Family Matters This article is announcing some important and (I trust) energizing news! You have heard me say many times that small group ministries are key when a congregation reaches our size. In addition to improving your own experience of connectedness in your parish family, small-groups are also effective in attracting and nurturing new members. For many years now, we have organized our parish households into "Family Groups" to facilitate communication, pastoral care, and more personal ties to one another. As we continue to grow and to re-evaluate our programs, we have been seeking ways to make our Family Groups more effective. Our Chair of Pastoral Care, the indefatigable Kim Sistrunk, has been working with us to explore ways to help this very important ministry better serve its purpose (and be more attractive to you!).
WELL, HERE IT COMES . . .STARTING THIS FALL . . .THE NEW FAMILY GROUP MINISTRY! We have decided to try simultaneously several different ways to organize our Groups, so that you will be able to choose the way in which you getinvolved and make it work for you:

(1)   We will offer Family Groups that households can organize among themselves. This means that the membership of the particular Family Group is self-selected, with the idea that this will create a naturally stronger grouping.
(2)   Others may choose to sign up in a group with a particular demographic identity. Although the exact categories have not yet been finalized, examples   might be Empty-Nesters, Young Families, Parents of High-Schoolers, Divorced, Retired, Singles, etc., etc.
 (3)   Still others might prefer to be "assigned." Put your name in this hat, and Gene and the Pastoral Care Committee will make up the groupings. We might re-shuffle these groups every now and then so that you can participate with as many different households as possible.
 (4)   Or, simply sign up your household for a "random" group (a list that has no category) so that anybody-and-everybody can choose and make up a Group regardless of particulars.

Another change from our present system is that we will ask each Group to meet and select its own Head to serve for a term of "x" months (length of term has not yet been decided). This will help prevent the burn-out of Family Heads that we have been experiencing.
We will be putting all of this together over the summer, during the brunch-time following the single 9:30 service (back by popular demand!). You may sign up at any time during those weeks (June 15-August 10). Those who do not sign up will automatically be placed in the "assigned" groupings. Until sign-up time, Kim will be working out the details with the Pastoral Care committee, the current Family Heads, the Connectors' and Evangelism committees, and Gene. 
Looking good!

Shannon⁺