Next Wednesday, December 15, 2010 marks the end of our Wednesday evening program known as Family Reunion. While I am so very excited as to the direction we are going with our intentional discipleship process known as GPS (Pursuing God, Connecting with People, Serving the World) and the formation of ID Groups, Family Reunion will be coming to an end. 


Family Reunion started 17 years ago, when several of us wondered how we could make our Wednesday evening Bible study more effective. We started offering a buffet-style meal, as well as choices of adult classes including Bible studies, instructional classes, and seminars. Also, we offered children's ministry and youth ministry classes. Family reunion prospered for many, many years.


But recently, it lost steam. For the last couple of years, attendance has been down, and there has been a sense that the program has run it's course. The meal has become cost prohibitive. And, with a new paradigm shift to ID and LIVE relational groups, the time has come to end it.


I am grateful for Family Reunion's years of effectiveness. I am grateful for the many, many teachers and leaders who have contributed to it's effectiveness over the years. I am grateful for the cooking teams and the cleaning teams who worked hard each and every week  to provide a meal. So many have given so much over the years, and your service has been so effective, and so appreciated.


But now we turn the chapter to a new page. Our intentional discipleship process, including the formation of ID groups that will be meeting different nights during the week are going to allow us to minister to one another in new and innovative ways. And, both our children's and youth ministries will be launching new midweek programs beginning the first of the year. The future is exciting! And I am thankful for what has now become our past.


For more information about our intentional discipleship process, click here.