At this time we are examining many of our practices and programs at Lincolnia Church.  Christian education may not be limited to the traditional Sunday school and Bible study classes.  By the time you read this article, we will have taken a big step toward organizing the congregation into small groups for fellowship, accountability, and to better care for one another.  The youth will be off on a mission trip.  The participants in the international gathering of United Methodist Men will be back from Purdue University.   We are also looking at ways to be in mission and how we might make our worship more meaningful and relevant.  In this article I will focus on those two areas.
MISSION   At our recent congregational planning meeting a few weeks ago we asked ourselves what is the best way to be in mission to our neighbors.  What could we do that would be especially appropriate and significant in our community?  We did not come up with any specific programs.  We decided to take a different approach.  We will spend the next few weeks or so in conversation with local government and other community leaders to see what needs they perceive in our community which are not being met.  We will ask if there is a way that we might meet those needs.  One approach is to consider offering the use of our facilities to those organizations which have the personnel and the programs but have no place to conduct them.  This would work best during weekdays.  Many of our members live too far away to participate in weekday mission programs.  Perhaps some of those who live nearby could assist in these efforts.  The bulk of the work would be done by the outside agencies that would use our facilities.  Some examples of programs we are considering are health screening and immunization clinics, police-led seminars for parents and youth on gangs and drugs, classes and seminars for immigrants to help with the many aspects of making a life in a strange country, and others which may be appropriate.
Do you have any ideas about what mission work we could do in the community?  Is there something we can and should be doing?  Is there an agency that needs the space to carry out some vital service?  We would welcome any suggestions.
WORSHIP          The Worship Committee met recently to discuss current and future plans for services.  In order to create services which may be more meaningful and relevant, I would like to form a worship team which will be made up of persons of any age who would like to participate.  My intention is to plan services at least three months in advance.  This would allow us to include more special music, drama (possibly), series of sermons, visual arts, and a variety of other activities in our services.  Part of our focus would be looking ahead to those Sundays (and other days) each month where we might have a special emphasis (Easter Sunday, Youth Sunday, the Sundays of Advent, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, International Sunday, Children’s Sabbath, and many others). 
If you would like to be part of the planning process or would like to be involved in drama, special music, providing visual art for the sanctuary, or have any other ideas about how to be more creative in our worship, I would be most pleased to speak with you.
Many good things have happened and continue to happen each day at Lincolnia Church.  I am very excited about the ideas, the energy, and the level of participation by many of our members.  Together we are doing and can continue to do some great things.
Peace,
Bill