10 days ago I shared that our 11 month long search for a church had reached its final stage. More specifically, after visiting 15 congregations we narrowed our options down to two finalists. Discernment We invested considerable time and energy in getting to know the two remaining congregations. This included attending at least six services of worship in each community of faith, and participating in classes, concerts, mission efforts, and social activities. During the last week, we Read More …
church shopping
Search for a Church 2.0 – Plan C (#1781)
This time around our search for a church was supposed to be relatively easy because we decided to only consider a small geographical areavisit Mainline Protestant congregations (and those largely aligned with Mainline theology) Our relatively modest attempt has grown a few times: Plan A: 10 congregationsPlan B: 13 congregationsPlan C: 15 congregations (still far smaller than our last search that included 36 congregations!) Plan C When we set out for our original search for Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0: Three Bonus Visits (#1751)
Our search for a new church continues. The original plan called for visits to 10 Mainline Protestant congregations relatively close to our new home. And, we did just that. I summarized those experiences in two earlier posts: First Five Visits and Five More Visits. 10 Became 13 Project planning in all areas of my personal and professional life is increasingly agile and benefits from rapid development thinking. This new search follows that sort of Read More …
Church Shopping: Not Happening Today (#1597)
Almost a month ago I preached my last sermon as a Transitional Pastor before relocating across the country to start a new job in healthcare. This change led my wife and I to begin our search for a church near our new home. The first Sunday we did not attend church as I was busy moving. The next Sunday my wife and I visited a nearby Lutheran congregation (ELCA). The third Sunday we visited a local Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregation. Today we will not be in church Read More …
In Search of a Church (#1592)
Transition is the word that best describes my year so far. In March my wife, Susan, relocated from Naples, Florida to Denton, Texas for her dream job. This summer we sold our three homes in Florida and bought one in Texas (where we plan to live after extensive renovations are completed) . Last week I relocated to Texas to join Susan and to begin my new role overseeing employee education for a healthcare company. We are officially in search of a church (along with good Read More …
Online Church Shopping (#1319)
David Odom, Executive Director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School, recently blogged about the increasing tendency of shoppers, including church shoppers, to shop online. When it comes to those who are looking for a church, Odom notes that they "frequently visit the congregation online by watching services, reading about services and asking questions." This activity is a part of the screening process many now use in making a decision about whether or not to attend Read More …
My Visit to Naples Church of Christ (#0148)
My Visit to Naples Church of Christ Naples Church of Christ moved into their new facility earlier this year. Since their new home is less than half a mile from my home as the bird flies or a short two mile drive and since they are seeking to reach out to the surrounding community, they have sent me multiple mailings in recent months. This morning, I visited their congregation and participated in their only morning worship service. As a first time visitor seeking to learn as Read More …