Graphic for New Series

This Sunday we will begin our new sermon series, Jesus is...

I thought I would let you preview the graphic for the bulletin cover. What do you think?

Thoughts on the Worship Surveys

It's official! I completed my analysis of the Sound Vows Surveys this afternoon.

I must say that I was surprised by a few things:

1. the relatively low view (3.51/5) of an increased amount of time for people to talk to each other before worship
   
2. the number of married people (9/44, or 20.5%) who indicated a series on marriage had little to no application (N/A, 1, or 2) to their life
3. the number of people in worship (13/63, or 20.6%) who wanted to take less time to prepare our hearts for prayer during worship

Now, I know I asked for the feedback, so I shouldn't be upset when someone launches a missive at me or the way we plan worship at University, but my pride took a hit reading the responses. I also discovered that I did not communicate well about the reasons behind the choices made for worship during the series. I apologize for that - that is poor leadership on my part.

Overall, the results were positive. I will need to do some more reflection, prayer, and discernment about how we can incorporate this feedback into future message series here at University.

More later!

Sound Vows Surveys

When I decided to hand out surveys to the congregation as a feedback tool after the Sound Vows series, I was not sure what the response would be. I knew there would be people who would shout about the band (both positively and negatively) and I knew there would be people who would shout about the longer services (we averaged about 70 minutes each week for the series).

I have intentionally not looked at any of the surveys yet because I only want to look through them one or two times as a collective group. I don't want to spend the entire week fretting over comments made by people who complain about the sun coming up and the sun coming down. I just didn't want to do that to myself - for sanity reasons.

If you were not in church on Sunday and would like a survey, you can stop by the church office to pick one up or email me for a .pdf copy of it and bring it with you on your next trip to the church. All I ask is that you please turn it in by Sunday, May 17th so that the worship staff (and the rest of the staff) can begin to work through the data. Thanks!

Message Sets for Sound Vows

If you would like a copy of all the sermons from "Sound Vows" (or know someone who needs to hear them) send an email to support@uumcwf.org with that request. Or you can visit the website and download the files to iTunes for on-the-go access!

Sound Vows Celebrations

Yesterday we finished our "Sound Vows" series with a flourish on Mother's Day.

I want to go on record to say that I felt like this was our best series since I have been at University! This series had an energy and a "feel" that has not been palpable since I came here in June. I really felt like people came to worship anticipating what would happen, rather than settling in for "what we've always done."

Each week I track our stats in several key areas - not the least of which is worship attendance. I was amazed to compute that our average weekend attendance for this series was 167! That's 38 people more than we averaged during all of 2008! That's 45 people more than we averaged during the same time period last year! AND it's 27 people more than we were averaging so far for 2009! Praise God!

I am not ashamed to tell you that I am a numbers guy. Because I know that each of those numbers represents a person who gets to hear the gospel message and has an opportunity to know that God loves them right where they are.

• I am excited that we have more people in worship right now than we did a year ago.
• I am excited that we had more people in worship during this series than we did prior to this series so far this year.
• I am excited that University is moving up and to the right again!

I pray that the momentum we are building right now continues to bring in new faces and continue to spread buzz around town about what we are doing here at University UMC. I also pray that we can find ways to learn how to assimilate the new folks who have become part of our church over these past five weeks. I want this series to be a "shot in the arm" for this congregation!

What a Weekend!

I thought that our Easter celebration last weekend blew the roof off the building, but this weekend was just as awesome!

• Second week of Sound Vows series - the band nailed "Should've Said No" (thanks Liz for belting it out!)
  
• Karla "rocked" the Children's Time
• Anne Jackson spoke yesterday evening (after an eventful day on Saturday) about Mad Church Disease - I want to get that book in every one of my pastor friend's hands!

On Friday I am heading to Plano for the privilege of performing the wedding of one of my youth from First UMC. Should be a ton of fun, but a brutal drive back on Saturday night to preach Sunday morning. Prayers please!

Sunday morning's song: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White Tees

Holy Week Activities

I can't encourage you enough to participate in the Holy Week activities here at University UMC! Here's a rundown of what's coming up.

Wednesday, April 8th
6:00pm Cornerstone Cafe
6:30pm Final Lenten Lecture, from my buddy Tim Marks

Thursday, April 9th
7:00pm Maundy Thursday Worship
Experiential worship with stations for Holy Communion, foot-washing, journaling, and candle-lighting
(8:00pm First Rehearsal for Sound Vows Band)

Friday, April 10th
7:00pm Good Friday Worship
Journey with Christ as we participate in the Stations of the Cross in a wonderful outdoor (weather permitting) worship service

Sunday, April 12th
9:30am Sunday School
10:30am Fellowship Time in Narthex - join us for Coffee & Cookies
10:50am Sound Vows Series kicks off with a celebration of the Resurrection

This week will be a great way to remember the final week of Christ's life and celebrate his victory over death and sin. Remember, there is no need for resurrection if there is no death, so don't rush from Palm Sunday (today) to Easter Sunday without slowing down long enough to reflect on Christ's sacrifice for us on Good Friday.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as I can in worship Thursday, Friday, AND Sunday!

(And don't forget to park at the far end of the parking lot on Easter morning!)

Sex for 30 Days

I want to start making "announcements" like this!


Beeson's Recommended Reading from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Check out the original context for this video here. Check out Mark Beenson's blog!

More tomorrow!

The Largest Gathering

Continuing from yesterday...

Sunday morning worship is the largest gathering of our church week - numerically. And since we only have one worship service here at University, we are all in the same space at the same time hearing the same music and message. This provides quite a powerful experience that can catapult us into our week or plunge us into despair over the "state of the church".

When we gather together each weekend we invite members of our community to participate with us in worshiping God. We invite those who are not currently connected to us to see what it is we do together in order for them to determine if they would like to remain a part of who we are.

The fact that guests can come and blend in with 150 or so other people during worship gives them an opportunity to check us out from a distance while still gaining enough proximity to form an opinion about us that will stick with them. This blending in provides guests a chance to see how we respond to new people in our midst - to see whether this is a place that welcomes new folks or values only those who are already connected.

Weekend worship is the best place for us to make a great first impression with the community at large. As the adage goes, "we only get one chance to make a first impression." And our chances come along mostly on Sunday mornings. Guests begin to form their impressions from the moment they drive onto our campus - and a general rule is that we have about 10 minutes to "wow" them and gain the best possibility of a repeat visit.

Therefore, their impression of the church may be formed long before I get up to preach or even before the first note of music is played. Further, it is incumbent upon the members of the congregation to extend radical hospitality every weekend. We need to impress upon our guests that we are expecting them and that we are prepared for them. This expectation and readiness shows up in things like signage, greeters/ushers, nursery workers, cleanliness, and a myriad of other ways - most of them small.

Thoughts? Comments?

For more info on making great first impressions, check out this book or this blog!