Deepening our Relationship with Christ

2009-05-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Those who come to me will never go hungry." – John 6:35

Jesus Christ invites us to deepen our relationship with him. There are many things that vie for our attention and promise fulfillment. Jesus assures us that we will find true fulfillment through him. A deep relationship with Christ satisfies the hungers of our heart.

So how as a church can we help everyone develop a deeper relationship with Christ?

To tackle that huge question, St. Matthew’s Church Council is planning a church-wide meeting to discuss strategies for increasing attendance at worship and Sunday school. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

But before the meeting gets underway, the Council wants to hear from people across on the church on why or why not they come to St. Matthew’s to worship God and study His word. Why do some people come every week and rarely miss a service or Sunday School class? Why do some of us come just once a month? Do we only come when our kids sing in the choir that service? Are other activities crowding out our church time? Should we as a congregation look for other ways to hold “church”? Should we move Sunday School classes to other days? Should children’s Sunday School classes be held while the adults worship?

These are all big questions that require thoughtful answers. The Council needs your feedback. Take a few minutes and answer some of the questions below. Give us your comments back to this blog – even anonymously if you prefer. We want to develop a healthy discussion with all people who attend and wish to attend St. Matthew’s UMC.

1) If you attend worship and Christian education classes regularly, what keeps you coming back? If you don’t attend regularly, which areas of St. Matthew’s keep you involved with the church? Why do you stay involved with those areas?

2) Nearly everyone seems more pressed for time these days, and sometimes that pressure can affect the time we carve out for deepening our relationship with Christ. If we offered worship or education classes on different days and times, would you be more likely or less likely to attend? Which days and times would work better for you and your family, and why?

3) If you had all the time in the world, how and when would you like to develop a deeper relationship with Christ? How would you hope St. Matthew’s would help you with that relationship? What is St. Matthew’s doing already that may or may not be helping you?

Thank you in advance for your comments. We hope you’ll join us for the meeting on June 13th.

St. Matthew's UMC Voices

Deepening our Relationship with Christ