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Growing Your Church Community

The Center for Congregational Excellence is offering a seminar in January on reaching out to potential new members in your community. The event will be hosted by Jim Griffith - assessor, trainer and coach for new and turnaround churches.

This is a two-day workshop designed for a team of people. Each team must include the pastor and a minimum of three key lay people (preferable 5-8 laity non-staff), and all must participate in the whole workshop. Because lay involvement is so vital, this has been scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Pulpit supply needs to be arranged so pastors can fully participate with the team.  

Topics include:

• Aligning Your Ministry to Reach Your Mission Field
• Networking with and Gathering Underchurched People
• Paying Attention to 1st impressions

Dates:

January 23-24, 2010 Clear Lake, Houston

January 30-31, 2010 at Marvin UMC, Tyler

Each event is limited to 200 people, so sign up early! Fill out the registration form with your payment soon and send it to Texas Annual Conference, Attn: Debbie Sutton, 5215 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002. 

Download Flyer 

Remember, each team MUST include the pastor along with a minimum of three lay people.

Comments

1. Burton I. Love wrote on 10/7/2009 9:54:53 PM

First, we are thrilled with the support for local churches by the conference and this appears to be an extremely valuable presentation. At the same time, one must question how it is going to work out to ask all the pastors in each of the areas to be out of their pulpits on Sunday for this training. I'm sure this has been considered and it would be interesting to hear what the thinking was.

2. Janice wrote on 10/8/2009 9:26:51 PM

I think this is a wonderful opportunity for local church growth training. However, I too could not help thinking if another day could have been chosen with the exception OF A Sunday.

3. Oscar Garza wrote on 10/25/2009 11:34:20 PM

A common struggle we as a church have when scheduling multiday events. We either ask laity to take time off from work to attend, or we ask pastors to take time off from work to attend. There is not one answer, just a need for balance.

4. Jeff Hastings wrote on 10/28/2009 5:05:47 PM

I am excited at this opportunity for what looks to be top notch training in this vital area. I am certainly willing to give up my time in the pulpit in order to facilitate our lay people's involvement. We have two ceritified lay speakers at our church along with three church lay speakers, so if anyone needs assistance filling their pulpit, let me know.