Prayer and Planning Day

13 people, 2 boxes of donuts, 4 hours, and who knows how much coffee kicked off a Saturday morning of prayer and planning for Living Hope Church.  In an effort to get to know each other better, the morning started with deep personal questions about where we were born and our favorite comfort foods. Due to an overwhelming response of “ICE CREAM!”, a Living Hope Ice Cream Social is being taken into serious consideration. After that, we took the time to reflect on our first few months as a church and shared prayers of petition, thanksgiving, and rejoicing for the ways God has been working in our community. The bulk of our discussion centered on a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for our congregation.  It provided us with a lot of insight, but most importantly showed us the many qualities for which we are thankful: a sense of belonging, diversity, our Sunday morning services, and devoted leadership. (You can review bits and pieces of the dialogue by clicking here.) We closed our time together with some strategic planning for the future, more food, and (for the adventurous types) whiffle ball.  (Click here to view a photo gallery of the event.)

 Mike Laneve (on the right), during a breakout session, discusses the value of a printed brochure with Bob Payne and other members of his small group.