Keeping it Outward: GCPC Goals for 2010    (March 7, 2010)

SERMON:  JR Foster.  We will also celebrate the Lord's Supper.

SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT CLASSES:  Winter Session continues through March 14th

SUGGESTED FAMILY WORSHIP TEXT:  I Peter 1 or Psalm 24

HYMNS:      ~ Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates! (Trinity 198)
                      ~ Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross (Trinity 264)
                      ~ Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed? (Trinity 254; during wine)
                      ~ Lift High the Cross! (Trinity 263)

SONGS:     ~ The Lord is Marching Out in Splendor
                     ~ Save Us, O Lord
                    ~ From Heaven, I'll Hear
                    ~ Jesus, I am Resting, Resting
                    ~ The Feast (Horatio Bonar hymn sung during the bread)

DEVOTIONAL:    Keeping it Outward:  GCPC Goals for 2010

The elders and deacons had a wonderful day of prayer and planning two Saturdays back.  Thank you all for praying.  It was simply a good time of fellowship, laughing, and praying for each member and regular attender by name in our Pastoral Care Teams.  But we also had a good, relaxed time of evaluating how things were going across the church, and what more needed to be done.  The Powells graciously provided both breakfast and lunch for us, so that we could all relax and focus on the needs of the church.

For the most part, we believe things are going well.   The church continues to focus on the Gospel of grace, to be united, to have a "family feel" to it, and continues to grow with new families and students.  Nevertheless, there are areas where we can do better, be more faithful in our response to God's grace together.   But this is not a year for grand projects.  We have had a couple of pretty busy and taxing years --  bringing in a new associate pastor, reaching out to Radford, seeing large growth last Spring, revamping the Sunday School hour, and of course, enjoying (!) the construction of the new building addition, but which took a lot of work and energy.   (By the way, did you know that last night, close to 500 people took part in Dayspring's Olive Garden Dinner fundraiser in our fellowship hall?)  

So this year is not a year for big plans.  It is a time to pace ourselves, catch our breath, and make sure we are each first and foremost, growing in faith and godliness.   Nevertheless, we do not wish to settle in too comfortably.  With these new resources at hand, we want to remain outwardly focused, to ask God to keep us true to our word that growing a bit in number and adding to our building was to have a greater purpose:  to serve those outside our own body.  Therefore, the officers took as our theme this year the theme verse in the book of Acts where Jesus tells His apostles:   "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Now, I realize the danger in this.  We are not the Apostles.   We do not live in Jerusalem.  This was a particular commandment for a particular period in redemptive history.  Nevertheless, it sets a tone -- a tone for the book of Acts, and I believe, a tone for the whole of the Church, throughout her history.  That we are to remain outwardly focused, beginning by discipling those at home (Jerusalem), but then looking around us to our community (Judea), and our region, even perhaps "across the tracks" (Samaria), and the whole world (the ends of the earth).

And so while I realize it is a bit artificial in its translation to our situation, we looked at each of these areas in turn and looked for specific goals and tasks we could pursue to further the Gospel better at home (our church and families), in our community (Blacksburg and VT), our region (particularly Christiansburg and Radford/Dublin), and overseas (Missions).   A large theme was the theme of mercy ministries in the church and how we can do better in this regard, especially in terms of organization and communication of needs.  Another large item was the subject of planting a daughter church in terms of timing and wisdom.

As a result, we came up not with any two or three huge goals, but thirteen smaller goals and tasks we could pursue as a church.  Many of these will need your help.  And so look these over, and see which ones pop out at you and excite you and wish you wish to help further.  Then let me know.  Shoot me an email, and I will plug you in.  Next month, the elders will look for particular people to take charge of each of these.  Maybe that's you?  And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.   And again, thank you for praying for your leaders!

2010 GCPC GOALS & TASKS

 

CONGREGATION (Jerusalem):

1) Adopt the new four week Communicants Class developed by Pastor Waters

2) Change Adult Class curriculum to hold a men's and women's class every Winter Session
3) Discuss re-establishing a Sunday Evening worship service or informal teaching time

4) Reorganize Pastoral Care Teams every Fall with Home Fellowship Groups forming the initial organizing structure each year

 

COMMUNITY (Judea):

1) Hold a Men’s Retreat in addition to the Women’s Retreat, encouraging college men to attend

2) Encourage better family “adoption” of college students

3) Hold a Mercy Sunday/Conference in the Fall emphasizing deeds of mercy in the community

4) Have every Fellowship Group (HFGs, Women’s Studies, Youth Group) take on one mercy project each year

REGION (Samaria): 
1) Provide spiritual encouragement to students from Radford, with John Albano as pointman
2) Continue Bible Study in Dublin, while continuing to pray about a future church plant in either Christiansburg or Radford

3) Have at least one Home Fellowship Group in Christiansburg next year

MISSIONS (Ends of the Earth): 

1) Pray “kingdom prayers” (missionaries, other churches, mercy needs) every Sunday in worship

2) Hold a Summer Missions Sunday in April, when we recognize and pray for all those going on short terms missions trips over the summer