Immanuel Church

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Family Meeting Notes

Family Meeting Notes 11.20.16
Did you miss the first family meeting? We’ve got you covered. Here are the notes…

Where We Have Been

As we stand here, on Sunday November 20, 2016, looking back, we can marvel at all that God has done to get us to this point.

  • In February of 2015, the conversations began. These continued into April, and we were in fullswing that summer. By October 2015, the leadership at West Park had concluded that we should plant a church.

  • In January of 2016, we began to share the direction with staff and deacons and eventually with the congregation. At every turn, we were met with excitement and affirmation.

  • In April of 2016, the process of outfitting the expedition began. West Park generously provided seed money. The congregation collected a special offering for this group. And all the while, the team was beginning to come together. (And by the way, if you are new to Immanuel, please know that this team is not a homogenous group. The Lord has brought together a variety of people near and far.)

  • Then, in the summer, we began training, and we began to craft the setup for the fall (both programmatically and logistically).

And that brings us up to now…these last few weeks and our official launch, October 2, 2016. So, how are we doing? What is the state of the union?

Where We Are

By God’s grace, the state of the union is good!

  • Ministry Teams. We have 8 teams (with over 100 folks serving) functioning well and providing care for the church and its visitors.

  • Setup. We have rounded up literally hundreds and hundreds of items to outfit the space. Nothing came as a kit or a package. Every little detail has been gathered, all the way down to the remote that turns on the projector. And amazingly, thanks to the ingenuity and hard work of the setup crew, these hundreds of items rollout and assemble within an hour now. Even the fact that we have a place to park the trailer is amazing.

  • New Friends. Since the initial team that started to come together over the summer, we have had over 80 new folks join us. Some of just stopped by to say hello and encourage us. But many folks have jumped right in. How exciting to see God weaving together his body the church!

  • Events. We’ve now hosted a Pizza Party, a BBQ, an Ice Cream Party, a Cookout, a Prayer Gathering, and a couple of Ladies Events.

As we look back over this landscape we are so amazed and thankful.
We are so thankful to God for how he has been working. He has provided encouragement and support. He has opened doors for us to be in Farragut Middle. He has brought together an amazing team. We can honestly say that we have never been part of something like this. We continue to feel like we are riding the wave of what God himself is doing.
And we are so thankful for you all. We really and truly cannot say thank you enough. And we want to be careful here to say that we do not see this venture as something we (Jared and Derek) are doing, but it is something that we all (everyone here) are doing. So, when we say we are thankful for you, we mean we are thankful that we all get to do this together. So, again, thank you.
Looking ahead…

Where We Are Headed

Mindset

As we look ahead to the next several months, we need to be mindful of our mindsets.

  • Don’t get too antsy. Be prepared for more of the same. We will still be mobile for quite some time. The course of ministry will remain steady. Our church will continue to reach upward, inward, and outward.

And yet, even as we say that, we also want to stress…

  • Don’t settle in. Little changes are on the way. Figuring out the logistics is just a small part of life at Immanuel. More difficult work is on its way.

Mission

We are here to connect the unconnected. Knox County has just over 80% of its population that falls into the category of either unchurched (i.e., never been to church) or dechurched (i.e., affiliated but never attend). So, part of the hope in being sent out from West Park is to form a new embassy for Christ that connects with a new group of people. How do we connect with a new group of people? Just by being our unique selves.
This mission is what we are pursuing, and as we begin to talk about the new year (January through May), we will be all about continuing to move towards that vision (more and better).
So what does moving towards that vision look like in the new year? Well, let’s talk a little bit about plans for the new year.

Ministry

In addition, to our worship gatherings on Sunday morning, we would like to introduce a few new opportunities to grow (inwardly, upwardly, and outwardly) as a church…

Family Meetings

  • Why: To continue sharpening our focus and to cross-fellowship.
  • When: The fourth Sunday of each month, 5:30pm-7:00pm.
  • Where: TBD.

Midweek Study

  • Why: To continue training and provide more space to get to know others.
  • When: Wednesdays, with a flipflop for mens/womens. Exact time TBD (based on location).
  • Where: TBD.

House Parties

  • What: Gatherings of 10-30 people at various Immanuel homes.
  • Why: Fellowship & Hospitality. (Invite and welcome strangers!)
  • When: During the weekends of February 10-12, March 10-12, or April 7-9.
  • Suggested Program for host homes:
  • About two hours, maybe 6:30pm-8:30pm.
  • Participants bring dessert.
  • Host home provides drinks and cups/plates/utensils.
  • Do one icebreaker.
  • Take group photograph and submit to Immanuel.

It’s that easy! Sign up to host one or more weekends HERE.

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