Many of us enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe you like your coffee straight black (like my Dad); maybe you like it with a little cream and sugar; or maybe you prefer a "tall decaf mocha" (like me); or perhaps even a "venti half-caf latte with skim extra hot and no foam." Or maybe you just like tea! Whatever your beverage-of-choice, the truth is that quite often that cup is the conduit through which relationships are built or maintained. Maybe it's a few minutes at the breakfast table with spouse before heading off to work; maybe it's a mid-morning staff or business meeting; maybe you wind down after a long day with a cup of decaf on the couch; or maybe it is connecting with old and new friends at church!
The Bible teaches us that the church is built on relationships; first and foremost a relationship with Christ; and then relationships with each other. While FBCG has always valued this sense of "fellowship," we believe that the time has come for a renewed focus on the relational life of our church family.
In the survey we conducted last fall, our congregation rated FBCG as being well below average in comparison with other churches when it came to issues like "social connections" and "caring relationships." FBCG scored in the 27th and 26th percentile respectively in these categories - meaning that ¾ of all churches surveyed were rated higher than FBCG in these areas! These results, along with focus group comments like, "In a church this size, it's hard to get to know people," and, "I leave every week as a very lonely person," have led our leadership to take a hard look at the "connectivity" of our church.
While this is a complicated issue which requires attention on many levels, the first thing we noticed was that neither of our facilities (East or West Campus) is very "fellowship friendly." We have adequate worship space; we have educational space; but our "connection space" is largely undeveloped. There is very little space on either campus that says, "We want you to stay for a while; we want you to spend some time visiting with each other here before you head to the parking lot!" We believe that if we want to be a fellowshipping church, a church built on relationships - we must start with our facilities!
By the time we come together as a congregation for our summer of one campus worship (June 6-7) you will begin to see some of the changes planned for the West Campus lobby. Among these changes will be a kind of "coffee bar" area and a number of "seating pods" where people can gather before, during and after services. While this will be just the first step in strengthening and deepening our fellowship - we believe it is an extremely important step - and we want you to remember that it's NOT just about the coffee - it's about the church Jesus imagined!
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5 comments:
I'm very excited about the updates to seating and the coffee bar. They have something similar at my sister's church and she finds herself lingering and talking a lot more with coffee available. Thanks for taking this step after reviewing the survey results.
I'd also like to say that having the stand up tables without chairs are important as well. I feel they are more inviting to mix and match people together. When there are chairs, I feel more intimidated, like I need permission or an invitation to join if someone is already sitting.
As a former member trying to reestablish myself and my son in a church that has grown so dramatically from the relatively small church it was when my husband and I were active members, I feel lost. I have tried attending dervices on and off for years and consistantly have not been even greeted even one time.
I attended again yesterday and my son and I feel strongly prompted to attend every week. I am hoping maybe to see someone I know with the blended service. My son is 17 years old and likes the contemporary service as do I. My husband will no longer attend church especially FBC because of tremendous difficulties and hardships we have faced in the past
I would like to point out I am not the same person who posted as anonymous in the first 2 posts.
Resuming my post: without one person even contacting us. We feel that because we are not wealthy or and have some serious sin in our past, we are not welcome. I relate strongly to "Casting Crowns" song "Does Anybody Hear Her?" I have been a beliver all my life as has my husband and my three children also are believers but we desperately need a church we can call "a home church" without being judged.
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