Tuesday is General Assembly day at the NAC, the occasion where we gather to conduct the corporate, national business of our movement. The big change this year is the move back to Park Place church for the General Assembly, something that was regular occurrence 20+ years ago. My G.A. experiences up to this point have always been in Reardon so I don't know how Park Place worked in the past, but no one I talked was pleased with the step backward. The church was packed, with a number of people standing at times. It was very warm, as the air conditioning couldn't keep up even on this moderate summer day. And, the pews are far from comfortable. My assumption is that in order to keep the services at Reardon (along with the instruments and appropriate sound equipment) they decided on this change. But, it didn't work and hopefully next year we'll be back across the street.
Apart from the venue, General Assembly was a positive experience. We have learned to conduct business in an orderly, efficient and civil fashion. And, the good news concerning our financial situation helped make the uncomfortable seating a little more bearable. My only real complaint about the meeting itself is that sometimes I think the General Assembly borders on selling programs instead of reporting. Having a captive audience makes it tempting to use the opportunity for publicity and marketing, which can frustrate attendees. I believe this is one of the reason that attendance drops off as the day progresses.
There were several important announcements today. One is the launching of CHOG Ministry Connector, a new website to link churches and ministers for ministry positions. Also, the Communion together publication was unveiled. This is an expanded version of the Communion tabloid that has been published in recent years for pastors. Communion together has a wider range of articles in a 24 page newsletter format. It is definitely an improvement and should fill a gap in our communications, at least for those leaders desiring printed news and teaching.
Today's theme was based on the "Free" transformational aspect (i.e. stewardship). Tonight's message was brought by Tom Dougherty, a pastor who has taught and implemented good stewardship practices in his own congregation.
Apart from the venue, General Assembly was a positive experience. We have learned to conduct business in an orderly, efficient and civil fashion. And, the good news concerning our financial situation helped make the uncomfortable seating a little more bearable. My only real complaint about the meeting itself is that sometimes I think the General Assembly borders on selling programs instead of reporting. Having a captive audience makes it tempting to use the opportunity for publicity and marketing, which can frustrate attendees. I believe this is one of the reason that attendance drops off as the day progresses.
There were several important announcements today. One is the launching of CHOG Ministry Connector, a new website to link churches and ministers for ministry positions. Also, the Communion together publication was unveiled. This is an expanded version of the Communion tabloid that has been published in recent years for pastors. Communion together has a wider range of articles in a 24 page newsletter format. It is definitely an improvement and should fill a gap in our communications, at least for those leaders desiring printed news and teaching.
Today's theme was based on the "Free" transformational aspect (i.e. stewardship). Tonight's message was brought by Tom Dougherty, a pastor who has taught and implemented good stewardship practices in his own congregation.
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