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Andy to Go Preliminary Report

Our experiment of evangelism and worship and fellowship was by any standard a faithful one. The fruit of our weekend of worship will be a part of St. Andrew's and the community for years to come.
A summary of the numbers, we had the following.
· 12 worship services in 11 venues
· 393 participated (plus a few dogs and cats)
· 309 of those who participated were St. Andrew's
parishioners
· 84 were guests
· 11 wooden crosses were made (one at each
venue) to be placed in the worship area
· 40 people asked to get connected in a small
group
· 83 prayer cards were turned in (we asked who we
could ask God to bless them this week)
· 3 guest families specifically asked about St.
Andrew's and church
Even with a few who attended multiple venues, we had a big day for St. Andrew's in worship. A typical Sunday for us is about 210. Financial giving was good.
Each venue was unique, with the hosting families making most decisions. My enormous thanks to them.
· Lusk/Bettencourt - Friday evening, festive, pot
luck Mexican food and Margaritas, lots of
discussion, many visitors, mixed ages, guitar
music, outdoor worship, in and outdoor
fellowship
· Cedeno - intimate, communion in a circle, few
knew each other-more so than other
venues,mixed ages, kolaches and donuts
· Crawford/Kinsey - older group, sang hymns to
trumpet accompaniment, ice cream sundaes,
indoors, good talk after
· Balberg/Harland-intimate, home made
appetizers, mix of ages, in and outdoors, worship
indoors, good small group response, long
fellowship time, Music-Ode to Joy on a recorder!
· Youth (Neitzey's) - Large (82,) games, video
game truck, youth serve communion, t-shirt
signing "get-to-know you," in and outdoor, fire
pit, basketball, a least a dump truck of food (I
think they ate the truck as well,) Minute to Win
it, lots of guests, high energy
· Magness/Adams - Indoor worship, homemade
pasta dinner, Bible themed scavenger hunt, long
fellowship time
· Bowman/McDonald/Liberatore - outdoors, fire
pit, rural setting, larger percentage of guests,
home made muffins plus donuts and kolaches,
guitars and lot of music
· Church/Kinsey/Harland/Musick - Breakfast-32
people total, 2 visitors, guest priest
· Cordes/Martin-Currie - Children's venue, huge
bounce house, guitar (guest,) kids told to bring
scooters and bicycles, in cul-de-sac, lunch
sandwiches, kids helped bless elements, young
crowd, led children in songs and prayers
· Mortenson/Vinson-In and outdoors, worship
indoors, good mix of ages, catered pasta and
salad, long fellowship time
· Allensworth/Kopetz-Worship outdoors, keyboard
music, homemade buffet food, mixed ages, long
fellowship time
My initial take:
· Vast majority want to do this again
· A number of "no show" guests but folks now
know better how to describe the event
· Biggest unexpected - how much folks got to talk
with one another without any Sunday morning
"church work" to do
· 2nd Biggest unexpected - the creativity and effort
and uniqueness expressed at each venue
Metrics
Metrics are measurable things that help one evaluate. For churches, butts-in pew and buck$ are most typically followed.
I cannot measure (I have no metric) the value of life giving experiences, but the church needs metrics to measure changed and enhanced lives. I experienced unbounded joy, tears, real dialogue, belonging, some people experiencing God for the first time in a long time, love - in a word, connection. And that was what we were all about for our Lord.
The church does not have a mission. God's mission has the Church. You were awesome. I am proud to serve you.
Jim+
frjimbo@msn.com |