CCC Gainesville | Blog
Last Sunday, Julie Stout gave her testimony during our offering and shared her call to Bulgaria. Here is a nice follow-up from her with ways to get more information!
Pastor Rob Pendley prays for Julie Stout during our 8/24/14 worship service.
“Thank you Christ Community Church for allowing me to speak in church this past Sunday. For those of you who were not in church on Sunday, I am a missionary with MTW (Mission to the World) and I will be moving to Bulgaria to work with women trapped in human trafficking. I will be the first and only Christian counselor in Sofia, Bulgaria. I have attached more information about my ministry and this is the website for my team: http://www.mtwbg.com/
I am in need of both prayer and financial partners. Prayers for my ministry and strength in the Lord during my support raising. I am hoping to go to my final training in Belgium this January so that I can get to the field by May 2015. I am still in need of monthly supporters and my deadline to keep on track to Bulgaria is to be at 80% funding by November 15, 2014.
I would love to meet with you and discuss further how you can be a part of my ministry if you feel called. My email is: julie.stout1 @ gmail.com, or you can sign up here: https://donations.mtw.
Gentlemen,
I’d love to get a last opportunity to see you and watch some football. Turn up tonight at Splitz.
Texas A&M vs South Carolina begins at 6pm. Guys will be arriving throughout the evening. Come when you can, leave when you must.
Splitz is off Newberry Rd, just west of I-75
The secret to Steve Spurrier’s success, pictured with SOS below, will be joining us.
Pulpit Committee Composition
On August 24th a majority of members of the congregation of Christ Community Church (CCC) voted to have 2 elders, 1 deacon, and 4 members-at-large serve on the pulpit nominating committee. Names of individuals who are nominated and agree to serve on this committee will appear on a ballot and will be voted on during a congregational meeting on September 14th.
Note: The “Voting” section below was modified on August 29th to further clarify procedure for the September 14 meeting.
Qualifications for Pulpit Committee Members
Given the importance of the committee’s task, it is imperative that careful consideration be given to those who may potentially serve on it. A nominee must be a member of Christ Community Church who is spiritually mature and invested in the life and mission of the church though he/she doesn’t necessarily have to be a longtime member. More specifically, a nominee should display among other potential qualities, the following in his/her life:
- Prayerfulness because the task of finding and calling the right pastor is humanly impossible.
- Scripture centeredness because the church doesn’t ultimately belong to its elder, other leaders, or its members. Rather it belongs to Christ, the Head. Therefore, the most important consideration in evaluating a potential pastor is what Christ has spoken in His Word concerning His gospel, His Church and those who would serve under Him as shepherds of His flock.
- Teachability because this will be an unfamiliar process for most/all and there will be much to learn.
- Servanthood because a committee member must be more concerned about the overall good of the entire church than he/she is about his/her particular preferences.
- Peacemaking spirit because unity (though not necessarily unanimity) must be sought in the midst of the differences of opinion that will arise during the process. Note that peacemaking isn’t the avoidance of those differences or necessarily the restraint of one’s opinions. Rather it’s the commitment to work through differences in a manner that honors the Lord.
- Wisdom and discernment because among other things many factors must be weighed, preconceived notions must be challenged, and initial impressions must be scrutinized.
- Diligence because there will be a lot of follow up and follow through that must be done.
- Trustworthiness and discretion because the committee will be handling confidential information.
- Availability because the work of the committee will require a significant weekly time commitment (estimate of about 4-6 hrs/week, though the amount of time in a given week will probably fluctuate. Meetings will likely be held a minimum of twice monthly.)
The above qualifications are from the book “When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search” by Chris Brauns. We recommend this book to anyone in the congregation interested in the upcoming search process especially those considering accepting a nomination. We anticipate that this book will be required reading for the elected committee.
Timeline
Nominations can be made between August 25th and September 7th by filling out a nomination form (available at welcome desk in foyer of sanctuary, in the church office, and online here) and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.
Once all of the nominations are received and their eligibility has been verified, the church office will produce the ballot and mail a copy to each member household on Tuesday, September 9th, in preparation for the congregational vote on September 14th. The ballot will also be made available on the church blog.
Nomination
The session strongly encourages members of CCC to consider demographics such as gender and age in their nominations. It is the desire of the session that one or more women will be elected to the committee. We also encourage the membership to consider those demographics in the process of deciding their vote. After the ballots are cast, no attempt will be made to have particular demographic groups represented on the committee. Members should consider those individuals that best meet the qualifications of nominees outlined previously. While any member of CCC is eligible (including CCC staff), we recommend nominating one member (18 years or older) per immediate family. Again, we encourage members to consider all of these demographics when casting their votes on September 14th.
Nominations can be made between August 25th and September 7th by filling out nomination form(s) and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.
Voting
On September 14th members will be able to cast their ballot during a congregational meeting held immediately following the worship service. Each CCC member can cast a vote for 7 individuals. Assuming that at least 2 elders and at least one deacon appear on the ballot, congregational members will be asked to vote for 2 elders, one deacon, and 4 members-at-large. Nominated individuals who are serving as elders or deacons will have their office listed next to their name.
If more than two elders appear on the ballot, then the two elders receiving the most votes will serve on the pulpit nominating committee. Likewise, if more than 1 deacon appears on the ballot, then the deacon receiving the most votes will serve in the “deacon” position on the committee. Any remaining deacons on the ballot receiving votes will be considered part of the members-at-large grouping, meaning that a deacon may be elected to the committee as a member-at-large if his vote total is among one of the top four nominees. The voting will occur in two phases: phase 1 – votes are cast for nominated officers only (2 elders and 1 deacon to be elected). Phase 2 – votes are cast for the 4 members-at-large in which elders and spouses of officers elected in phase 1 are ineligible.
The 4 members-at-large who receive the most votes from the congregation will serve on the pulpit nominating committee. The individuals who rank #5 and #6 in the congregational vote will be asked to serve as alternates. Alternates will be named to provide adequate committee members in the unlikely event a member is unable to fulfill their elected role. The elected committee will determine the extent of the role of alternates. Only one member of an immediate family can be elected and serve on the committee.
Sample Nomination Form (One form per nomination)
Nominee _________________________________________
Nominator ________________________________________
Check this box to indicate that you have spoken to the nominee and they have agreed to give of their time in service to Christ and His church in this important way if elected.
Nominations can be made between August 25th and September 7th by filling out this nomination form and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.
At the leadership community meeting on Thursday, Paige French gave a presentation on the background and future of our relationship with the A. Quinn Jones Center. She mentioned this letter from the principal:
(To get involved with this exciting ministry, contact Paige French (pbemfrench
Dear Christ Community Church,The value our partnership with your church gives to us is incalculable. You provide support to many classrooms and students with your troop of volunteers, which is a tremendous help to the classroom teachers and the students. Our kids love the extra attention, and someone consistently being there for them, showing them that they care, not matter how they behave. The presence of the volunteers for the teachers is equally impactful, as we can not give as much individual attention to kids as we would like to, but with the volunteers present, that relieves that burden somewhat.
In addition to the volunteers in the classroom supporting the teachers, the teacher appreciation for our staff is awesome. Your folks always think of ways to pamper the staff, and make them feel appreciated. This is more valuable than you can imagine, because we have a population of students who don’t show much gratitude, and neither do their families. The thought and time you all put in to making the teachers feel special is amazing and so obviously full of heart, that we can’t help but walk away feeling special.Each and every month your church family provides a meal for our SAC meetings. This helps get more families into our building to participate in their child’s education, which is a very difficult feat.Historically, we have had very low parent turn out for any function at our school. With the support of the church, we have been able to grab a few families off of their couches, and into the school on a more regular basis, and for positive interactions. They always make more food than we could ever eat, with the purposeful intention of sending food home with our families, many of which are impoverished.
Involving the children of your church has been incredible too. They have collected money and items to provide food for our Backpack Program, and school supplies for the kids, who would otherwise not have anything new for the start of the school year. Additionally, the children often write thoughtful notes to both the children and staff, with words of encouragement and gratitude, which warm the heart with their thoughtfulness.
Your church seems to enrich every special function we have at the school, as I sit here and reflect. You participate in, and support us with our Family Days, Holiday Programs, Teacher Appreciation, SAC, classroom volunteering, Backpack Program, Campus Beautification, and I’m sure I am missing something. Your church family has become a huge part of our family, and we truly value and appreciate each and every thing you do for us and our students. We would greatly miss your partnership with our school if you were not present, as we have all come to truly think of you guys as part of the A.Quinn Jones family.
Warmest Regards,Sue KellerPrincipal, A. Quinn Jones Center
I know that VBS was several weeks ago… if you served that week please know that you were appreciated, the amount of time it has taken to post this letter is not a reflection of how grateful we are. That being said we had an awesome VBS in Outer Space and Beyond this year. We had our largest turn out of children, a wonderful group of youth and each adult serving was an integral part of the success of the week. Thank you!
This year we had a few children who needed special attention. It can only be attributed to the working of God that each child was pared up with an adult or youth who knew exactly how to partner with that child for the week. Each and every child felt loved and cared for. God provided the exact volunteer for the exact child. I want to share the following letter with you from a parent who had two children with us this summer.
The boys had a great time at Christ Community Church’s VBS this week. I am impressed by the wonderful directors and volunteers (mostly moms) who gave their time so selflessly to love on children and show them a great time. One volunteer in particular blessed me greatly. She was K’s teacher this week. When I went to pick him up today she told me that she has a daughter like K and that she really enjoyed having him this week. She said that he is really special. I just burst into tears because it was so good to hear encouraging words and for once to not feel judged. I worry about him every time he’s under someone else’s care because all I ever seem to get are negative reports. People just don’t understand him and mistake him for a trouble maker. And often make me feel like I’m doing something wrong or it’s my fault. She had nothing but good things to say about him and understood him well. I thank God that she was his teacher this week. I was even told that usually she is not with that age group. I am so thankful that she was and that she took the time to tell me how wonderful K is. She gave me a big hug. And said he will probably be my hands on child who I am praying for constantly, but that he’s such a blessing too. I can’t tell you how good this was for me. It’s awesome when God uses the church to love on people who are hurting. He knows. So, I just want to say thank you to all the wonderful people at CCC for having my big boys this week. It was very nice to have some one on one time with my youngest. And to know that my bigs were in good hands was a relief.
VBS reaches the hearts of children throughout Alachua county every year. It also blesses parents who have come to trust the teachers, trust the curriculum chosen, feel safe with our check in-check out policies and are encouraged by the spiritual growth and friendship developed throughout the week. Thank you to everyone of you who was a part of VBS this year. It takes so many people to pull it off the ground, we appreciate each of you and know your contribution was vital to this year’s VBS. Thank You!!!
