Welcome Home Pastor Mark!
date posted: Aug 22, 2007
While waiting for his inner clock to return to Eastern Daylight Time, Pastor Mark sat down to answer some questions as to what’s coming up this fall. . .”
Q: How was Africa?
MVV: It was great. I still am washing red clay dust out of my hair. We spent time with our church leaders and people in Kenya, Burundi, and Rwanda. They’re all heroes in my book, working with few resources under difficult circumstances. God is blessing that part of the world in marvelous ways. We also visited places where some of our people have made their mark over the years. They’re still remembered and loved by the people there – Betty Ellen Cox and Gary and Jann Allen in Kibuye, Burundi, Wayne and Barb Vibbert in Mweya, Burundi, and Harriet Bolodar and Al and Louise Snyder in Kibogora, Rwanda.
Q: Now that you’re home, tell us about the Sunday morning schedule change that starts September 9.
MVV: We’re simply moving the morning schedule back one half hour. First service will start at 9:00. Sunday School will start at 10:15, and the second service will start at 11:15.
Q: Why are you making the change?
MVV: I want to sleep in a half hour longer! (Just kidding!) We want to see if we can encourage more people to come to the earlier service, especially more families and younger people. The worship style of the earlier service will still feature classic hymns, but we’ll add more orchestration and variety of instruments. The second service will still be more contemporary, but will also retain some of the great hymns of the faith. I know, however, that not all older people like the classic style service and not all younger people like the contemporary. We’re hoping for a mix of ages to worship together in both services. More important than any particular worship style, we all need each other.
Q: Will the second service end too late?
MVV: I don’t think so. We’ll keep it as close to an hour as possible.
Q: Tell us about the new children’s Sunday School format, KidStuf. I know you held an all-church discussion forum back in early June, but tell us again. What is it and why the change?
MVV: KidStuf is a rally-style program designed for parents and their kids age K- 5th grade. It is designed on the premise that parents and family life are the #1 spiritual influence of children. The church plays a backup role to the parents. We want to raise strong kids, but we really want to raise strong parents who will more effectively raise strong kids! We have a deep desire at SAFMC to help parents and families become truly “Kingdom Households”. KidStuf provides a shared discipleship experience for the whole family. It’s non-threatening and fun for parents as well as kids, and provides good Bible teaching for everyone. Parents who may not know the Bible will learn stories, truths, and scripture verses right along with their kids. They will also be provided activity sheets to take home for review at bedtime or in the car or at the dinner table. It is designed to make is as easy as possible for parents to participate in their children’s spiritual growth. Instead of a teacher taking a child for ice cream if they learned a memory verse, the parents will do it.
Q: Some people are concerned that the children will no longer have that small group, one on one contact like they had in a traditional SS class.
MVV: Our Wednesday night ministry for kids will be in small groups with a caring adult who will be their small group leader. We hope parents can make it a priority to involve their children in both programs, but either one will stand up on its own.
Q: What about parents who do not want to attend SS with their children?
MVV: We ask that they try it. There are many opportunities at our church for parents to be on the receiving end of Bible study, and good teaching and preaching. For this hour, however, we ask that both parents and other adults consider “investing” in the most receptive mission field we have – our children. I know several families who are excited about KidStuf and are planning to invite neighbors. We anticipate that some new attenders may choose only to attend KidStuf on Sunday mornings. It will be a non-threatening, fun environment for the whole family. We’re just grateful that they would come to at least one offering that we provide. Pray with us that we will see many families attend, who, up to now, have not participated in our Sunday morning ministry. It will be a great opportunity for one family to befriend another.
Q: What about kids without parents or kids with only one parent?
MVV: We would love it if some mature, older adults would choose to attend KidStuf just to befriend and provide support to a single parent, or even to be a “foster” parent to adopt children who might come on their own.
Q: Will there be other SS classes for adults?
MVV: Yes, most of the existing classes will continue as usual. We hope many adults will choose to invest in our KidStuf ministry, but we realize that it might not be for everyone. We see the adult Sunday School classes as natural “Community Fellowships”, larger groups that make it easy for a new person to enter and make friends, then find their way to a smaller community group. Ideally, we’d like to see our Sunday School classes be “clusters” of smaller community groups.
Q: What about teens? We understand that there will no longer be Sunday School for teens.
MVV: Well, that’s not quite accurate. Our overall ministry to teens involves a rather rigorous discipleship training. That will never change. Sunday School is just one aspect of the larger youth ministry that we offer. We want our teens to give that Sunday School hour in ministry and service to the younger children. They’ll learn as much as the children will, get good ministry experience, and provide role models for the younger ones. They’ll get Bible teaching and training in other venues of our youth ministry.
Q: Senior teens only?
MVV: No, young and senior teens. There will be opportunities for them to serve in any number of capacities – singing, drama, sound, lighting, welcome, greeting, being a big brother or big sister to someone. We’ll put them to work.
Q: Tony Campolo is scheduled to speak that day.
MVV: It will be great. School is back in session. SAU students are back. We’re hoping to pack the house!
Q: And a baptismal service that evening?
MVV: At Lime Lake! With ice cream afterward, or hot chocolate, depending on the weather!
Q: Gear Up happens on Sept. 16. Will KidStuf happen that day too?
MVV: Absolutely. We’ll stick with the new schedule with early service at 9:00, Sunday School at 10:15 and later service at 11:15. All of the services will be inside this time, followed by an excellent picnic lunch, classic cars and games outside.
Q: What’s the purpose of Gear Up?
MVV: It’s a welcome back celebration for everyone migrating back after a long summer. But more importantly, it is a way for us to welcome our neighbors. During this time of year, many families are giving thought to getting a fresh start in life, trying a new schedule, re-setting priorities. One of those longings is to get closer to God, to help their children learn about the Bible and benefit from all that a healthy church might offer. We think there are many people like that across our community. We want to encourage
our people to begin praying and inviting friends and neighbors. On that day we’ll have good food and fun activities, but we’ll also be up front about wanting to invite them to worship with us and experience our children’s ministry. We’re not hiding a thing.
Q: Will Gear Up cost anything?
MVV: No, it’s free, but we hope our own people will chip in to help cover the cost of food. Think of it like inviting your neighbors out to eat.