Our First Collective Will Begin in January

For several months our community has been working through how to re-organize our small group life and we are finally ready to launch our first experiment with Collectives (the name seems to have stuck). Collectives will be medium-sized groups focused on a common mission. Our first one will be called Renovation and its mission will be renovating our building, ourselves, and our neighborhood. Or in the catchy, mission-statement-y words:

REBUILD the firehouse into a hospitable, beautiful, and useful space

RENEW our own hearts and minds, marriages and relationships

RECONNECT Bingham neighbors to God and his mission

Our first meeting will be Wednesday January 4th at 6:15 at the Firehouse. We will start with a potluck meal, hang out, and discuss the vision for the Collective. If you are interested, come to this meeting.

If you’ve expressed interest in the Collective, you will probably get a letter via snail mail (if we have your address). In the letter there will be a form asking you how involved you think you will be and what gifts you see yourself bringing to the group.

We are looking for all kinds of gifts. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A BUILDER or even handy. We need bakers and community organizers and pray-ers and people who like to meet neighbors…and any kind of skill than be used for fundraising.

We are also looking for folks who would be willing to lead a small group. Our intention is that leading a group will be light-weight and low-maintenance. And groups can form around any activity that meets one of the three parts of the collective mission. Healing prayer and bible study are two ideas that are out there. But the possibilities are endless.

Questions about the Renovation Collective can be directed to Dan Goble. If you don’t get a snail mail copy of the letter, you can download it here. Bring the Involvment/Gifts survey on Saturday night to worship or mail to Dan Goble at 230 Bingham St., Lansing, MI 48912.

Here we go!