All Church Planning Retreat

UPDATE: Due to the boys football team playing in the quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon, we are postponing the retreat until some time in January. Watch here for more information!

Dear Church, 

​Over the course of the last year we’ve been having conversations about who we are as a church. They started with the listening sessions we had when Emily and I first got to Marceline, and they have continued in a variety of settings.  In a few different ways we’ve also touched on this topic on Sunday mornings. Now we are ready to take our next step forward in understanding our mission as a church in Marceline.

On November 23, that’s the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we’ll be meeting at the church for a day of planning.  The Church Council will be meeting in the morning that day to better prepare for the afternoon, and the rest of the church will join them at noon for lunch. We’ll have meat and drinks for lunch, and some snacks for the afternoon provided. If can come, we’d like you to bring a salad, side, or desert to share.

Through the afternoon we’ll talk about our hopes, ideas, and dreams for our church. By the end of the day we’ll have put together several goals to focus our work as a church.

Our goal for the day is that we’ll have a better idea of how we are going to be the church in Marceline, how we are going to live into the vision that we see, and how we are going to accomplish that work. My hope, as we finish the day, is that we will all see a part of ourselves in the work that we’re doing, and each of us will have identified a place where we are going to be able to contribute.

Don’t be surprised at what God might be calling you to do! Remember that some of Jesus’ best disciples were fishermen and tax collectors who didn’t have any expectation of building anything, much less a church that has been around for 2,000 years.

I would love to see you that Saturday! Every person, young and old, is not just important to who we are as a church, but has a role in who we are and who we are becoming. Your voice is an important one as we look to our future.

Peace,
Pastor John