TABLE 1
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Meeting new people
- Fellowship
- Easy, comfortable fellowship
- Welcoming (and “walk the talk” on being welcoming)
- Church culture feels like home
- Sanctuary—quiet
- Members make newcomers feel as if they matter
- Welcoming, embracing
- Communion is open to everyone
- Liturgy is thought provoking
- Proclaiming God’s grace and love feels genuine
- Welcoming and accommodating to the elderly
- Wide ranging social ministry
- Acceptance of everyone who comes through the doors
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Grow our diversity
- Live in God’s love rather than in fear
- Continue to embrace change
- That our surrounding neighbors will find us
- To see the national church have more influence in world affairs; speak with a louder voice.
TABLE 2
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Fellowship
- Community
- Vision of the love of God in the world
- Music
- Extended family
- LWR—thankful for this
- Thankful
- Intellectual and spiritual stimulation
- Mind, spirit, heart—a human trinity
- Sacramental presence
- Open to tradition in the modern world
- Diversity is valued and sought after
- Food—good potlucks and iced tea
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- To be a prophetic voice for the world
- That we not hide our light under a bushel basket
- Keep asking questions
- Bring in more young families
- Increase small group participation
- Identify the ways to serve the human needs of our community
- Adapt and adopt new technology to reach out to our community; be more tech smart
- Be receptive to the Holy Spirit leading us—listen deeply; cultivate listening
TABLE 3
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Helping people without trying to convert
- Reaching out to those in need
- Different congregations offer differing manifestations of the Spirit
- Focus on God; time solely for god
- Always coffee and doughnuts
- Hospitality, aloha, this church
- Kiss of peace requires touch
- Sharing immunities cut the risk of catching something; gift from others
- Not living in OUR world, living in THE world
- Question what we believe to understand what we MEAN
- Individualism doesn’t work as a faith but can get you to where you need to be
- Ministry tends to trump inquiry; Liturgy, focus, time for God
- Community, sense of community within the church
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Place of refuge
- Change gracefully and faithfully, not fearfully but with joy
- Continue to be enlivened by the Spirit and not bound by the Spirit—growth
- Willing to be open to the promises of God
- Continue to be open to change and view it as opportunity rather than threat
- Ability to change to achieve something rather than preserve with absolutism
TABLE 4
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Being with like-minded people regarding God/religion
- Inspiring worship
- Refocused, refreshed in a confusing, tormented world
- A touchstone that unites me with experiences/people that transcends this particular time
- Liturgy that celebrates seasons, cycles/continuity with the ages
- Variety in experiences/traditional services, special services, concerts, all carefully and prayerfully executed
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Discover evangelism
- Stay a church, not a social club; balanced—need to preach the Gospel too!
- Put forth the message that true religion is a relationship to God in love and good, not hate
- Focused on word/liturgy—social works come out of this
TABLE 5
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Congregations are one church of love (not hate and exclusion); inclusive (don’t feel embarrassed
- Strong fellowship
- Music—enhances everything, meaningful, with great intention
- For the people who are here—enjoys who she knows
- Loves that the communion is the culmination of the service and kneeling (humbling)
- Fellowship and members
- Amazed at the community service
- The sermons and our pastor
- Respect for the Word—held in high regard and woven throughout the ser- vice
- The theology and how it relates to liturgical seasons
- The fact that we can question
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- That it not die—formalized religion is on the decline
- That the joys (#1 above) can be shared with more people
- People who find the church feel welcomed and continue to come
- That more people will know about our (congregation) and the church
- Can get to the 21st century and communicate to people
TABLE 6
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- People and liturgy; feel welcome
- Policies, openness/acceptance
- Music
- Diversity; starved for liturgy in his original Mormon affiliation, continuity and communion with the past. “I’ve been made to feel at home here.”
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Hard time with Creed, devise a new one
- Five different names for God
- Make a bigger difference about community
- Divisiveness within the country puts the onus on God (?). Prayers in the service
- Growing?
- Liberal voice gains “core”
- Kids will find us and join us
TABLE 7
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Meeting people you wouldn’t have otherwise met; opens doors to new relationships
- Acceptance—you don’t have to be a certain thing or act a certain way;< no prerequisites
- Progressive; welcoming
- People, different friends
- Matches beliefs and values you have
- Music, communion, the sermon, liturgy
- Food; fellowship
- Looking for new ways to grow, outreach, and in-reach
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Continue to reach out
- Look more at how to serve more than budget and finances
- Endeavor to be more progressive
- More people come in and find a home here
- Work with other churches and communities of faith
- Answer issues and acts of hate with acts of love
- Keep our foundation in the Word (not fads and popular practice)
TABLE 8
- Question 1: What one or two things bring the greatest joy at LCH?
- Tradition and foundation and how it has gotten us to where we are
- Day care providers
- Selfless service to others
- *Acceptance of all
- Fellowship of members
- Home away from home
- Contemporary service and variety of liturgical styles
- Feeling of spirituality in sanctuary
- Service to community
- Food
- LCH is healthy (lack of drama; lack of talk about money problems)
- Welcoming
- *Summer worship (single service)
- When you’re here, you’re family
- Question 2: What is our greatest hope for our church locally and nationwide?
- Survival
- Focus on welcoming continues
- Bring people into church
- Growth in membership
- Willingness to change
- More involvement by more members
- Flexibility
- Peace
Return to the “Called Forward in Christ” page Discussion 2 (July 24) notes Discussion 3 (August 7) notes