Writing and reading

Well, there’s been a lot of activity behind the scenes, but not much activity on this blog. My apologies.

The survey for groups associated with our church is complete, and has been sent out to group leaders. If you lead any sort of group or committee associated with our church, and you have not received a survey, please let me know and you will receive one forthwith. Posthaste. Immediately if not sooner.

The survey is in two parts. Part 1 asks the recipient to rate various characteristics of our building on how well they help us fulfil the Vision, Mission, and Goals of our congregation. The second part asks a bunch of leading questions about what the ideal building would look like.

I’ve asked the various groups to complete this survey as soon as is practical. We really want to get the answers back before everyone heads to the cottage and the committees break for the summer.

I’m hopeful that the task force – hard-working bunch that we are – will continue to work through the summer as much as we can. We may not meet, but thanks to e-mail, Google Docs, and other technologies, I’m sure we’ll be able to take a rainy day here and there to think about our tasks and make a little progress.

Impromptu book review

I’ve bought a book. Building for Effective Mission – A Complete Guide for Congregations on Bricks and Mortar Issues by Kennon L. Callahan. I just received it this week, so I haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, but I am impressed. By the time I’d reached page 3, I’d already gone “hmmm” twice.

Hmmm number 1; the author draws parallels between the time of Christ and current times.

Welcome to one of the greatest ages of mission the Christian movement has ever seen. Welcome to the first century. Welcome to the twenty-first century. Welcome to a mission time.
Christ was born into an age of mission, a bleak time of empires and soldiers, palaces and kings, a time of the lame and the deaf, the blind and the poor.

Hmmm. Empires and soldiers, palaces and kings. Does sound kind of familiar, doesn’t it?

Hmmm number 2; a brief commentary on the church's place in society today.

This is no longer a churched culture. I encourage you not to mourn its passing. Do not long for a return to those days when going to church was the thing to do. The church is never at its best in a churched culture.
When churchgoing was a staple of social conformity, the church was nonetheless ill at ease and out of place. … Yes, it has enjoyed its prominence as a cultural institution and the pedestal on which it was perched. Yet the church has realized, albeit dimly, that it is not called to be admired by the world. Intuitively it has been restless to serve, not to be served.

Hmmm. The church is at its best when people don’t want to go to church.

Yes, I’m going to enjoy this book. As soon as I’ve finished reading it, I’ll make it available to the other task force members. Once they’ve all done with it, I’ll offer it to the church library. I’ll let you know when that happens.

So… long post this week. Hope it makes up for no post at all last week.

Till next time, see you in church (or not).