These Are Exciting Times at New Community Church! (September 5, 2008)

I have now completed about 130 interviews and it has truly been a blessing to get to know folks in our congregation and to hear their hearts concerning New Community Church. You have allowed me the privilege to listen to you and now it is my responsibility to respond to what I have learned. These are indeed exciting times at NCC!

Let me mention just a few of the things that have happened as a result of your input. We, as a church, are reconnecting to our roots. As mentioned in an earlier blog, we are rediscovering our distinctive values: inviting & welcoming, warm & friendly, loving & non-judgmental, authentic & real, open & honest, learning & growing, serving & supporting. As a result, there was a 90% sign up rate in the most recent covenant membership class. Covenant membership will continue to be rolled out this fall and everyone will have the opportunity to participate.
We have stepped up recent efforts to strengthen communications including the weekly update, slide loops, weekly email blasts, physical posters, web site content, more announcements during worship service, a sign for café, and the launching of the XPastor’s blog. And we regularly “check the pulse” of the congregation on key issues using the ‘Question of the Day’. One result is that our web site visits have climbed from 1900 per month to over 4000 visits per month! However, there is still more that can be done and is being considered: a monthly newsletter, regular disclosure of high-level financial and attendance information, and more congregational meetings (including a monthly Executive Pastor “fireside chat”).

There is a greater priority for prayer than there has been in some time. We now have a published list of prayer requests and are tracking approximately 50 prayer requests. The contact cards have provided a means for people to share their burdens and requests for prayer. People are stepping forward to participate in a new prayer ministry. This includes “Prayer Time with the Executive Pastor” before each service and an intercessory prayer time on Thursday nights.

Our staff is growing. We know have a Director of Operations (Mark Kelly), a Director of Volunteer Management (Vicki Carlson), and may be looking for additional help in Marketing & Communications as Sandie Grindle begins to shift her emphasis more towards Family Ministries. In addition, the Care Response Team has increased in size as they expand their ministry to cover more people with pastoral-type care who are not currently in Small Groups.

People are sensing a positive shift in the worship services. Many people are commenting on how the services seem more intimate than before. We have put the greeting back in the worship service, the music sets in worship have become longer and more intimate – drawing people closer to God a better preparing their hearts for the message. In addition, café has improved, a community café awning is being planned for year round café, and newcomers are being identified and tracked using the contact cards.

There is a growing desire for deeper spiritual growth and connection. We are in the process of putting a cross on the building, communion has moved to a monthly occurrence, and our hunger for deeper discipleship is growing. In response to that hunger we are about to launch TLC@NCC, a new discipleship training program on Thursday nights. Also, mini-mission projects are being defined for all people to be able to participate in (small groups, ministry-based groups, families, and individuals).
New and innovative methods of bringing back the “buzz” about NCC are happening. These include large community events like “Around the World in 180 Minutes”, the upcoming Steve Fee concert, and programs which generate more external traffic through our facility (e.g., ladies boot camp, Act One, hockey dinner, and KinderMusik).

There is a renewed pride in our facility. We have been cleaning, repairing, organizing, and changing the building to create a more pleasing and presentable facility for worship. And some of the best is yet to come! Come to services on Sunday, September 7th to lean more…..

The bottom line: At the end of the spring this year, our attendance was down 15% over the prior year. But there was a sense of excitement that the tide was turning. Going into the summer, we usually drop another 9% from summer vacations - this year we only dropped only 2%. In the last 4 weeks, we have been experiencing unusually high attendance - 15% higher than last year. Coming out of the summer we usually pick up another 15%. If that happens this year, and it looks like it will, NCC will return to record high attendance levels in the very near future! But numbers are not the most important thing. I believe there is a spiritual awakening going on here. We are poised for some of the most transformationally deep spiritual growth we have ever experienced. God is preparing to take us to new levels of intimacy with Him and with His people. These truly are exciting times at NCC!

Please post a response below or email me at csonger@new-communitychurch.org