Where do you fit in?

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

If you were not with us yesterday for worship, we missed you! You missed an a cappella Sunday! With Penny on a well deserved vacation, we sang a cappella so that we could truly appreciate her when she returns. You also missed the first episode of the God Box. Each Sunday, one of the children takes the God Box home and puts something inside it. It might be something that makes them think of God or of Church or of Jesus or of their family. This week Sam was kind enough to bring a large green rubber snake! After my screaming stopped, we had a talk about how sin is sneaky and can whisper in our ears and convince us that something wrong is something right.

Sean Boyles shared an article with us last week. I am going to continue thinking about the four things that vital congregations have going on that makes them vital!

Here's the whole list:
According to the study, the four main drivers of vitality are:

A mix of both traditional and contemporary worship services
Small groups including programs for children and youth
Inspirational preaching and length of pastoral appointment
Lay leadership
Small Groups for everyone, including children and youth

John Wesley was a proponent of small groups within a larger group structure. He studied small groups within different organizations and denominations of his time and developed a system of small groups that led millions of people to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Wesley described small groups this way, . . . ‘a company of men [and women] “having the form, and seeking the power of godliness” (see 2 Tim. 3:5), united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation’ (see Phil. 2:12). These small groups are part of what made Methodism grow like wildfire in the 1700s and 1800s. Small groups gave people a place to belong. They gave people a place to be accountable in their Christian journey. They gave people a place where it was safe to talk about and learn about their faith.


For us, small groups is an area that Trinity can achieve much growth in and build on what we have already as part of our community. We have several exciting and biblically based Sunday Schools for adults. We also have Sunday school for preschoolers, and one for children and youth. However, we have realized that the age range for children's/youth Sunday School is too broad. The older kids don't want to come because it is too "babyish". The younger kids don't get out of it what we might hope. So, in the fall, we will reorganize those groups into more effective age groups. Thank you to the Fellowship and Education Committee for taking care of that and keeping the pulse of the church in mind.

We will also add a new "younger" (you can define that however you would like ;-)) adult Sunday School to our mix. I will be teaching it, but it will be a discussion-based class with topical materials. If you aren't currently in a Sunday School class, we would love to have you join us! Sunday School isn't just for kids. Sunday School is for life! It is a great way to learn and grow as a Christian, but it is also a wonderful way to develop community. Jesus surrounded himself with 12 friends. They shared meals, laughter, ministry, and pain with Jesus. Don't we want the same thing? In this world of isolation and chaos, it is wonderful to have a place where people know your name and know your story and are there for you when it matters most.

If you are looking for a small group, a Bible study is a great way to find one. We want to have one or perhaps two of these at Trinity in the fall. What night or day would be good for you? What would you like to study? Do you want a short-term study? Or one that is more long term? Please let me know what YOU are interested in and when you would be interested in meeting.

Scouting…both Boys/Cubs and Girls, is another area of strength we can build on at Trinity. We have many children from throughout the community, many without a church home, that come through our doors on a weekly basis. We are grateful for all the wonderful adults that give of themselves to invest in our young people and the young people of Red Springs. Let's continue to be invitation to those who don't call a church home. Using the momentum of those vibrant programs, we will begin a new children's program here at Trinity. We are still in the planning stages, but we will mix music, crafts, games, and Bible teaching together to create a fun and safe environment for kids to learn about Jesus, themselves, and people who love them in Christ.

One of the things I thought was neat about Trinity was that we have a cooperative youth group with the Presbyterians and Baptists. I like the ecumenical nature of that along with the practicality of working together. However, we do need to do things that encourage our young people to be a part of our church in Sunday School, in worship, on committees, and in leadership roles. We are starting a new youth-only Sunday school. We are working on some things to make that especially cool and fun. If you have teenagers in your house, I would like your help encouraging them to take part in church. We want their perspective on committees. We want youth to be liturgists. Youth are not the church of tomorrow. They are the church of right now.

I don't know about you, but it wasn't the worship service that had the most impact on my growth as a Christian. That is certainly an important part, but the most change in my life has been through the people that know me best. The deepest impact on my walk with Christ has always been in a small group. It was my small group at Divinity School that got me through my divorce through their love and caring. It was my Disciple Bible Study class that helped me be brave enough to answer God's call to ministry. It was my youth group that helped me to start living my faith rather than just talking about it.

So, if you are not a part of a small group, I invite you to begin to pray about that. With whom can you study the Bible? Where can you be vulnerable? Where can you work on going on to salvation with others? If you are in a small group, bravo! Do you need to be more dedicated to it? Where can you invest more in the lives of other group members? How can your group "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can," as John Wesley would say?