Finances and Attendance

One of the questions that came from our CORE meeting last Sunday had to do with our Thematic Goal and our church's finances. For the next few months, PCC's staff and other leaders are working on positioning our church so that we are ready for an average Sunday to have 1,500 people attending at our two locations. This goal is not about getting 1,500 people, but rather is about being ready for them. That many people have already come, but we didn't have some of the things in place that we needed for them. Our children's area was very crowded when we opened our building and we don't have a full children's program at the Westchester Campus. We don't have a clear connection pathway to help assimilate people into the church. Our facility at the Powhatan Campus wasn't complete. We don't have a systemic leadership pipeline.

So, we're working on these things because we believe (and the data obviously shows) that these folks are coming, we just need to be ready for them.

One of the questions raised was about finances. When we get to 1,500 in average attendance, giving obviously increases. This is not the goal, but it is a byproduct and helps relax some of the burden we feel now to more fairly compensate our staff and pay down the debt on the building as well as fund ministries. I do not think that we'll have excess money or that we'll not feel some pressure financially. That's a reality for us. But I do think that it will ease up a little as attendance rises and giving goes up.

By the way, the 2011 budget looks much better than 2010 did...which isn't saying a whole lot, but we'll take any relief we can get!

You can see more about PCC's finances through our website or by clicking here.

Building Finish List

At the CORE gathering on Sunday, there was a lot of interest in our building and how we had prioritized what was left to be done. Here is a list of the priorities. There are many things that we would like to do that are not on this list, but this is the 'short list'.

• Complete Septic System.
• Additional 80 gravel parking spaces installed on-site.
• Student Trailer handicapped ramp, siding, foundating skirting and sidewalk so that we can get a CO on it and start using it.
• Sound and lighting systems completed.
• Repair lower parking lot.
• Landscaping.
• Cove Base (trim at the bottom of the sheetrock).
• Concrete Apron and handicapped sidewalk.
• Snow Diverters for roof.
• Wood trim finished in office suite.
• Welcome table finished/coffee table constructed to match.

As we discussed the other night, we also would benefit from paving the rest of the parking lot. It would add a lot to have a playground and a grand piano (yes, I'm serious).

The bottom line is that we have to work with the funds we have, and we have to pay our bills along the way. I know that everyone does not get excited about these details, but there seemed to be a lot of interest, so I hope this sparks some ideas. Thanks for being so faithful to PCC!

Ever wonder what is happening in PCC Kids? I just wanted to share some exciting things that have been happening with our kids and their families:

* In June, 7 children were baptized in the James River. 12 more gave their lives to Christ and were baptized in our September baptism - WOW!

* A dad started coming to church because his kids were so excited about being at PCC on Sundays. He said he just had to 'check it out' to see what was so great. AND, since then, his parents have started coming with them too!

* A seven year old went home after hearing a Bible story about peace and proclaimed July 25 as "Brother's Day" in his household (there are all boys in his family).

* A preschooler visited PCC one Sunday, then woke up on Monday and asked his grandma if he could come back to church that day!

* When asked what the Bible verse of the month was, little 5 yr old Sam repeated the verse from this month, then proceeded to state LAST MONTH's verse word for word with the correct reference!

* A four year old went home one Sunday and started 'preaching' to his toys with his Bible in hand (even though he can't read it yet). He told them that God loves them and Jesus wants to be their friend! Could this be a future Brian in the making?!

God is doing some AMAZING things and more are yet to come! And we know that more children will be coming too. We know that by the fact that we have had 5-10 new children each week throughout the summer.

We would love to have you be a part of our growing team (either in Powhatan or at Westchester) and I'm asking you to pray about that opportunity. You can be a part of impacting these kids lives and making a difference in bringing them closer to Christ!

Thanks for praying about it! If you'd like more information, you can contact Susan at susan@pccwired.net or call the office, 598-1174.

Why Study a Book?

Someone recently asked the question, "Why are we studying a book?" They went on to say that they felt we should not study a book, but should only look at the Bible. In the most respectful of ways, I want to address that question here.

First, I'm glad that folks are hawkish about ensuring that PCC remain founded on the Bible. I believe the Bible is God's special revelation to us and is our authority on matters of faith and the practice of faith. There is nothing wrong with someone wanting to be sure we have not moved away from the Bible.

Secondly, from its earliest beginnings, the church has relied on leaders and scholars to help interpret the Bible. I have on my shelf today classics from Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a' Kempis, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Augustine, Irenaeus, and other early church leaders and thinkers. They help us put the Bible in a context closer to the original writings and see how God used scriptures in a different era.

Third, more contemporary thinkers help us apply the truths of Scripture to our setting today. We've applauded Rick Warren's interpretation of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life", which we studied in the fall of 2004. We championed John Ortberg's deeply introspective work, "God is Closer Than You Think" in the fall of 2007. And we worked really hard to understand what the Bible says about doing life together as we worked through "40 Days of Community" in the fall of 2006.

Every one of these books was a deep teaching on the Bible.

Wild Goose Chase is no exception. It is a study on the Holy Spirit, rooted firmly in scripture, which is throughout the book. This book is a study on what the Bible says about how to more fully live under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Nobody objects when a couple buys a book to help them better understand what the Bible says about marriage (like Eggerichs' "Love and Respect" - a very good study on Ephesians 5). We applaud parents who read Biblically based books about how to raise their kids. We run to get books that help us live closer to the Bible's intent as better men, women, teens, employees, etc.

In the same way, that is what we do every fall. It's a fresh way to look at the Bible...but we are still looking at the Bible. I've never spoken a message that was not firmly grounded in scripture, referred to scripture and taught scripture. Never. And that is still the case in this series.

We're helping people in this series. They'll follow the Holy Spirit more closely and better understand God's will AND they will know the Bible better than ever. We'll never go wrong like that!

Hope this clears up some of the confusion.

Brian

Reflections on Sunday

Sunday was a fantastic day! We kicked off the Wild Goose Chase series AND we gathered again in the evening. Here are some highlights, from my perspective:

• The stage was AWESOME! It's the best the big room has looked since we moved into the building. Debbie and others exerted TONS of energy and SCORES of hours putting all of that together, and it really paid off. Way to go!
• The bands at both of our campuses really ROCKED!
• Ron and Don were BACK!
• We've sold like 250 books! (I'll do a post about Wild Goose Chase this week and why we are doing a book study).
• The worship at our CORE meeting was fantastic, as was the Q & A.
• Lindsay Harris did a GREAT job on the presentation of the Thematic Goal. Just when we think we've discovered all of her gifts...(and she can sing a little, too)

There is so much more that I could say, but I'm going to try to do a series of posts to answer some questions that are floating around, so keep your eye on this blog.

Great things are happening at PCC!

Reading Schedule for Wild Goose Chase

I am sorry that I did not publish before now a reading schedule for Wild Goose Chase. People have bought hundreds of books, which is a humbling thought. There are obviously a lot of people who are going to follow along while we Chase the Goose. I should have made the reading guide clearer.

Here's how it will go:

We will do the 6 cages in order, beginning this coming Sunday (October 3). So, since most small groups are meeting this week, I would read the introduction chapters this week and have a 'get to know you' small group this week.

By next week's small group night, read about the first cage, and so forth. In this way, I'll 'introduce' the cage on Sundays while you are reading about it and then we'll all discuss the cage with the full information and having thought about it at our small groups.

I think we will get a maximum benefit of the Bible's teachings and God's interaction with us in this way.

Enjoy the Chase!

I hate being sick!

I could feel it coming on yesterday...a sore throat and the 'crud' that others in my family had been getting over. When I got up this morning, it was the full blown CRUD! I keep telling Susan that I'm sicker than she was :-) Makes me feel better.

The worst thing about this (I think it's strep) is that it just sucks the energy out of you. I worked about 1/2 a day, but mostly just laid here (I'm writing this from my bed), thinking of all the things I needed to do. I'd stand up, feel dizzy, lay back down and try again later. The Dr. said my throat looked...well...let me just summarize and say 'bad'. Got some heavy antibiotics and hope to feel better tomorrow.

I was scheduled to speak at a gathering of local leaders and absolutely hated to cancel. It was just speaking at a breakout session, and there were lots to choose from, but I take these things very seriously and felt horrible about it. Still, I wasn't sure I had the energy to walk to the car, much less stand for 2 hours.

Susan is taking good care of me, though I secretly wonder if she thinks I'm a big baby.

If only she really knew...I'm a LOT sicker than she was. :-)