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There's a lot going on this week in The City Church!
First, this Thursday is our first "Ladies Night," a girls-only event you should attend & bring non-City friends to! Then, this Sunday is our second "SERVE" Sunday, which we finally have details for - and it's actually TWO SERVES IN ONE!
Finally, we've got applications out for Village leaders [I can email you one if you're interested], and we need your input on our first-ever City Church holiday schedule.
Details on all this is below - read; RSVP/give feedback on our online network, and have a great week!
See you all Sunday/Monday,
Ben
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While we hope that everyone in The City Church is making connections, building relationships, and getting to know each other on your own, we are trying to provide an opportunity or two each month for you to get to know each other. Our November opportunities are coming up soon, and here are the plans so far:
LADIES NIGHT (let us know you're coming here)
Thursday, Nov 12, 6:00pm (*NOTE THE EARLIER TIME*), City Church ladies (and anyone you want to bring along for a night of awesomeness!) will meet at 6pm at Brad and Heather Thompson's place (address below) and head to Arlington. We'll eat at The Cheesecake Factory, and bowl at the newly established Splitsville Lanes (.com) for the most classy bowling you've ever seen. It will be a great night, and if you feel like you haven't met many folks yet, here's your chance! Be there, and if you have questions or need more info, email Jess Connelly. Schedule:
- 6:00pm Meet at Heather's House (email Ben for directions or find Heather on our online network; I'm not posting her address on such a public forum) to carpool
- 6:30pm Dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Arlington (yum)
- 7:30ish Bowling at Splitsville (also in Arlington) $5/game, $4 for shoes
Let us know you're coming on our online network, here. If you're not signed up for the network, email Jess (link above), or sign up for the network here.
MAN NIGHT (let us know you're coming here)
Friday, Nov 20 is MAN NIGHT - we'll tell you the plan in an email later this week (if you want to help with details, email Ben). BUT, we can guarantee it will involve steak, and there will likely be cigars and tasty beverages involved. Full plans soon, but make plans to be there!
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:: THE CITY CHURCH "SERVE" - THIS SUNDAY :: Meet at the Hudsons' - 6436 Curzon Ave, 12pm | RSVP here
FINALLY - HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR THIS SUNDAY: TWO SERVES IN ONE
Please forgive the delay as we got details nailed down... Here's the plan: we'll meet at noon, at the Hudsons' casa, and over a delicious lunch, we'll introduce our "City Church Christmas Serve," which will begin Sunday and wrap up Sunday, Dec 13.
From there, we'll head to Day Resource Center, which is open on Sundays for homeless community to gather, watch TV, hang out, shower and clean up a bit. We'll serve both the workers and the homeless community in the Lancaster area, hanging out and talking with them, building relationships, handing out personal items for their shower times, and doing whatever else the workers need.
We'll carpool over from the Hudsons'; wear clothes without brands on them, avoid much jewelry, and remove valuables from your car if you're planning on driving. It's generally a safe area, but we want to be respectful of the situation of those we're serving.
Let us know you're coming here, or email Ben.
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:: THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING - GIVE YOUR INPUT! ::
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means Christmas, New Years, and of course, Canada's Boxing Day are right behind it! Since this is the first holiday season in The City Church's history, we need your help figuring out holiday plans. Please take a second, copy the dates below, and reply on our online network* (here), & let me know if you'll be around on the following days. [*If you're not on the network yet, feel free to email me back or sign up for the network here]
Please write "yes" or "no" after each, to let us know if you'll be in Fort Worth for potential City Church gatherings:
- Nov 26 - Thanksgiving (we might ask some folks to open their homes to folks who don't have family here)
- Nov 29 - Post-Thanksgiving Feast (everyone bring leftovers to Sunday's Village)
- Dec 13 - Christmas Dinner (knowing some of our college folks leave for Christmas, our last Village for this "semester" will be a celebration Christmas dinner)
- Dec 20, 27, Jan 3 - we're trying to plan our Sunday gatherings well through the holiday weeks
- Dec 24 - We're considering a Christmas Eve gathering if folks are in town
Thanks for your input; it helps us a ton! And even though the University Park Shopping Center beat me to it with their Christmas wreaths and lights already, let me be the first to offer you a ridiculously premature "happy holidays '09!"
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:: VILLAGE LEADERS - PREPARING FOR JANUARY ::
Please be in prayer for strong, godly leaders as we make preparations for an exciting 2010!
In the decentralized structure of The City Church, we value Village leaders highly as you play an important role in our church family. You carry great weight and spiritual responsibility for the folks you'll help shepherd. Because of this and because we want to "equip the saints" well, we don't have the luxury of "filling an empty leadership spot with a warm body." Nor would we want that luxury; it would allow us to slack off!
So in order to set up Villages well as we send you on mission into neighborhoods in January, we're praying for strong, godly leaders to step up and lead Villages. Here's how this first round of leaders will prepare for our "launch":
- We have Village leader role descriptions and packets available. Email Ben if you want one, and you'll have two weeks to pray, consider, and complete them.
- Later in November, leaders-in-training will begin gathering regularly for several weeks of hands-on preparation for leading your Village.
- One weekend in January, our leaders will spend a final "Training Weekend" together (it won't be the entire weekend; we'll either go Fri-Sat or Sat-Sun).
- Then we'll commission you together with our church family, and beginning January 24, we'll send you with your Village, as a community on mission to your neighborhoods.
We don't want to "out-plan" God and set a specific number of Villages or leaders we're looking for, but we are praying for several of you to step up and help lead our mission, for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth. Please be in prayer for us as we work to complete this process, and pray for the folks who will emerge as leaders as we prepare for the next step in The City Church's short history!





