Wow, isn’t Summer 2014 nice, so far? Loving it. We have had or will have a family reunion and two family weddings outdoors this summer, plus a short trip to Seaside to spend time on the Oregon Coast with Sanctuary-in-exile members, Steve and Sunny Cairns. Keep the good times rolling and let the sun shine in and the Son shine in as as this lovely season of the year carries on.
Sanctuary’s July Council meeting was a conversation bathed in prayer and discernment, the outcome of which were some structural affirmations of who we are and how we operate as a church. I just want to take a couple of paragraphs to expound on the structure with you. You will see more soon and also be asked to jump in and be a part of our vision and mission.
First of all, we remain a church that is “Making Space for God”. We are doing that by attempting to intentionally increase our God-awareness and God’s-Love-Driven practices as well as our attempts to both declare and demonstrate the message of Jesus and his grace before a watching world and toward the renewal of all Creation. We remain a fundamentally Simple Church, per our original structure: 1- We Worship in a hospitable and wooing environment to the glory of God. 2- We go deep in relationships and draw each other deep in our commitments to follow Jesus Christ. 3- We are outwardly focused to live and share the Good News of Jesus Christ in our loving actions, our declarations of the Gospel and in our attempt to incarnate the reconciling love of God in Greenwood through the Green Bean Coffee House and more. 4- We are a CRC congregation, abiding by our denomination’s core structures, in relationship with other CRC churches and we are internally organized with simple, organic structures that empower the maximum number of people to engage in and achieve our vision of Making Space for God.
Our Structure is vertical and spherical. We are vertical: Jesus is the Lord and Head of the Church. Council (Elected and Called officers, elders and pastors) hears from and obeys Jesus and operates within the flexible, but prescribed, order of all CRC congregations. Council forms committees or teams of church members (with elders and pastors as resources and reporting links to Council. Some of our committees are Green Bean Team, Finance Team, Safe Church Team,, Church Planting Team, Children’s Ministry Team, Worship Team, and more to come. Each of these committees or teams exists not above, but in, the congregation and is largely made up of church members. Elders and Pastors report to and seek wisdom or authorization on key issues from Council as a whole. Pastors serve more than one team ranging from full members to only contact persons. The congregation owns all of these teams and Council, because, you, the church, call elders, elect elders and call pastors as well as give support annually to the goals and budget of Sanctuary. We all work for you, the church and we all together, are the church…and the church exists for the glory of God and for the sake of the world. We also exist to raise each other from cradle to grave in the “fear and admonition of the Lord”.
It’s all about love…Love for God. Living in our individual Belovedness. Loving one another. Loving this world that God created and for whom He sent Jesus to live, die and rise again!
You are beloved lovers! Let’s go!
Grace, Peace and Mercy,
Randy Rowland
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