Our goal is to print all of our bulletins in 2007 as we start to introduce the new hymnal. Sit next to an unchurched visitor some Sunday and watch as they struggle during our worship. We are asking them to navigate between a bulletin, a booklet and a hymnal on those Sundays. It is sad to see a visitor give up trying to stay up with the worship. Those folks don’t come back the next Sunday. The purpose of this printed bulletin is to make our worship more “visitor friendly”. If we want to grow, this is an important step in that process. And we do make a point of recycling those bulletins.

Faith in the Home

Four Keys

The Youth and Family Institute has identified Four Keys for Nurturing Faith in the Home. These are:

• Caring Conversations (Talking About Faith)
• Family Devotions
• Family Service
• Rituals and Traditions

This newsletter page is designed to give you and your household insights into how to nurture faith in your own home.

Family Devotions

Summer can be a time when we spend time with different people ~ school’s out, so we don’t see school friends; and we may vacation, visiting family who we don’t see often during the school year. Maybe you can take some time during family devotions to remember and pray for people you haven’t seen for a while, and to thank God for their place in your life.

Prayer

See www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/easterhp/index.html for good conversation/prayer starters to use in family devotions ~ based on the weekly Gospel lectionary reading.

Summer/Season after Pentecost

Summer is a time of different schedules. Your work schedule might not change, but your kids’ schedule does. With school out, kids get an opportunity to have an extended Sabbath ~ a time to revel in God’s goodness. Sports, activities, and camps are all good (shameless plug for Lutheran summer camps), but time to simply run around in play, especially outside in God’s creation, is also important. It’s been said that play is one way kids pray.

What if we all made time during the day this summer, maybe in the morning or in the evening if you work, to turn off the TV, shut down the computer, and play with your kids.

Worship

Worship is the center of our life as a church. Worship - gathering together as the people of God - reminds us who we are as children of God. Be sure to make worship a regular part of your family's routine, whether at home or away. And invite your friends, especially those who don't have a church home, to join you. Rally Day, coming up September 9th, is a great opportunity to do just that.

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