Many years ago our church family would gather on the first Monday of each month for a time of corporate prayer and conversation about what God was doing among us. This gathering was called Nehemiah Night. The idea for the gathering came from the book of Nehemiah which chronicles the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the struggles and triumphs that the people went through in order to accomplish the vision that God gave to Nehemiah. Nehemiah took great care to remind the people during the rebuilding process of the importance of their work and he continually encouraged them to stand strong against the opposition that they were facing. In a similar way, the spirit of our Nehemiah Nights was meant to serve as a regular reminder that what we labor for and believe in is not hopeless and that we were engaged in the work of God. We would gather to ask God to move, to show us where and how we are to be used in His ongoing desire to make His name known.

 

A couple of years ago we disbanded this regular time. The intentions were good. We were hoping that this gathering would take root within smaller and more geographically centered locations and that we would actually increase our participation. What we have found is that this was not the case.

 

The elders have spent the summer praying and talking about the connectedness (or lack thereof) in our church and we realize that much of the disconnection began when we took a new direction with our monthly prayer night. In an effort to be more connected as a house church network, we are re-engaging this monthly gathering. We are planning to launch Nehemiah Night again beginning Wednesday, February 3 at 6:30 pm at our Midtown location, 4550 N. Illinois Street. Limited childcare will be available. Please note that we have intentionally scheduled this on a night when many of our house churches gather in order to encourage your participation in this monthly time of prayer.

 

We are excited about the opportunity to engage in prayer and conversation about what God is doing among us and we are hopeful that this will also provide a much needed opportunity for relationships to grow across our house church network. We believe that this will be a time of refreshment that will be of benefit to all of us who desire to be a part of what God is doing in our family and we hope that you will make it a regular part of the rhythm of your life.

 

Blessings,

Jeff

The next Training and Equipping is February 6 from 9 am to 3 pm at Midtown (4550 N Illinois Street). The following classes will be offered:

Common Ground believes children are a gift from God to be handled with love and care. We also believe God has appointed parents as the primary disciplers of their children; the church's role is to assist in the cooperative effort of that task. The children's ministry at Common Ground aims to support children and their parents by providing a nurturing environment that allows children to encounter God through worship, prayer, Bible study and experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

One way we work to fulfill this purpose is by providing children's ministry on Sunday for children age 0-6th grade. Our primary emphasis during this time is teaching and mentoring by caring adults. We are currently looking for more caring adults to serve in our children’s ministry on Sunday morning. Several volunteer positions are available including Teachers, Substitutes, Teaching Assistants, Floaters, and Coordinators. If you are interested in joining the team, please complete our Volunteer Application. If you have questions before you apply, contact Martina Gaughan.

GRACE (God's Real Acceptance Compassion and Encouragement) is a Bible study that is used as a tool for women who have experienced abortion and want to repair their relationships with God. GRACE will offer a 10 week study beginning in January and a retreat in March. To learn more, please contact Jennifer Thompson.

 

Life Centers

The mission of Life Centers (formerly Central Indiana Crisis Pregnancy Center) is to affirm the value of life by providing a network of care to those experiencing pregnancy-related crisis and by compassionately presenting Biblical truth resulting in changed lives to the glory of God. The Life Centers downtown office is in desperate need of volunteers. No training needed! Specific needs include:

Intro to Common Ground is an opportunity for those who are new to Common Ground to learn about the vision, values and story of our community. The next gathering is Tuesday, January 5 at 6 pm. Attendance is limited and a light dinner and childcare are provided. To learn more about this gathering, including future dates and registration, please follow this link.

The church office will reopen on Monday, January 4.

 

 

To learn more, please see the article above.