An Invitation to Congregational Reflection
We’re excited to invite you to an upcoming opportunity to talk about the mission and future of our church.
As we prepare for the 20th anniversary of Church of the Cross in September, our staff team has been reflecting on and celebrating God’s abundant provision and blessing over these past years.
We are rejoicing over you and all who are a part of our church family. We are so thankful for everything that God has done and is doing now by His Spirit in and through Church of the Cross.
In addition to reflecting on what has been and is, we are also looking ahead—asking God to show us what He wants to do in the coming decades. We are seeking your help to assess the ministry of the Church of the Cross.
We value your participation.
Your thoughts, experiences, ideas, and desires are essential to the proper functioning of this local expression of the body of Christ – His Church.
To that end, we are inviting you to participate in upcoming meetings for congregational assessment.
We want to give everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas first in written form and then through dialogue with others in a small group setting. We look forward to hearing your suggestions for ways we can improve, change, grow, or begin new things.
We pray that this feedback will help us to be better shepherds and pastors to the people of Church of the Cross and to be a brighter light in the community.
There will be two different ways to participate in this assessment:
If you are currently a member of a life group, Bible study, or ministry team, a member of the staff or vestry will visit one of your upcoming meetings to facilitate a discussion. We will be in contact with leaders of these groups soon.
For those not currently participating in one of the groups mentioned above, we will be hosting gatherings (food provided) on Sunday, April 14 (10:45 and 12:30, childcare provided both times), April 21 (12:30pm), April 28 (12:30pm), and May 5 (9:00 and 10:45am) Here’s where you can sign up for one of these sessions.
Youth and older are welcome and encouraged to participate in these assessment times. We plan to share the general results of your feedback with the entire congregation sometime in early summer.
Reflection is a crucial part of being faithful to our Lord and to the Mission and Values of our church. As leaders we often get caught up in the day-to-day functions of church life and can easily miss what God is calling us to refine, renew or begin.
Just as Lent is a season of reflection, confession, and preparation for Easter – we are asking you to prepare for these upcoming discussion times by joining us over the next weeks in setting aside time for reflection upon the ministry of Church of the Cross.
A prayer for this season:
As we embark on this season of reflection, evaluation, and discernment for the future we offer this prayer for Church of the Cross – and invite you to pray this prayer with us for the next 30 days as we seek to hear from the Holy Spirit:
Collect for the local congregation (page 649 in the BCP)
“O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful: Sanctify Church of the Cross by your abiding presence. Bless those who minister in holy things. Enlighten the minds of your people more and more with the light of the everlasting Gospel. Bring erring souls to the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ; and those who are walking in the way of life, keep steadfast to the end. Give patience to the sick and afflicted and renew them in body and soul. Guard those who are strong and prosperous from forgetting you. Increase in us your many gifts of grace and make us all fruitful in good works. This we ask, O blessed Spirit, who with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify, one God, world without end. Amen."