Recommendation: Reboot

From Phil Smith:

Every once in a while I 'restart' or 'reboot' my computer. Computer experts tell me it's a good thing to do, because computers don't fully close applications when we 'quit' them. If I don't reboot my computer, it gradually works slower and slower because of all the shadow programs lurking in the background. When I reboot, all the shadow programs are cleaned away and the main processor can have a fresh start.

The next steps task force at NFC would like to propose something like a 'reboot' for our church. The goals of our church remain the same: we seek to be a growing community, listening to Christ, changing in the Spirit, and living out love. The question is: how do we pursue these goals?

Now, don't get carried away with the 'reboot' metaphor. NFC includes a great variety of ministries; the next steps task force is not suggesting that that we stop sending kids to camp or cancel Sunday School, etc. But we have identified two things that we think need greater attention at our church. First, we think NFC needs to find new ways to reach out with God's love into population around us. Second, we think the church would benefit by finding a time and place to allow greater mixing and fellowship for Sunday morning attenders.

In regard to the first need: we worry that people who might be attracted to God and the message of our church might feel out of place and uncomfortable at NFC. They feel like outsiders when they visit us, and they don't come back. Or they expect to feel like outsiders and never visit in the first place.

In regard to the second need: we are impressed by delight people take in those special Sundays, such as Thanksgiving, we all three of our congregations meet in one place. In particular, people report that they love the fellowship time‹sharing coffee and a donut and conversation with other NFCers. Our physical plant and our practice of three services on Sunday morning greatly limit this kind of interaction most of the year. So the next steps task force recommends that NFC consider carefully ways to enable that sort of fellowship.

What say you?