July 4, 2008

1.	Have you heard about Eugene, Oregon?
2.	MOPS service opportunity - volunteers and teachers needed
3.	T&E sessions are filling up fast!
4.	Have you picked up your backpack?
5.	Revive - important deadlines approaching
6.	Quick Updates

Who We Are

House Churches

Beginning in late July and continuing through early September, 10 adults and 2 children will be making the 2,300-mile journey from central Indiana to Eugene, Oregon. They will be following God’s beckoning for a new church plant in the most unchurched region of the U.S., the Pacific Northwest. The new church plant team consists of Clint and Rachel McKinnis and their two children (Elias 2, Jael 1), Derek and Staci Nickleson, CJ Kyle, Stacie Kapciak, Drew Phillips, Ryan Owens, Sarah Krueger and Colby Halderman.

Eugene is a city of approximately 150,000 residents and is home to the University of Oregon. It is known as the “World’s Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors.” The city has long celebrated its openness and acceptance of alternative thinking and lifestyles, which leads to its vast diversity in religious makeup. The Pacific Northwest has traditionally been recognized as one of the most unchurched regions of the U.S. National surveys indicate that the largest “denomination” in the Northwest is “none,” or those that would claim no religious identity. Locally in Eugene, it’s been reported to be approximately 96% unchurched.

According to Clint, "The call to Eugene was birthed out of the reality that nearly an entire city is living each day apart from a revelation that they are objects of Divine affection. It is our passion and desire to go and live as a community that seeks to love God, each other and the people of Eugene in the way of Jesus. In doing so, we hope to foster an awakening to God’s redemptive story and to encourage people to live fully into that by loving God, their neighbor and the world they live in."

If you would like to learn more about the Eugene plant, please contact Clint McKinnis. Interested in providing the team with financial support? Please make checks payable to Common Ground and write "Eugene Church Plant" in the memo line.

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is looking for childcare providers for our upcoming session. We welcome men, women, young and old to join us in the celebration of guiding our children, our MOPPETS. Meetings are the first and third Friday mornings during the school year at Midtown. Please contact Carey Siegler to discuss details, questions and compensation.

The next Quarterly Training and Equipping is July 26 from 9 am to 3 pm at our Midtown location (4550 N. Illinois Street). The following six tracks will be offered:

Intro to Common Ground and House Church - Intro to CG (9 am-Noon) is for anyone new to CG and will provide an overview of the mission, goals and vision of our church. Intro to HC (Noon-3 pm) provides an understanding of why we value house churches and will prepare attendees for engagement in a HC. One can choose to attend the morning, afternoon, or both sessions when registering.
House Church Leader - This revamped class will explore the changes in our house church model that were introduced at the April Leaders Conference and will reinforce our basic philosophy of relational spiritual formation. The class is encouraged for all HC leaders.
Chasing after God - This class provides some initial exposure to a more intentional pursuit of God and living a kingdom lifestyle.
Peacemaker 1 - This course uses The Peacemaker by Ken Sande to guide participants through a conversation about living lives of reconciliation.
Raising a Modern Day Knight - Based upon the book by Robert Lewis, this class raises the question…”What does it mean to be a man?”…and helps equip a father to instill Christ-like qualities in his son. Attendees should read Raising a Modern Day Knight prior to the class.
Good $ense Budgeting - This class will present easily understood and biblically-based concepts regarding money and budgeting, including its place in the lives of Christ-followers. Attendees should come prepared with an accurate count of their income, monthly and expected one-time expenses, and all debts.

Childcare is available for infants through age 12 for those who register by Noon on July 11. There is no cost to register for this event. Books/resources noted above may be purchased from CGCC by contacting Nate. Snacks and a light lunch will be provided for all adults. Register by clicking this link by July 18.

Common Ground now has backpacks available for sponsorship for the tenth annual Jireh Back to School Blast. The Blast, which is sponsored by Clarian Health, will take place on Saturday, August 9. You can sponsor a backpack for $10. Simply pick up the bag after service on Sunday, fill it with the supplies listed on the shopping list located inside the bag, and return it by Sunday, July 20. In addition, a limited number of pre-filled bags are available for sponsorship for $25.

Would you or your house church like to assist with the Blast on August 9? A volunteer sign up sheet is available at the Information Table at CGCC-West or in the Welcome Center at Midtown. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Marissa.

Mark your calendars for the inauguration of Revive – An Evening of Prayer, Worship and Information on Friday, July 25 at 6:30 pm. This new quarterly corporate gathering that reflects our desire to re-engage our community in dialogue and prayer about the purpose and direction of our church.

Each Revive gathering will be held on the Friday night prior to Training & Equipping at our Midtown location. In general, the following three elements will be incorporated into each Revive gathering:

Corporate dialogue – a time to discuss our mission, including new direction/ideas and receive feedback. This time will be initiated by our staff or elders and will set the tone for prayer and dialogue for the evening.
Corporate prayer – a time to pray together regarding the direction of our church. Small groups will be formed and encouraged to pray about a specific topic.
Zone dialogue – a time for geographic collections of HCs to gather and discuss issues relevant to their HCs. Elders and shepherd leaders will gather with their HCs to talk about life.

Childcare will be provided if you register your child via the online signup form by Noon on July 11. Questions? Please contact Nate.

Flood Relief

Want to help our neighbors touched by flooding? The Community Church of Greenwood (with the Red Cross) is acting as a shelter for those who have had to leave their homes. For more information and to sign up to help with relief efforts, please visit www.greenwoodflood.org or www.redcross-indy.org.

Looking for Information? Try the Website!

Would you like to know all the 2008 Baby Dedication dates and deadlines? Miss church last week and want to check out the bulletin? Unsure of when your house church is on for childcare in August? All of this information (and a lot more) is available when you visit www.cground.org and click on Member Site.