Embrace Church Podcast – 01/15/12 – “Mercy”

Use the Podomatic Player below to listen to last Sunday’s message on “mercy” from Psalm 133. 

Note: Johnny Case will be speaking at the 01/22/12 service.  Johnny is a charter member of Embrace Church and serves on the advisory board.

Embrace Church Podcast – 01/08/12 – “Peter”

A new feature of our website in 2012 – weekly podcasts from the Sunday services at Embrace Church! 

This will be a great resource if you are unable to attend a service or if you are considering a visit to Embrace and want to get an idea of what we are all about. 

Click below to listen to the message from Sunday 01/08/12 – using the failure of Peter, we reflected on the God who gets us back on our feet!

 

Survey Review & Recap

This past Sunday we finished the “Community” message series and shared some of the things we learned from the results of our church wide survey that we asked you to complete in October.  Attendance was much lower than normal due to the holiday weekend (and the nasty weather surely didn’t help!). 

For that reason, I wanted to draft up a simple review of some of the things I shared on Sunday so that everyone can be on the same page going into 2012 (side note – March 2012 begins our 5th year of ministry and community!)

* We learned that there is an overwhelming interest in offering some type of mid-week activities.  In fact, 93% of respondents said that they would like the church to offer something during the week with small groups and interest groups getting the most votes.  Only 7% of you said you had no interest in mid-week activities.  This inspired action on our part, and starting in 2012, we will begin to offer some mid-week activities.  The details of this new effort are still very unformed.  In fact, the only reason this is even possible is that during the Conversations series, a trustworthy and longtime member of our church contacted us and expressed an interest in going to the next level in leadership and service, specifically with groups and events.  With this comes both a challenge and commitment.  The challenge for you – if you are one of the 93% who asked for these opportunities, when they are offered next year, don’t waste them!  Show up and make these things a success.  Our commitment to you – we will offer new opportunities for you to come together with your church and grow as a community while still maintaining our commitment to keeping a simple, balanced, and clutter-free calendar.  Our church is only as healthy and whole as you are!

* We learned that our most helpful and useful social media outlets are the Facebook fan page and the weekly email list.  If you are on Facebook, make sure you “like” us so you can see our updates.  If you would like to be added to the weekly email list, use the Contact page on this website to send us your information.  Oh, and a note to the Twitter people – follow us at ”EmbraceChurchTN.”  We also announced that starting in 2012 we will begin recording and uploading each Sunday morning sermon to iTunes and the website!

* We learned that as a community, it is important that you are offered events and opportunities for fun and fellowship.  In fact, only 3% of you said you had no interest in church events at all.  By far, the most popular type of event we offer are simple gatherings that bring the group together for dinner, games, and just hanging out.  We also learned that very few of you do not attend events due to the cost, lack of interest, or because you did not know about the event beforehand.  This tells me that we are doing a good job of choosing budget friendly, fun events and doing our best to promote them in advance.  By far, the main reason you do not attend church events is a lack of time or the demands on your own schedule (90% voted for this!)

* We learned that a majority of you enjoy the different set-ups that we offer for message series, so you can expect to see Embrace’s creativity on display in 2012 as well.

* We learned that there is a pretty even split in musical tastes between those who prefer electric, those who prefer acoustic, and those who enjoy both equally or have no preference.  Adam will continue to lead a worship ministry that integrates various styles and traditions.  We received a wide variety of suggestions on the freeform question about music including several suggestions for more hymns.

* We learned that none of you seem to think our services last too long!  Almost 9 out of 10 respondents said that the service length of approximately one hour is just right, while the rest said it could even be a little longer.  We feel good knowing we are being focused with your time and making Sunday mornings about what matters the most – fellowship, worship, and study.

* We learned that 88% of you drive 20 minutes or less one way to get to The Mill.  Likewise, 88% of you said that if the church moved to a new location and it made your drive longer, you would continue to attend the church regardless.  Now that’s what I call “community”!

* We really enjoyed reading the responses to the freeform question about the church’s impact on your faith journey.  Some things we read…

• “welcoming…non-judgmental.”
• “non-judgmental, non-pushy…changed my perspective on what Christianity can and should be”
• “my past experiences with church seemed to end in a dead-end…Embrace is so different.”
• “kept me in church and connected”
• “I’m growing every week”
• “our church has a real sense of togetherness and community”
• “I truly look forward to coming”
• “brought me back into the fold”

It is a joy to be a part of a community that is having this kind of impact on people’s lives, and on a personal note, it is an honor to be one of its leaders.

Embrace Church Christmas Schedule

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  It’s time now to look forward to the Christmas season and the end of the year.  Here is a list of some important dates and events that you need to know about…

Sunday November 27th – we ARE meeting for church this Sunday!  11:00 a.m. at The Mill.  We will finish the Community message series.

Sunday December 4th - we will begin a 3-week message series that explores and celebrates the Christmas season.

Sunday December 11th - lunch immediately following the morning service at the home of Shannon Bennett.  Directions and details will be available at church.  Thank you for your hospitality Shannon! 

Sunday December 18th  – Embrace Church Christmas Service and final service of 2011.  We always end the year with a service filled with Christmas music, communion, and a reading of the Gospel’s account of the Christmas story.

Tuesday December 20th - Embrace Church Christmas Party, 7:30 p.m. at The Gardens Restaurant (Chattanooga Choo Choo).  Note: this is a Dutch treat event.

Sunday December 25th & January 1st – no services at The Mill.  Enjoy this 2-week holiday break and get ready for a great a 2012 together!

Conversations 4 Starts Sunday!

 

In the fall of 2008, we offered a message series called “Conversations.”  The idea behind it was to let the people of the church choose the message topics for the entire month.  It was a way to make sure we were talking about things that people really cared and thought about outside of church. 

The series was so popular and well-received that we decided to make it an annual fall tradition in our community.

This Sunday, October 9th, we launch the 4th annual Conversations series!

What makes this series so different?

* as already stated, you choose the topics!  Is there an event or time period in Christian history that you’d like to know more about?  Is there a doctrine or theological issue you’d like to hear an honest discussion about?  Is there a practical life situation or current event that you’d like to hear some perspectives on?  Don’t keep these to yourself.  Visit the “Contact Us” page on our website and submit your topic ideas.  We are receiving several good ones, but for the sake of time, we can only choose 4, so don’t be afraid to be creative and challenging.

* this series is interactive.  We couldn’t hardly call it “Conversations” without a chance for dialogue.  We always offer “text message Q & A” after each message during this series.

* we always change our set-up and have lots of fun.  We’ve  done a coffee shop, a living room, and an indoor camp ground.  This year we are turning The Mill into our version of a comedy club complete with free snacks and soft drinks.  We always have a lot of fun while talking about some serious stuff. 

Join us for Conversations 4 from October 9th – November 6th

You Asked For It – Embrace Church Podcast

Several of you have asked about the possibility of podcasting in case you have to miss a service or want to share what we are talking about at Embrace with family and friends.

We can not record every Sunday’s sermon due to the logistics of being a portable church, so we are excited to offer this creative alternative – the Embrace Church podcast.

This is more of a “radio show” conversational format.  In the first episode, Dana and Adam offer a 30-minute summary of the 5-week SUPER series.  So listen, enjoy, and share!

New Message Series “SUPER” Starts June 19th

We love doing message series at Embrace.  We probably do 10-12 each year.  It is a good way to make sure that we cover a variety of topics, themes, ideas, and Scriptures throughout the year.  Otherwise you might end up hearing a lot of the same stuff over and over again while other  important content never gets discussed.

It’s also nice to spend 3-5 weeks focused on one big idea and then move on.  It keeps things fresh and interesting.

With that being said, I am really looking forward to our next message series that starts tomorrow.  We are calling it SUPER.  Playing off of the superhero theme, we are going to spend 5 weeks talking about all things supernatural.

Some topics we’ll cover:

• miracles
• what it means to be “filled with the Spirit”
• the gifts of the Spirit
• the reality of angels and demons
• how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things

In true Embrace tradition, our goal is for this to be a fun and simultaneously thought-provoking series.

Join us June 19th – July 17th for SUPER, Sundays at 11:00 a.m., The Mill of Chattanooga.

- Dana

Sunday June 5th – We’re Back Together

We did not meet for service on May 29th so that we could give all of our leaders and volunteers a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, and while this was a well-deserved break, it is always nice to come back together.

We will resume our normal schedule this Sunday June 5th – 11:00 a.m. at The Mill.

Our current message series is THERE, a study of Ecclesiastes.  In week 3, we will discuss the concept of “you can’t get there alone.”  Join us for this simple but vital discussion.

No Service This Sunday!

Embrace Church will not come together this Sunday, May 29th. 

We will resume our normal schedule on June 5th.

We hope everyone has a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  We are taking this weekend off to celebrate all those who make Embrace Church happen each week, and to remember with gratitude those who have served our country and provided us with a nation of religious freedom.

Where Is There?

Everyone has a “there.” 

“There” is a mythical, mystical place in our heads where everything in our lives is as it should be; everything is in place; all components are lined up according to our plans and desires.

King Solomon led an extraordinary life of wealth, power, and success.  But when he came to end of his life, his first reflection was “everything is meaningless.”  This begs the question – is it possible to “get there” only to find out that “there” isn’t really “there” after all?

This is what we are reflecting on at Embrace Church from May 14th – June 12th as we study the book of Ecclesiastes.

Two other quick items of interest…

1)  Embrace Church group trip to the Chattanooga Lookouts game on Tuesday June 7th.  Use your Bi-Lo bonus card and get two general admission tickets for the price of one!

2)  Embrace Church will not meet for service on Sunday May 29th.  Enjoy a relaxing Memorial Day weekend!