getting connected at our church

Connecting new families to the Quarry is something that is important to us. Our goal is to create a community of Jesus followers where people feel known, loved and celebrated. Clicks, groups and an ‘insider’ mentality are the exact opposite of our intentions.

One of the primary ways people connect at the Quarry is through participation in a small group. These groups usually meet weekly during the school year and sporadically during the summer. There is a quarterly small group sign-up, but if you would like to get involved with a group sooner you can do so by contacting the church office.

Another way to begin getting connected is to have your children participate in student activities. Currently our middle school group meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8 pm. John Torkelson is our Youth Pastor and he can be reached for more information by phone at the office (763-295-2039) or by his email address (jtorkelson@quarrychurch.org).

At least once every couple months (we just did this last Sunday) we have an event after the service called Grazers. Grazers is the chance for people to eat some pizza and meet the pastor with the chance to ask what the Quarry is all about.

The next step after this would be to attend NMC (our Newcomers Membership Class). This class is a place for people to come and hear more about the mission, vision and values of the Quarry. Afterward you will receive more information about how you can join our community as a participating member.

Plugging in and serving as a volunteer is a great way to meet people and begin building friendships. We are in the process of streamlining what volunteering looks like and we are trying to make it easy for people to get plugged into a spot where they are gifted and will enjoy serving. Many friendships happen as people rub shoulders and serve God with on another.

While we never expect a visitor to make the first move, a final way of connecting at the Quarry is simply to grab a cup of coffee and stop someone after a service for a conversation. It is our hope that the people who have been attending the Quarry would initiate these encounters, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

People who have attended the Quarry for awhile often comment about how it feels like a truly loving community that is striving to model Jesus Christ to the world.

How have you experienced community at the Quarry? Or haven’t you? Is connecting tough? Let me know.

getting connected at our church

Connecting new families to the Quarry is something that is important to us. Our goal is to create a community of Jesus followers where people feel known, loved and celebrated. Clicks, groups and an ‘insider’ mentality are the exact opposite of our intentions.

One of the primary ways people connect at the Quarry is through participation in a small group. These groups usually meet weekly during the school year and sporadically during the summer. There is a quarterly small group sign-up, but if you would like to get involved with a group sooner you can do so by contacting the church office.

Another way to begin getting connected is to have your children participate in student activities. Currently our middle school group meets on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8 pm. John Torkelson is our Youth Pastor and he can be reached for more information by phone at the office (763-295-2039) or by his email address (jtorkelson@quarrychurch.org).

At least once every couple months (we just did this last Sunday) we have an event after the service called Grazers. Grazers is the chance for people to eat some pizza and meet the pastor with the chance to ask what the Quarry is all about.

The next step after this would be to attend NMC (our Newcomers Membership Class). This class is a place for people to come and hear more about the mission, vision and values of the Quarry. Afterward you will receive more information about how you can join our community as a participating member.

Plugging in and serving as a volunteer is a great way to meet people and begin building friendships. We are in the process of streamlining what volunteering looks like and we are trying to make it easy for people to get plugged into a spot where they are gifted and will enjoy serving. Many friendships happen as people rub shoulders and serve God with on another.

While we never expect a visitor to make the first move, a final way of connecting at the Quarry is simply to grab a cup of coffee and stop someone after a service for a conversation. It is our hope that the people who have been attending the Quarry would initiate these encounters, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

People who have attended the Quarry for awhile often comment about how it feels like a truly loving community that is striving to model Jesus Christ to the world.

How have you experienced community at the Quarry? Or haven’t you? Is connecting tough? Let me know.

slowing down

I read this morning. It is an except from something written by Gordon McDonald. It reminded me of our discussion a couple weeks ago on the activity driven life.

In the Warrack Lectures of 1958 delivered in Scotland (and published under the title The Preacher’s Calling to be a Servant, D. T. Niles offered these words: “Hurry means that we gather impressions but have no experiences, that we collect acquaintances but make no friends, that we attend meetings but experience no encounter. We must recover eternity if we are to find time, and eternity is what Jesus came to restore. For without it, there can be no charity.”

I don’t want to live with no experiences, no friends and encounters. Recovering eternity with Jesus. That is an interesting thought. Slowing down. That is an attractive idea. Implementation…that is the issue.

slowing down

I read this morning. It is an except from something written by Gordon McDonald. It reminded me of our discussion a couple weeks ago on the activity driven life.

In the Warrack Lectures of 1958 delivered in Scotland (and published under the title The Preacher’s Calling to be a Servant, D. T. Niles offered these words: “Hurry means that we gather impressions but have no experiences, that we collect acquaintances but make no friends, that we attend meetings but experience no encounter. We must recover eternity if we are to find time, and eternity is what Jesus came to restore. For without it, there can be no charity.”

I don’t want to live with no experiences, no friends and encounters. Recovering eternity with Jesus. That is an interesting thought. Slowing down. That is an attractive idea. Implementation…that is the issue.

what keeps people awake and engaged during a message

Tony Morgan from Granger Community Church recently posted this on his blog.

1. Be real. Let people see the actual human inside you. Most times that will occur through your personal stories.
2. Talk like normal people talk. I didn’t grow up in the church, so I don’t understand when you talk with a Christian accent.
3. Use humor. If you don’t make me laugh, I’m probably going to tune you out. By the way, the best humor is revealed through your everyday life.
4. Don’t tell me what to think. Lead me on the journey toward truth, but let me reach my own conclusions. In other words, don’t try to sell it.
5. Be honest. If I think you’re credible, there’s a better chance I’ll think your message is credible.
6. Avoid being too polished. In fact, I love it when you leave your prepared statements and share anything off the cuff.
7. Reveal your weaknesses. As silly as it may seem, it makes me smile when I hear about your mistakes. It helps me to respect the areas where you are gifted.
8. Be brief. Shorter is better. I’m probably only going to remember one or, at the most, two things that you say.
9. Make me smart. I don’t care how smart you are, but I like it when you make me feel smart. That’s easier when you use small words and make it easy for me to apply what you’re teaching.
10. Tell me why I should care. Help me understand why I should listen. If you don’t help me understand why it’s relevant to my life, I’ll to be thinking about my next blog post or my next tee time or my favorite 80s slow dance songs.

What do you think? What keeps you awake during a talk?

what keeps people awake and engaged during a message

Tony Morgan from Granger Community Church recently posted this on his blog.

1. Be real. Let people see the actual human inside you. Most times that will occur through your personal stories.
2. Talk like normal people talk. I didn’t grow up in the church, so I don’t understand when you talk with a Christian accent.
3. Use humor. If you don’t make me laugh, I’m probably going to tune you out. By the way, the best humor is revealed through your everyday life.
4. Don’t tell me what to think. Lead me on the journey toward truth, but let me reach my own conclusions. In other words, don’t try to sell it.
5. Be honest. If I think you’re credible, there’s a better chance I’ll think your message is credible.
6. Avoid being too polished. In fact, I love it when you leave your prepared statements and share anything off the cuff.
7. Reveal your weaknesses. As silly as it may seem, it makes me smile when I hear about your mistakes. It helps me to respect the areas where you are gifted.
8. Be brief. Shorter is better. I’m probably only going to remember one or, at the most, two things that you say.
9. Make me smart. I don’t care how smart you are, but I like it when you make me feel smart. That’s easier when you use small words and make it easy for me to apply what you’re teaching.
10. Tell me why I should care. Help me understand why I should listen. If you don’t help me understand why it’s relevant to my life, I’ll to be thinking about my next blog post or my next tee time or my favorite 80s slow dance songs.

What do you think? What keeps you awake during a talk?

quick thought

Are we waiting for God to move…
…or is God waiting for us to get off our butts and get going?

sacrifice

When I read the stories in the book of Acts it seems like bringing the kingdom of God into this world cost people quite a bit. There is one spot where it says the followers of the Way sold their lands and laid the money at the feet of the apostles and no one among them had any need.

This is tough stuff for me to consider. I wonder how extravagant a lifestyle I am called to live. I really believe that God blesses us and wants for us to enjoy things…even things like golf, ipods, and nice cars. The question that I have to ask myself is am I willing to lay it all down and give it all away if Jesus wants me to. And even further…am I living in intimate relationship with him to the point where I would even be able to hear him call me?

These are hard questions. And it is even harder as a leader to bring people into a reality that is relatively unknown even to me. But I feel like that is the calling. To step out in faith and go on the journey, without the guarantee of safety or security, but with confidence that God goes with us and he is more than able to meet all our needs.

quick thought

Are we waiting for God to move…
…or is God waiting for us to get off our butts and get going?

sacrifice

When I read the stories in the book of Acts it seems like bringing the kingdom of God into this world cost people quite a bit. There is one spot where it says the followers of the Way sold their lands and laid the money at the feet of the apostles and no one among them had any need.

This is tough stuff for me to consider. I wonder how extravagant a lifestyle I am called to live. I really believe that God blesses us and wants for us to enjoy things…even things like golf, ipods, and nice cars. The question that I have to ask myself is am I willing to lay it all down and give it all away if Jesus wants me to. And even further…am I living in intimate relationship with him to the point where I would even be able to hear him call me?

These are hard questions. And it is even harder as a leader to bring people into a reality that is relatively unknown even to me. But I feel like that is the calling. To step out in faith and go on the journey, without the guarantee of safety or security, but with confidence that God goes with us and he is more than able to meet all our needs.