Joe’s Blog on the E-vent

At Heights Christian Church, we're into the first week of a six-week experience in prayer and study. About 76 people have signed up to be part of one of seven small groups that will be meeting once a week.  One group meets on Tuesday afternoons and one on Thursday nights.  the rest meet on Sunday during the second hour time.  The first meeting for the Sunday groups will be on October 19.

Some people, of course, feel unable to be a part of one of these small groups, and it's for you that I am writing.  For many of you, lack of time may be the reason, so I promise to keep this short. But we don't want you to feel left out or not a part of this church-wide experience in some way.  Some of you have health reasons or distance reasons.  So here's an attempt to fill you in on what's happening so far:

Prayer is a huge part of this event.  There are nine people in a prayer team who are praying for all of us by name every day.  There are now prayer cards in the pews that you can write a request on.  There are three "prayer walls" on which these requests will be attached.  Or you can attach your own.  We will all be praying for each other and for our church. [You don't need to be in a group to fill out a prayer card].  In addition, about half of each small group meeting will be devoted to discussing prayer or actually praying.  A major focus of our prayer is praying for each other.

Everybody has gotten a book called Unbinding Your Heart.  Even if you haven't signed up for a small group, it would be great to read along in this book.  Ask Rev. Roger for one.  We read one chapter a week.  Everyone is committed to working through the prayer part of the book on pp. 119ff.  There's one reflection a day for six weeks.  Would you have time to join us in that?

The second huge part of this E-vent is sharing our faith.  In order to share it, we have to think about what it is, get comfortable about it, and 'practice' talking about it.  The meetings, prayers, and chapters help us to do that.  The introduction and first chapter point out the great reluctance most of us have about sharing our faith, or even talking about "Evangelism."  The author, Martha Grace Reese, emphasizes that this is NOT about changing other people's beliefs or accosting strangers.  It's more about being more comfortable sharing what is really important to us.

In her study of 150 successful mainline churches, she found what works in them for growth and vitality, and that seems to be the result of prayer (and being open to the Spirit's leading) and their own style of faith sharing.  Much of this is still awkward and uncomfortable, but we've just begun and are determined to see it through!  Our shut-ins and some of our college students and relatives who have moved away, are contributing their prayers to our efforts.  We hope and know that you will too.

- Joe LaGuardia