Sunday Early Service Begins Oct 4

Tessera: CP’s New Early Service Location: Chapel Time: 9:00—9:45 am on Sundays Name: Tessera (small individual tiles used to make a large mosaic) Start Date: October 4, 2009 Why might we need an early service? After all, the 11:00 service is not full. Three reasons come easily to mind. First, our parking lot only holds 150 cars. The accepted expectation of cars to worship attendees is 1 car to 1.75 people. Even if we have a slightly larger average, say 2 worshippers per car, this still means only 300 people per service will be able to worship here regularly at one time. A second service would allow the potential for more people to worship here on Sundays. Secondly, we should be offering worship at another time (other than 11:00 am) for the convenience of our members. Many people and members have asked me for an early service. Many of our members work (for example, Lowe’s, or soccer referee) but would still like to make a service. This would be a second hopefully more convenient time for some members. Thirdly, a second service would allow us to offer worship in a different key. This early service would be more casual, more participatory, less formal, shorter, with a different style of music. What might we expect the first couple of months? The first couple of months we can expect that the early service will drain some portion of the members from the 11:00 service. However, within one year, we hope to be back up to strength with the 11:00 service, and have 100-125 worshipping in the early service. The key to the success of this service is great music. What might be some of the elements of this service? The service would evolve, but here is a possible order: No bulletin, choir, or offering plates. Wooden boxes near the three exits would be for prayers, response cards, and offering. Worship leaders are dressed casually, for example, nice pants and a well-made t-shirt. High quality coffee in the back Service opens with music: guitar, piano, saxophone, drums are all good possibilities. Singing is not so much “I love Jesus” songs (we do all love Jesus, but our hymnody should be more mature than just one type of praise song), but music representing a variety of theological responses and moods. Prayers of the people: worshippers offer petitions and leader leads in a response, such as “Lord, hear our prayer. Scripture reading, creatively done. Sermon, done without notes, in a more casual tone. (same sermon as in the 11, only in a more casual manner) Special music of some sort Sermon talk-back Communion, offered weekly. Closing song. Walking benediction What needs to be done to the chapel to accommodate this service? Nothing needs to be done immediately to the chapel for this use, other than possibly relocating Adult 3 into the present location of the library. There might need, however, to be a three stage chapel renovation if this is successful. Stage one (sooner rather than later): Consult with Adult 3 about moving classroom Relocate library (to back of chapel?) Purchase comfortable chairs for parlor ($) Purchase electric piano for Adult 3 ($) Stage two (within a year): Removal of pews and carpeting and organ Purchase of good quality movable and comfortable chairs ($) Refinishing of wood floor OR laying down of good high quality flooring ($) Wood offering boxes Stage three: Renovate side door entrance to make a useable and attractive entrance ($) Renovation of stage area: removal of modesty rail and choir area. ($) Purchase of new piano or electric piano ($) Purchase of something to show movie clips and project lyrics ($) People Needed: Ideally, we could have about 75 of our members to begin this service. 50 would be enough to attend. The worship musicians should be about 2-5, enough to cover each week, but not too many that it would create problems to rehearse.

College Park Baptist Church 1601 Walker Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27403 cpbcgbo@bellsouth.net 336.273.1779