When we first saw the “Rendezvous” spiritual growth
campaign, it caught our attention immediately. The concept of “sacred
encounters with God” taking place in all aspects of our day-to-day
lives intersected with our church’s mission and vision. Our mission is
relationship oriented, “To cultivate right relationships with Christ
and others”. Our vision this year is “Get connected to God, Get
connected with each other, Get connected with the world.” Rendezvous
is about “Encountering Christ in my life, in my closest relationships,
in my friendships, in my faith community, and in the world”—so we
quickly saw it as a great tool to utilize in our Fall spiritual growth
campaign.
Prior to implementation of the campaign, we
began to ask ourselves how we could do a better job of connecting with
God, with each other, and with the world. Our congregation is
non-traditional and our community is highly professional, fast-paced
and demanding. People of faith want to connect with each other, but
often struggle to make the time to allow meaningful connections to take
place. For most, the Sunday morning service is their prime opportunity
to connect with fellow believers. Of course, the primary focus of our
Sunday services is connecting with God through worship, including
receiving and applying the Word. We began to seek ways to create an
environment on Sunday mornings that would allow for meaningful
encounters with Christ, with the Word, and with each other. Through
this process of seeking and praying, the idea of a significant change
to our service structure emerged and we found that the “Rendezvous”
campaign and this new structure were perfect partners.
For
the six weeks of the campaign, our services have been adjusted to
include a 30-minute time segment to discuss and apply the scripture
from the pastor’s message. The congregation is seated at round tables
of 10 during the entire service. The first 55 minutes of the service
includes music, prayer, offering, drama (and/or video) and a 20 minute
message. The prayer time is led at the front by a pastor, but it
includes moments for thanksgiving and requests shared at the tables.
After the message, the table discussions begin with a simple icebreaker
question and then they focus on the exploration and application of the
morning’s message. Instead of just hearing the Word preached—we
actually engage the scripture together with thought-provoking
questions. We are challenged to figure out how to apply the truth of
scripture in the context of our day-to-day lives. After 30 minutes of
discussion time, the service concludes with a congregational song and
benediction. Implementation of this new structure required lots of
planning and preparation, including the training of table leaders,
greeters, and a set-up team. We were blessed with a supportive
leadership team, a flexible congregation, and advice from some experts
in small group dynamics.
After
the first three weeks of Rendezvous-including the daily readings,
casual group meetings at local Starbucks, and the Sunday services-we
are enjoying a new enthusiasm for encountering Christ "all over and
through our matrix of relationships" The new Sunday service structure
creates an environment conducive to encountering Christ and His Word,
while at the same time strengthening our relationships with each other.
Exploring the Word in the context of relationships helps us remember
and apply it to our lives throughout the week. Sharing praises and
requests together at our tables helps us remember to pray for one
another after we part to return to our busy lives. At many tables,
multi-generational connections are naturally occurring, allowing the
young and not-so-young to learn from each other.
The reaction of participants has been enthusiastic and we are hearing
lots of positive comments. One visitor who does not regularly attend
church in her hometown said, "I love this format; I think all churches
should do it this way." One member commented that she arrived at church
one Sunday feeling distracted and not "in the mood" to connect with
others, only to find herself fully engaged and enjoying the discussion
before the service's end. Overall, people have found that they have
become more connected with each other, more aware of how Christ is at
work in the lives of other believers, and more aware of how His Word
can impact their own lives. Ultimately, this encounter with Christ and
each other on Sundays better equips us all to encounter Christ in the
world on Monday. And that helps us fulfill the mission of "cultivating
right relationships with Christ and others."
Revs. Wayne and Virginia Bauer
Faith Community Church
A Church of the Nazarene
Jacksonville, FL
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