One of the things we start our Redevelopment Meetings with is a reflection on anything we have been thinking about over the last week or any feedback we have received. 

One piece of feedback that we received was that while people appreciate getting an update on Redevelopment each week, what we share in worship could be more succinct.  Having received that feedback, we are adapting our communication plan.  We will continue to write a more comprehensive reflection that is shared in written form.  In worship we will share one or two highlights and anything we want to invite the congregation to consider. 

  • Thank you for giving us feedback! We want to communicate in a way that is helpful to our congregation and your feedback helps us do this! 

We also discussed ways to facilitate more discussion when we invite people to consider things like, “who is Jesus to you?”  When we share a prompt like that, we want to have a way to hear from our members and engage more deeply. 

Hosanna Lutheran in Covington is also in the process of Redevelopment.  They are about a year ahead of us.  Their Redevelopment Team has reached out to invite us into relationship and support in the process.  We discussed what this relationship might look like and our concerns and hopes for our mutual support.  We thought that a meal to get to know each other would be a good place to start. 

Last week in our study of Acts we saw the importance of breaking bread and sharing meals in the early church.  Meals were a time for fellowship and relationship.  Having reflected on that our team is looking at some potential fellowship activities.  A few ideas are a potluck after church on Reformation Sunday and trick or treating with GICC.  We noted the importance of having simple activities that can be fun without becoming a burden on the people running them. 

  • If you have an idea for a fellowship activity or an activity you want to lead please let us know!

We continued our study of Acts with Acts 3:11-16.  After Peter and John heal a man born lame people come to find out what happened.  Peter explains that it was not their power or piety that healed him but God and the faith that is through Jesus. 

  • What is God up to? God is healing people who are suffering. 
  • What was the early church learning? That it is not their power, but God’s. 
  • What are we learning? God is at work and everything we do as a church is through Jesus. 

We also noted that Peter witnesses to the historical crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are not witnesses to that historical event and this presents challenges and opportunities to our own witness.  We saw that God is inviting us to witness to the moments of crucifixion, of unjust suffering, that are happening in our current context.  And God is inviting us to witness to the moments of resurrection, of new life, that are happening in our current context. 

Thank you for your prayers, support, and feedback!  We invite you to reflect with us on a moment of crucifixion, unjust suffering, that you have witnessed in our current world context and a moment of resurrection, new life, that you have witnessed in our current context. 

 - Pastor Katie

Ministries
Redevelopment Team