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We joyfully announce the start of our 2023 Stewardship Campaign: Elemental Church. This year’s campaign is special because Pastor Smith going to be taking the four Sundays of Stewardship to talk about concepts that form the foundation for where we will be going as a church in 2024 and beyond. If you haven’t been in church for a while, now is a great time to come back and see what we’re up to. Pastor Smith is asking each of our members and friends to commit to being with us for the four weeks of this series on Elemental Church. But this series is not just for members! Even if you're not currently connected with a church, you will benefit from learning about the four elements of Elemental Church: Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and Imagination.
What is Elemental Church? Church members may remember the term from our summertime call for people to be involved in the Elemental Churches Strategic Planning Team. Elemental Church is a framework designed by Dave Workman (former lead pastor of the Cincinnati Vineyard Church) and Tom Thatcher (former Dean of the Russell School of Ministry at Cincinnati Christian Bible Seminary). After years of research, they identified four critical elements that every healthy and effective church has: integrity, passion, servanthood, and imagination. As a memory tool, they identified each element with an element of ancient Greek philosophy: Earth (Integrity), Fire (Passion), Water (Servanthood), and Air (Imagination). Tom and Dave developed the Elemental Pathway to help churches of all types identify where they were with each of these elements and learn how to grow in working with them and balancing them. Our Elemental Churches Strategic Planning Team has completed the first step of the pathway. This consisted of deep study about what these four elements entail and an assessment of where our congregation is regarding these four elements. Pastor Smith is so excited about what we’ve learned, that he just had to share it with you in this four-week stewardship series. In the series, we’ll explore what the four elements are, how we can grow them in our own lives, and discover how each element ultimately finds its fullest power in Christ. This series will not be your ordinary stewardship season series. This series will help you develop your effectiveness as a servant of Christ, help our congregation grow in unity as the Body of Christ, and help us all engage in a deeper more enriching relationship with Christ. You do not want to miss this series! Make a point to be with us in the sanctuary or online for these Sundays:
October 29: 10:00 AM Fifth Sunday Service. Our Stewardship Kickoff coincides with All Saints Day. This special Fifth Sunday Service will feature a Dixieland jazz musical theme, a commemoration of our loved ones who have entered the Church Triumphant in the past year, and a message on the element of Earth/Integrity.
November 5: 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. We continue our series with a message on the element of Fire/Passion. The sacrament of Communion will be observed in both services.
November 12: 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. We continue our series with a message on the element of Water/Servanthood.
November 19: 10:00 AM. We conclude our stewardship season with a message on the element of Air/Imagination. During this service, we will receive pledge cards. Following the service, we’ll enjoy a special time of fellowship with our Sweet and Savory Blessings fellowship time. Additionally, we invite everyone to take part in the Hanging of the Greens, so that our facility will be fully decorated for the Advent/Christmas season.
We’re in an exciting time at Madeira-Silverwood, and we're eager to see what the Holy Spirit is doing in our midst. We look forward to seeing you for the Elemental Church Series!