manna?

Sin, Salvation and Sardines

Posted by Daveg

This past Christmas season, we (the leadership of Manna, such as it is!) took the time to listen to a number of you.  You shared your dreams and hopes for Manna.  You articulated your concerns, as well as your desires.  Although input varied, one thing was abundantly clear; you want some direction.  Where is this ministry going?  What are our plans for the future?  Do we even want to ask those questions!? 

That input, coupled with the significant growth we have experienced recently, has prompted us to bring the following recommendation to the fellowship.  We do so with the understanding that you, along with ourselves, have continued in prayer for Manna.  We have assumed that each of us continues to pray, regularly, that God will give us wisdom and direction.  We covet those prayers and urge each of you to continue doing so.  Our recommendation is simple, but demanding.  Beginning in April, and continuing through May, we want to begin offering two identical weekend services, one on Saturday night, the other on Sunday morning.  We have tried two Sunday morning services as a way of addressing our growing space problems, and we believe that it’s not a good solution. Moving to another location or trying to renovate/use neighboring spaces is not financially feasible and would threaten the “feel” that IS Manna. 

While returning to one Sunday morning service has been wonderful, it’s obvious that we can’t continue to add people to that service.  Not only are we out of room, but we are also beginning to lose the very thing that makes Manna, Manna; the ability to dialogue together around God’s word, enjoy heartfelt worship, and celebrate God’s glory in community.  Those things are still happening, but they are suffering because of the overcrowding on Sunday morning.  It’s these considerations that have prompted us to move in the direction of a Saturday night/Sunday morning format.

What can you do?  For the next week, we’d like to ask you to prayerfully consider the role that God would have you play at Manna.  What are your gifts?  What are your passions?  What are you good at!?  While that’s always a good exercise, it holds particular significance now because Manna can’t move forward unless all of us step up to the plate.  That means that each of us has to decide where we are going to contribute to this ministry, and, if we are already doing that, how we can enlarge our contribution.  We’re not just talking about money.  To add a Saturday night service will require more volunteers to open the facility, make coffee, keep the facility clean, shovel snow in the winter, etc.  In addition, we need gifted musicians and vocalists to join our worship team.  And, yes, we also need more of a financial commitment from everyone.

One of the questions that often comes up in a discussion like this is, “what about the teaching pastors?  Can they take on this sizeable extra commitment?” “How about our worship leaders?  Can they add another set of rehearsals?” We believe that we can.  The fact that there is more than one gifted teacher at Manna makes this more likely.  We are also increasingly blessed with more musicians and vocalists.  Those factors cause us to believe that we can do this.

Whenever significant changes occur in a church, there are always passionate reactions.  “Have we prayed enough?” “Is this what God wants?” “Is the timing right, do we have enough people to move forward, have we explored all other options, did we adequately consult with enough people....” The passion with which these questions and countless others are asked is an indication of just how much people care about Manna.  WE are in this TOGETHER, and WE all want to see God glorified above all else.  Is this the right move?  We believe it is.  We are asking you to join us in this, the next exciting phase of this ministry.  God continues to call together this wonderful group of misfits called Manna, asking only that we change the world in Jesus’ name.  We are so honored that God has seen fit to leverage our considerable shortcomings as well as our gifts to lead such a group.  As misfits ourselves, we cannot imagine a greater joy than standing shoulder to shoulder with each of you as we roll back the darkness and learn what it means to be winsome subversives. 

Solo Gloria Deo,

Greg, Ed, and Dave

Comments:

1. S-A-TUR-DAY NIGHT!!  (Bay City Rollers, people.  C’mon...)

   Excellent plan.  Ed & I will be in sunny Florida next week, so we’ll miss the discussion, but the Schief’s are in!

   Frankly, I really appreciate the call to action.  There are things that need to get done, and we all need reminders and a point in the right direction.

   Posted by  on  03/03  at  03:41 PM