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In my last post, I blogged reflections from Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase. In this post, I’ll share some practical ideas that are coming out of Centre Grove church council’s discussion of the reading. Earlier this week, we talked about what we’re currently doing in the area of faith development (including … Read more
Centre Grove’s council has been reading, discussing, and acting on Bishop Robert Schnase‘s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. So far, we have completed discussion of one of the practices (Radical Hospitality) and we recently started on a second (Intentional Faith Development). In this chapter, Bishop Schnase stresses the importance of learning together in community. He … Read more
While our conversation on Radical Hospitality is mostly behind us (Centre Grove church council), we’re still working on some of the practical steps (primarily adding directional signs, which have been completed, and revamping our welcoming ministry of ushers and greeters). We’ve named our ministry of ushers and greeters “First Impressions Ministry” (not original with us). … Read more
I have been blogging our journey at Centre Grove through the Five Practices and I’ve written a couple posts on the first of the practices that we’re discussing (Radical Hospitality 1.0 and 2.0). In the last post, I wrote that we were making strides on indoor and outdoor signs that would improve our presence in … Read more
Last month, the Centre Grove Church Council discussed Radical Hospitality, which included a thorough walk-through of the church facilities (trying to view them through the eyes of a newcomer). This month, as part of our ongoing discussion of Bishop Schnase’s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, we focused on two important areas related to our hospitality. … Read more
As I wrote earlier, Centre Grove’s Church Council is discussing Bishop Schnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Last night, we began discussing “radical hospitality.” We started the discussion by reflecting on and evaluating how well we are currently practicing hospitality. Basically, we concluded that while there are some good signs (i.e., we believe we’re … Read more
I love what Jesus said about calling us to be fruitful. As a Christ-follower, I want to honor God with my life. I believe that means, in part, living a fruitful life. Jesus said … You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that … Read more
At the Bishop’s Retreat last week, I was reminded about a particular verse that’s held an important place in my heart since the beginning of my Christ-following journey. When I was a junior in college, having just transferred to a Christian college to pursue training for my call to leadership in ministry, I remember the … Read more
At the Bishop’s Retreat this week, Tex Sample talked about how we are formed by our practices (see other learnings here). Because of that, we need to choose good practices. I think this is one reason why habits, disciplines, systems and routines are important to me. It’s not just about finding an easier, faster way … Read more
Robert Schnase, bishop of the Missouri Conference of the UMC has written a book called Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations that’s making waves in the UMC. At Centre Grove UMC, our church council is beginning to work its way through the book and I’ll be blogging about the journey. The book focuses on five practices … Read more