Connect Living Word’s Weekly Newsletter
August 5, 2018
At Living Word, we see a world filled with tremendous opportunities to share the love of Jesus Christ. There has never been a better time to be part of this church than NOW. Over the course of the last couple of months, our community has been engaged in thoughtful conversations about the future. We listened to the Spirit through prayer, we listened to each other through individual conversations and a congregational survey, and we analyzed numerous documented trends within our community. Based on these factors, we are now prepared to present a bold plan for ministry and growth at Living Word. VISION 2020 lays out SMART Goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound). In addition, VISION 2020 is built around Living Word’s core values of Welcoming, Equipping and Sending.
By December 2020, our SMART Goals include:
We are reinstating Sunday School and expanding our faith formation opportunities in the Fall of 2018. We intend to invest time and ministry resources to develop Sunday School and Christian Education for all ages. It must be a priority for our Living Word community to equip ourselves and provide meaningful opportunities to grow in faith with younger generations. To successfully pass on faith to our children and the next generation, we need to equip parents and adults. Therefore, our approach in bringing back Sunday School includes an adult Christian education component. To accomplish this, we are dedicating A FULL HOUR on Sunday mornings to Christian education for ALL AGES. This is an opportunity for entire community to be equipped in age appropriate settings. We are encouraging families and individuals to dedicate 2 hours per week for worship and Christian education. We believe this is important and deserving of our time and our commitment. The best way to start the week is to be engaged in dynamic worship and Christian education. I urge you to make a commitment THIS FALL.
More information about how to register will be available soon!
Four Elements of a Faith Milestone:
In baptism, the faith community promises to help parents raise their children in the Christian faith. The Milestones Ministry is a key way the church can partner with families in equipping them with the tools to live out their faith together. All classes involve practical hands-on instruction, parent participation is expected and wraps up with a worship celebration on Sunday morning. What is a Milestone? A faith milestone is a marker along life's journey that says, "This is something important and God is here, too." Marking a milestone is a Biblically-based spiritual practice in both home and congregation, that helps all generations recognize God's presence in all of life.
1. Naming the sacred and ordinary events that are recognized in the life of a congregation, as well as in our daily lives. 2. Equipping brings generations together, builds community, invites conversation, encourages storytelling and provides information. 3. Blessing the individual and marking the occasion in a worship service and in the home. 4. Gifting is a tangible, visible item that serves as a reminder or symbol of the occasion being marked, as well as a resource for the ongoing nurture of faith in daily life. Milestones include: New Member, Baptism, 1 yr old Bible, 2 yr old Prayer, 3 yr old Worship, 4 yr old Bible, Kinder Lord’s Prayer, First Communion, 3rd Grade Bibles, 5th Grade Bridge, 7th Grade Human Dignity, 8th Grade Confirmation, 9th Grade Welcome to HS, 9th Grade Driver’s License, 10th Grade Stewardship, 12th Grade Graduation, and Grandparent. For a complete schedule, visit livingwordkaty.org and enter “MILESTONE” in the search field.
To have a dedicated hour on Sunday morning for Sunday School geared towards all ages, we will need to adjust our existing worship times. Starting in September of 2018 worship times will be:
8:00 AM
Traditional Worship 9:15 AM
Contemporary Worship 10:00 AM
Sunday School (Youth & Adult) 11 AM
Blended Worship
The Living Word Sunday School program will commence in September 2018 every Sunday. As a “Safe Haven” campus and to ensure the safety of all our students, there will be two teachers in each classroom. Teachers will be scheduled on a “per unit” basis, with each unit lasting 4-5 weeks. In doing so, we hope to provide the opportunity for our volunteers to participate in adult education during the alternating periods should they wish to do so. The overreaching goal of our Sunday School leaders is to shepherd the children God has entrusted to us. We will be using the “Deep Blue” curriculum as our model. The following are responsibilities you assume as a leader: 1. Facilitate a small group of children during Sunday School time. 2. Contact absentees and maintain attendance records. 3. Pray for assigned children and their families. 4. Share faith and fellowship with children and their families. 5. Participate in planning per unit or as Sunday School team agrees. 6. Agree to teach 1 full unit (4-5 weeks), then take off one unit. Alternates are available for emergencies. To volunteer to become a leader, click on the “Sunday School Leaders Needed” image on the homepage of livingwordkaty.org.
At its core, a Life Group is a gathering of people, and it is less about what you do and more about who you do it with. It is through doing life together that our problems become smaller and God uses others to bring healing, support and encouragement to our lives. You've probably seen Life Groups meeting and not even realized it. A Life Group looks like friends at lunch, teams playing basketball, or people studying a book or topic of interest. Life Groups meet in places like homes, parks, restaurants, coffee shops and office buildings. New members are always welcome, so look for Life Group registration forms which will be online soon. Currently we do have a small number of groups that will continue to meet. If you are interested in getting more information about Life Groups please email Ephraim at
[email protected].
Congregational Meeting!
Sunday, August 12 Our Constitution requires that we call a special congregational meeting for the sole purpose of voting on a recommended candidate for pastoral ministry at Living Word. Our Call Committee, through prayer and discernment, has recommended Ariel Williams for Associate Pastor at Living Word. On Sunday, August 12th, our congregation will officially vote to extend a call to Ariel. This is an important vote that will shape our ministries for years to come. We will vote at each service, and the votes will be tallied at the end of the late service. Our amended and revised Constitution makes provisions for absentee and proxy voting. Please email
[email protected] if you would like to receive a ballot for proxy or absentee voting.
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Blessing of the Backpacks There will be a Blessing of the Backpacks at all services on August 12! People of all ages, bring your backpack (or whatever you carry to school) to any service that day and receive a blessing for the new school year along with a keychain!
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LWR School Kit Drive The LWR School Drive Ministry is currently in full gear and ends September 9th. You can pick up a list of items needed in the lobby, or go to: lwr.org/get-involved/build-kits-of-care/ school-kits. The list is very specific, so please abide by LWR’s requirements. Please drop your items in the donation box located near a lobby kiosk/information screen. Many thanks! Questions? Nancy Tuttle –
[email protected].
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JR HIGH 2018 - 2019 Confirmation Registration is open! Remember there are two parts – one for the release form and one for payment/tee shirt size. You should have received an email with links last week. You can also go to the Confirmation page on the website! www.livingwordkaty.org/ discipleship/jr-high/confirmation
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HIGH SCHOOL High School Hang-out Sunday’s (aka HSHS) Do you want to get to know your fellow HS students??? All HS students are invited to attend church together on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays and then go out to eat afterwards and hang-out. The 2nd and 4th Sundays you would go to your regular service time with your family. Parents don't have to come with you, but they are welcome. Parents can still go to their regular service time. Friends are always welcome to come! AUGUST: worship together at… 8/5, 11:00 AM & go to lunch at 12:15 PM 8/19, 11:00 AM & go to lunch at 12:15 PM SEPTEMBER: worship together at… 9/2, 9:30 AM & go to brunch at 10:45 AM 9/16, 8:00 AM & go to breakfast at 9:15 AM (set your alarm for EARLY AM) For more information or if you need a ride, call or text Ginger Carlton at 281-814-3132
Want to be in the know about upcoming HS events??? Join the Remind group! There are 2 ways to join: (1) Text @lwlch to the number 81010 or 828-348-1855 or (2)Open your internet browser and go to rmd.at/lwlch—follow the directions to download the mobile app. For help, call or text Ginger Carlton at 281-814-3132.
__________________________________________________ Learn how money doesn't have to be stressful with Financial Peace University. Plan for your future, dump debt, and build a legacy. This class will be offered at Living Word beginning on August 26 at 2:30pm, and will continue for 9 weeks. To register, visit livingwordkaty.org/EVENTS.
Announcements for Connect are due by 1 pm on Tuesdays Please send them to
[email protected]
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For more information about Living Word events, visit the “Events” page at livingwordkaty.org
