Our discussions so far have also suggested that the 8.30am service would probably be pretty similar to the present 9am, depending on the group that helps develop it. The 10am congregation would be more oriented to families and would probably be more informal, with Communion not necessarily happening every week, again depending on the group that helps develop it.
What we do about children’s ministries will depend on who belongs to which congregation and what the parents in particular think is a good way to help the children. We think music will continue to be an important part of the life of both congregations.
We have put an emphasis on building congregations not just running services. If we go ahead we will be looking for people who want to help the congregations grow. We will look for people to be part of a team for each congregation that can help plan, develop and build both the congregations and the services.
The question now is: “Is this the way to go?” There are two valid answers to this: Yes and No. Most of us have preferences, a lot of us have mixed thoughts. But the question I think we should answer is; “Is this the way the Lord wants us to go?” We must not do this just because it seems like a good idea, nor because the minister seems to think it is a good idea. Neither should we do it or reject it just because it suits or inconveniences us.
Is it God’s leading for us?
Dale