Bag Blast

What’s a “Bag Blitz”?  A bag blitz is an organized effort to deliver dozens of decorative bags stuffed with candy, chocolates, chewables, and goodies.  Sometimes the bags contain practical gifts as well — extra pens for waiters and waitresses, lotions, note pads, 9 volt batteries for smoke detectors…..practical items that express caring.

50 Bags were delivered to “servants” by Morning Star Church members as a January SE event.

That “Community” Thing

IT’S NOT ABOUT US

Forget what you “know” about church.  It’s not what we don’t know that makes us fail to follow the Great Commission, it’s what we DO KNOW that, well just isn’t true.  We don’t have to choose between relationships inside the Morning Star family and relationships in the surrounding community.  We need to nourish both.  We know that we have to “program” in order to carry our message to the community and that just isn’t the whole story.  That is only part of the job, the comfortable part.  We can sit with fellow believers in the comfort of our church and justify our activity by meeting needs for less fortunate or unbelievers.  It is a process that feels like evangelism and mission.  For the handful of church family that actually is involved in rescuing, training and serving, it justifies our claim that we are followers.  It’s about us.  And we all know that truly, it’s not about us.There are overwhelming needs and everyone wants to relieve the pain and struggles of those who need intersession.  But what are those same players acting on?  Realistically, we need to “program” to identify and respond to the CARES of our community – yes the entire community, so forget what you “know” about church that just isn’t so.  Individuals and neighborhood (communities) act on cares.  What does that look like?

WHEN PEOPLE CARE ENOUGH TO ACT

The most important asset in any community is what people will act on because they care. All the assets in a community are woven through by a willingness to act on care. Care is a song flowing through every community that people can come to recognize. This song of community becomes more audible through asking and listening, “What do you care about? What will you do about that?” When this song is clearly heard, people find common interest and the power of acting together. At its core, community building is a circle of three interacting activities: conversations to discover what people care about, meaningful action upon what people care about, and the growing connection among people from acting together. These three things are different manifestations of the same inner reality, the beating heart of community, a path to social and spiritual vitality. We discover new energy for life together when believers intentionally build relationships inside the congregation, and outside in the surrounding community.  We can never Rescue, Train and Serve until we do these three things and do them well.  There is no scenario that accomplishes the Great Commission not involving these elements.

LEARNING OUR WAY INTO LIFE

When congregations with their neighbors commit to learning together as a community, a new orientation to experience develops moving from “deciding” what to do towards “discovering” what to do. Where is life calling us? What is the future that wants to emerge among us? How do we recognize and encourage our creativity and insight as we develop action? A learning congregation lives as though the gospel is true now.  Another thing that we “know” (but isn’t true) is that the unchurched will respond to our practice of our faith and come to church.  If we believe the premise that people act on cares, then we must meet them at their point of caring.  We have wonderful outreaches designed to meet needs and demonstrate God’s love.  We have no idea how to learn their cares and no plan to build that circle of three interacting activities: conversations to discover what people care about, meaningful action upon what people care about, and the growing connection among people from acting together.

SERVING IN LOVE

Jesus tells us to “Go into all the world”. Many Christians seem to focus more on the coming into church for Jesus, rather than going out from church with Him.  Serving In Love (SIL) is a small group at MSC prayerfully organized to find ways to integrate His church into the metropolitan area and Darrough Chapel in particular.  It follows that the mission of SIL is to build that circle of interacting activities and to provide simple metrics to gage to progress of those activities.  Neighborhood Outreach is SIL’s way of focusing ourselves and our faith on people close to us. It is a biblically appropriate way to live and to influence our neighbors for Christ. Neighborhood Evangelism is always intended to be first a way to get to know the cares of those that live close to you, to share stories, compare backgrounds, occupations and hobbies, a contact point for kids, and ultimately a source of support in a world that offers little of that. Neighborhood Evangelism is, however, what its name implies. Ultimately, we seek to draw our neighbors together to discuss important issues and to find ways to solve problems. As Christians we know the answers to these issues and problems are found in the Bible. Over time, we can help our neighbors see that the Bible is truth, Jesus wants to be their Savior, and life (now and for eternity) is better when lived this way.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

It’s not about us and you don’t have enough time.  SIL has 12 months of Neighborhood Outreach programming that result in a four year average of 25,000 contacts each year. We facilitate neighborhood events at Darrough Chapel including meals, gifts, mentoring at the school, clean up, fix up, and hundreds of directed events that demonstrate God’s love in a practical way, but we have just begun to learn how to accomplish that mission: To build that circle of three interacting activities: conversations to discover what people care about, meaningful action upon what people care about, and the growing connection among people from acting together.  We now have access to a community facility designed to act on the metrics, we have extensive research into the cares of people in the neighborhood, and we have on-going year-round activities that put us into the community.  We are engaged in and involved with activities that we will continue to facilitate.  You may not have always noticed us because we try to be transparent, remember, “It’s not about us.”  But you have probably already helped out.  The Art Festival, Super Bowl Party, Park Band Concerts, and many other activities depend on your help.  Of course, we can be reached through the church office. 

WHAT’S NEXT?

We are excited about new opportunities involving the REDEFINED mission of SIL.  We will be in the neighborhood talking and listening with people so that we can find and respond to their cares.

Harpist returns for Faith Fest 2007

Catherine (Hoppes) Trout has agreed to bring her beautiful music back to Faith Fest on Saturday March 31^st.  We are blessed and of course, delighted to have her back and if you come you will be as well.

Surround yourself with music from a bygone era. The elegance of harp music creates an appropriate atmosphere, brings people together and makes an event more memorable. If you love music that is timeless, let the harp take you to a time when elegance and graciousness set the tone for an extraordinary event. Catherine is an accomplished performer and teacher in varied venues. Her experiences include Celtic music performed in costume, spiritual music performed in places of worship, and performances before leaders of academic, corporate, government, media, religious,and social organizations.  

Currently, she maintains a private teaching studio, free-lances for concert, business, civic, family, and social events, and is engaged in outreach and business projects.