Your Input Matters!!

There’s nothing more important to our church than your spiritual growth. Whether you’re just starting to explore the Christian faith, or you’re a long-time Christ-follower, we want to do everything we can to help you on your spiritual journey.

That’s why we need your help!

Beginning January 14th we’re asking you to follow the “REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey” link from the website, http://www.powhatancommunitychurch.org/ to take the REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey, which asks questions about your spiritual life and the role PCC plays in it. This survey is a unique research effort that involves hundreds of churches around the country.
Since the survey touches on a wide range of thought-provoking issues, you should anticipate needing 20 minutes to complete it. Let me assure you:

• This survey is completely anonymous. An expert third-party research organization will aggregate your input with responses from thousands of other people, so your survey will not be viewed individually.
• You will not be solicited for any products or services as a result of taking this survey.
• Your email address will not be distributed to another party.

We’ll close the survey on January 21st and begin crunching and interpreting the information.
Thanks in advance for your time and contribution to this very important work.

Chauncey Starkey

Church Administrator

Thoughts on heading into the new year...

December has been a whirlwind for me...perhaps for you, too. It's usually not until this week - the week after Christmas - that I get any real chance to reflect and process. Here are a few random thoughts...

REACH The Reach Campaign was both exciting and challenging. It's also not over. We'll be in it for 3 years. What I mean by that is this: REACH was a 3 year campaign where people made financial commitments over that 3 year period. We continue to get commitments in - just this week we've received well over $100,000 in commitments, and our total now exceeds $850,000. We're well on our way to our goal of raising $1.5 million over the next 36 months. Please, please consider making a commitment. Every commitment matters and helps us toward our goal.

Our Mission In case you don't know: The Mission of Powhatan Community Church is to reach those who've been untouched or unaffected by traditional churches and guide them to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This mission guides everything we do. When people email or call or talk to me face to face and say, "I don't like this" or "I prefer that", I usually help get us to a productive conversation about why we exist. I don't do church the way I like it. I don't do it the way you like it. What I'm interested in is this: what is effective at reaching people who are far from God and outside of other churches? How can we effectively help them understand that God loves them and wants a relationship with them? How can we prepare a fertile ground where they are most likely to encounter God's purpose for their lives, which will ultimately lead them to be full of joy and peace? Sometimes this requries us to do things that are unorthodox. Sometimes it may not seem comfortable or even worshipful. But what we do works. Members of PCC have signed up for this mission and are commited to it...and we couldn't accomplish it without every one of them. This past year, we baptized over 40 people and many more are finding their way into church when they had previously given up on church. This is what we're about.

2008. Next year will be a challenging year for us...but an exciting one. A year from now, we'll be nearing completion on our first building and planning to move in. We have a lot of work to do if we are to be prepared for the growth that this move will bring. We have to carefully balance and manage our time, our energy, and our finances. This is a great time to get involved at PCC! Our first series of the year is called Under Pressure and is a great time for you to invite your unchurched friends and neighbors!

PCC has had our share of challenges, but all in all it's been a great journey. If you are not a part of our church, not in a small group, not serving in an area that you really enjoy and about which you are passionate, we would love to help you! Give our office a call or email me and we'll get moving in the right direction!

See you Sunday - Brian

Extreme Home Makeover comes to our area!

PCC has a really unique opportunity. Extreme Makeover Home Edition, ABC’s show that rebuilds or constructs a home for a family in need in just 1 week from start to finish, has selected a family in Rice Virginia. Construction is underway around the clock at this moment. Tim Dickson, Bobby Shortridge and others from our church are involved. Next Monday, December 10, is the ‘Move That Bus’ day. They need volunteers. If you would like to help or can be there on December 10, please go to www.kenbroadwaterhomes.com and click on the link and then the link for volunteering.

Reach Campaign is Still Going

This past Sunday was a great day, and many people were ready to make a commitment to the Reach Campain to help make our building a reality. But there are still many folks who needed more time or simply weren't at church that day. We are hoping to get as many of the commitments as possible by December 31. If you have not yet made a commitment, I hope you will consider it. I'm available to meet or talk with you or anyone who might have questions about this. When you are ready, you can put your commitment into the offering basket or box or mail it to us.

Thanks to everyone who participated last Sunday. Your sacrifice is humbling and I'm honored to be a part of this church with you.

Brian

Thoughts on the Ground Breaking by Brian Hughes

I wish that our whole church could have been at the Ground Breaking last Sunday, November 11, 2007. It was a day I will never forget. Several hundred people came - people from our church, people who used to come to our church, people from our community, people from our families. We worshipped together, we thanked the many people who have made it possible for us to get to this place, we ate well.

But the most inspiring moment for me was the moment when we prayed that God would reach hundreds of people that we personally know and we trusted Him to change their lives. We symbollized this by placing flags in the ground - on the very ground that we believed God would meet them. On those flags were written hundreds of names. It was incredibly moving.

I sometimes get the feeling that some folks wonder if I really believe that we will reach 12,000 people who don't go to church. I do. I really believe it. Our building will make us more effective and allow us to reach our fullest potential. We'll do it together as we proclaim with One voice that every life matters, every person is important, and everyone is welcome. And we will reach the multitude, One Life at a Time.

Reach: One Life at a Time

We are now in full swing of the Reach Campaign. During this past week and continuing for the next 3 weeks, I am meeting with groups of people in a variety of venues: my home, other homes where small groups are meeting, the Powhatan Library, after church in the commons, and at the Methodist Church. The goal of this phase is to get in front of every person in the church so that they can have all of the information about our building and how we believe God is leading our church. If you are in a small group, your SG leader has the schedule of when we are hoping to get together. Give them a call if you haven't heard from them. If you are not in a small group, or if you are unable to make your scheduled night, there are several other opportunities. Please give our office a call at 598-1174 or email me at brian at powhatancommunitychurch dot org.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share with you in this exiting moment!

Brian

The effectiveness of our Sunday Services

You probably don't know this, but every Tuesday morning, Beth and I and a small group of other folks who are involved in the planning and execution of Sunday morning services all gather - at the bright and early time of 7 am - to accomplish 2 important tasks. First, we evaluate. We look back at last week and ask 4 questions: What should we celebrate; What touched people; What could we do better; and How did people leave differently from when they came in. We evaluate so that we can learn. We can repeat the things that worked and eliminate the things that didn't. When we do this, we have our mission in mind and our benchmark is about changed lives, creativity, excellence, relevance, helping people encounter God, giving them a chance to worship, and providing Biblical learning opportunities that are able to be grasped by a wide range of listeners. The second thing we do is look to the coming Sunday and the planning that is needed for that.

There is so much work that goes into making a meaningful hour on Sunday morning. Literally scores of hours are spent every week on this service. But we think it's worth every second. Why?

Well, certainly some services are more meaningful than others, depending on where you are in life and the topic we're discussing and the song selections, etc. But after a day like today, it's hard to deny that we're having an impact on people. These were some of my notes about today's service:

What should we celebrate:

• A dozen people were willing to get up on stage in front of everyone and give the testimony that they wrote with their own words.
• The lighting was fantastic
• Jeff did a really great job on the drums during the jazz song, as did Scott on the horn.
• Regina orchestrated and directed really well – great choreography with the testimonies.
• Paul did a good job vocally with ‘Here with Me’
  

What really touched people:

• I feel change – Beth did an outstanding job on this – it was powerful and people could ‘feel change comin’ Really set up the testimonies well. You were passionate and, vocally, I have never heard you sing better. Way to go!
• Andy H. was such a potent presence on stage – he’s contagious and influences other band members.
• Obviously the testimonies were a home run – people were really touched and emotionally engaged. It was one of the most powerful services we’ve done, in my opinion.
  

The reason I share this with you today is to give you a taste of the kind of things we do to make our Sunday morning experience everything that God intends for it to be - to give it our best effort. If you have a chance on a Sunday morning to thank the lighting folks, the sound gurus, the band members, the ushers or greeters or resource table folks, the hospitality people or security people - whoever it is that's serving - take a minute and thank them. It takes an army of dedicated volunteers to make Sundays happen. And, if you are, just by chance, waiting for someone to ask you to help, consider this your 'ask'. I'm asking you to get on board and help. We need you. God can use you in powerful ways.

See you at the Ground Breaking next Sunday.

Brian

He WILL Be Found!

God makes a bold statement in the book of Jeremiah: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you." (Jeremiah 29.13)

A simple willingness to look for God whole-heartedly is a basic first step that promises to bring results. So, what do you think? How has your perspective changed? Where do you see God in a way that is new to you? Has your faith been refreshed or renewed?

As this series draws to a close, we are hearing more and more reports of changes big and small in the lives of people who have been investigating God's presence in their world. Folks who have never been in a small group have learned what it really means to "do life together". Others have been challenged to step out in faith and surrender more of their daily lives to God. Some have been encouraged to dig into the painful parts of their past and begin to allow God to bring healing into their past.

How about you? How has God revealed Himself particuarly during God Is Closer Than You Think? We are looking for a few testimonies to share. Leave yours in the comments section or email me and share your story!

A season for all things...including building

In the famous scripture from Ecclesiastes, the Bible tells us that there is a season for all things:

• Eccles. 3:1-6 (NIV) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to harvest...a time to tear down and a time to build...a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them...a time to embrace and a time to refrain...a time to search and a time to give up...

For a long season in our church, we have deliberately focused away from emphasis on a facility of our own. Sure, we've been working on the plans, but we've not made the building the center of attention. There is a time for everything, though, and a season for every activity under heaven...even the construction of a building. This is our time to build, our time to gather stones, our time to harvest.

The season for the Israelites was, for a long time, a season with no Temple...no 'church building'. King David wanted to build, but God told him that the time was not right. The time eventually did come, though, and the Temple was constructed. But over time, it had been destroyed. People ignored it and only paid attention to their own houses and their own wealth. This is what God said to them through the prophet Haggai:

• Haggai 1:5-8 (NIV) Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord.

The season had come for the Israelites to turn their attention away from their own houses and to rebuilding of the church house. The time had come for them.

...and the time has come for us.

Today, the PCC family voted unanimously to build our first building. We have followed the commands of God to first put the needs of others above our own. We've given sacrificially to serve the church in Belize, the people in Mississippi, and those in need around us in Powhatan and Cumberland. We will continue to give time and money to these causes, but the season for us to focus some energy and resources on our building is upon us. The time has come.

I don't know if you can relate to the words that God spoke to Haggai, but I can. "you earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it." In other words, it goes out as fast as it comes in! And, "You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill." It seems that no matter how much I have, it's never enough. I never look around and say, "Wow. I just don't want one more thing!" There is always something else I'm convinced I need. But the reality is that I have all that I need already. God has blessed each of us with riches that exceed 99% of the population of the world. We live like royalty compared to most people on the planet. And, truth be told, we focus most of that wealth on...ourselves. Even those who tithe (Susan and I have been giving 10% of our income to the church for many years now) still focus the other 90% on ourselves.

But the time is upon us now...it's time to focus some of our resources on the building of our facility. This building will not house God because God cannot be limited to the confines of brick and mortar. Nor will it contain the church, because the church is the people, not the real estate. But what the building will do is allow us to Reach our fullest potential, one life at a time. There are 12,000 people around us who don't go to church anywhere. We can reach them. The building will give us greater flexibility and enhance our ability to reach people who are far from God and outside of other churches.

Now is the season for us to listen to God speak to each of us. He will call us to give sacrificially and boldly and courageously beyond our normal giving to make this building a reality. I hope you will commit this to prayer and respond to the voice of God in you.

The time has come. And what an exciting time it is!

Grateful to build with you,

Brian

PCC's Auction and other Fundraising thoughts

Part of my strategy for the building fund and payment always included $60-$80K in fundraising every year. Other experts, pastors, and practitioners have tried to discourage me from this, saying that it wasn’t worth the time and effort. I had recently started to lean in their direction, saying ‘maybe they’re right – after all, they know more than I do.’ But after last night's auction and the results this morning (we raised over $17K), I am convinced that we’re on target with this idea. Last night was a great event. We learned some things we could do differently next time, but that doesn’t mean it was anything less than a HUGE success.

Two kinds of people donated items: 1) Those outside of the church and 2) those inside the church. The former are unlikely to give a check to the building fund. Luck Stone, Yardworks, Palmore’s Mill, and the County Seat aren’t going to be giving cash donations to PCC. However, the auction provided a forum through which they could collectively make a significant contribution.

The latter were able to give in a way that some of them would not otherwise. For example, Chauncey gave a day of his time, Winston Jones (J & W tree service) gave a day of his time, Wesley Redford gave some of his time, artists like Ramona Sontag and Connie Kottman donated their time through painting, people gave service like chiropractic care and consulting and on and on I could go. These kinds of donations brought significant monies. Many of these folks who love PCC and call our church 'home' will also give money to the PCC building fund. But for some, donating services like this is the only way they can make significant contributions.

If you do the math I did 18 months ago, it's quite conceivable that we could actually do $60-$80K in fundraising each year (in 3-5 years) between the golf tournament, auction, concert and Food Lion cards and Yard Sale. It’s all about turning the flywheel (from Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, which is an excellent book and worth reading). It will take a few spins, but each time, it will get better and easier. We could fill the golf tournament up and make that a $10K event within a year or two. And the Auction could bring $25K even as early next year. And the concert could be a $10K event next year, too. And if we do all of these well, there is a much higher threshold to reach for. I have a friend at a church in Mechanicsville who raises $50K on his golf tournament alone…but it took several years of turning the flywheel to get it there. We can do this. And it will make a significant difference.

True, we can only do so much. But if we're careful and thoughtful and direct our energies into highly potent events, we can do this well.

Thanks especially to Kim Wooten and Robert Bishop and their incredible team who made yesterday such a huge success.

Brian

A 'God Is Closer' Soundtrack

Between the influence of John Ortberg's book, the messages on Sunday and the discussion in our small group, I have been really blown away by the way God is showing me that He is, indeed, closer than I think! Apparently I'm not the only one; I've heard story after story of subtle changes, major paradigm shifts and stunning revelations from folks who are listening more closely than ever before for the voice of God.

In preparing for this series of Sunday messages, I gathered a great deal of music that we thought might be pertinent to communicate the biblical concepts and emotional issues found in God Is Closer Than You Think. Though we won't be using all of these for Sunday services (unless we start having two-hour services!), they still make a great soundtrack for my life right now. I play these songs in the morning as our family gathers for breakfast; it seems like a great way to start my kids off in the right direction as they navigate the challenges of their school day.

Philippians 4.4-9 states:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I created a playlist in iTunes for God Is Closer Than You Think, and I've uploaded the mix directly to the iTunes store. You can access the mix directly by clicking here. You can also go to iTunes and search for 'God Is Closer Than You Think' under the iMix category. If you already have an iTunes account, it's easy to check out the songs listed. You can purchase one or two tracks at a time, or even buy the entire list of songs from iTunes and download them directly onto your computer.*

'Lift a finger' - and sing along! You'll be blessed!

beth

*Need help? Feel free to contact me - I'll be glad to give more detailed instructions if you're new at this...

A Ripe Harvest in Amelia!

Yesterday, I spoke at an informational meeting in Amelia about Amelia Community Church. We published a couple of advertisements in the Amelia paper and I was pleased with the folks who came. There were some influential pastors in the room - including pastors from Amelia churches, the pastor from Ironbridge Baptist, and the pastors from New Journey and Swift Creek Community churches.

When I spoke, I told the story of PCC and the unchurched folks we're after. Then I talked about 8,000 people who live in Amelia who don't go to church anywhere - fully 60.5% of the people in the county! The harvest is ripe, Jesus said, and that certainly describes Amelia.

When the meeting was over, people signed up to be a part of the launch team, and, I believe, Amelia Community Church was born.

It is a real blessing for us to be able to be a part of this work through financial support, leadership coaching, and by lending them a hand in getting started. We are becoming a church planting church, which is what I believe God wanted for us all along. Keep praying for Amelia - the Harvest is Ripe!

Brian

Update on the Building

There are a few critical meetings today and tomorrow. Today, Chauncey Starkey (PCC's Church Administrator), Mel Brannan (the team leader for the Building Team), Lee Howard (our Builder) and I will meet to discuss the final proposal on the building, including costs. Then, at 7pm tonight, Lee will make his presentation to the entier Building Team. Tomorrow night, the Steering Team, Staff, Trustees and Finance Team will get the details on that proposal along with the details on the proposed financing, building fundraising campaign and 2008 budget.

We are in a tremendously exciting time! But this is one of those moments when we also are moving by faith and not by sight. We've done this before. And I believe that when we responsibly listen to and respond to the Spirit of God, He is always faithful. Always.

So, please be in prayer about these meetings - that we would really hear from God and respond.

I will be making another post later this week to give you more information as I have it.

Thanks for your faithfulness in praying for PCC.
Brian

Giving Up Control

Yesterday's message was about being with God throughout your day - in all the things we do and in all the roles we fill. And I made this comment based on our discussion of Luke 9:57-62 that Jesus desires our entire being...that you can't compartmentalizing your life with Him or live in the past and in the present or pick and choose the parts of Christ you want and don't want.

Well, I have been studying Paul's letter to the church in Rome for the past few months, and this morning I was reading Romans 8. The verse that struck me was Romans 8:9, "You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." Wow! If the Spirit of God lives in me, then He controls me. I give Him control. I cannot ask the Spirit of God to live in me and then only give Him partial control. That's not how it works.

May I renew my vow to fully surrender to God every part of who I am, every role I play, every moment of my life. May that be your prayer today, too.

Brian

Share Your Story

The message today emphasized the importance of seeing God in your present circumstances - in the moment. We talked about John Ortberg's concept of 'Reviewing the Dailies' and how we can train ourselves to see God if we will take the time to consider how we encountered Him each day. A sense of your own history helps develop an awareness that God truly is closer than you think.

So - what's your story? What's happened in your life recently that's allowed you to see God's impact on your days? Was there a time when your experience showed you that God was really closer than you thought? We want to know your story! Click on the 'comment' button below and tell us about it!

Amelia Community Church

From our very first day, we have been committed to becoming a church planting church. We have felt that the model of the early church was to multiply communities and churches around the region and around the world. That has a nice sound to it, but what has God uniquely equipped us to do that perhaps would allow us to make a specific and tangible contribution to the church planting world? Well, it turns out that we have developed some specific skill in a particular type of church planting. I'm referring to planting a church:

1) In the South
2) In a semi-rural area
3) In a growing community that is changing from rural to suburban
4) Where there is no other church that is specifically designed to reach people who don't go to church.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we know everything there is to know or that we are the best or better than anyone else. But we have learned a thing or two about how to do this (and what not to do). So, instead of just sending money resources, we are partnering with other churches in Chesterfield and Amelia to plant Amelia Community Church - a unique church plant in Amelia with the very specific mission of reaching unchurched people in that community. PCC is the primary sponsor church, and we will provide leadership and oversight to the project and to the church planter until they get going. We have also allocated part of our missions budget to this church (PCC tithes our budget each year).

There is a community meeting on October 7 in Amelia and we have a couple of ads being run in the Amelia paper inviting interested folks to come. I'll be doing a presentation there and trying to get some excitement generated for it, but frankly there is already a good buzz happening.

It's very exciting that we could be a major part of this venture. If you would like to be involved, please call our office and let Lori Wheeler know.

Thanks for praying for what God is doing in Amelia!
Brian

Recommended Listening

I listen to music a lot. One of my primary means of expressing myself to God in worship is through music. At PCC, we strive to provide a variety of opportunities and styles for people to experience God on Sundays, and so I try to stay aware of as many different artists and songs as possible.

Often, folks will stop me in the hallway or email me and ask about a particular song or artist; sometimes, folks are just looking for some good music to listen to that might encourage them in their faith. There's a lot of good stuff out there - a lot of mediocre music as well, but if you look carefully you will find music that stands up not only musically and creatively, but also theologically.

Music really matters; for decades now, we have seen generation after generation adopt certain songs or bands as cultural icons. The words shape our thoughts and expressions - the sounds provide the soundtrack for our lives.

What's the soundtrack for your life as a believer? Are there certain songs that really resonate with your particular struggles, or celebrate your sense of gratitude or joy? Do you have all the resources you would like to include relevant, excellent music as part of your faith journey?

There's a new sidebar to the right, along with Brian's 'recommended reading' list. It's a link from a web service called Pandora that lists some of the songs I have bookmarked as being particular relevant to PCC. Some will be familiar to you; others might be new. All of the songs and artists mentioned can get you started in a new direction if you are looking for some fresh music to inspire you and keep you God-focused throughout the day. Click on any song and you'll get a chance to hear a sample or even purchase the song or album. Explore the 'create station' button to create your own personalized radio station that can provide a day-long worship experience for you, no matter where you are!

Enjoy!

And while you're at it, leave us a comment and tell us what your favorite worship song is - and why...

beth

Recommended Reading

I read a lot. In fact, part of doing a good job for me means that I have to read. And I can't just read books that I particularly enjoy or ones that I agree with or authors I like. I have to read various points of view, a variety of styles and genres. This helps me to see the world as it really is and not get boxed into one way of looking at things. I often encounter God in surprising places!

The good news for me is that I enjoy reading. I didn't used to, but I very much enjoy reading now. So I've added an element to this blog so that you can see what I've been reading in the past few months. It's on the right side and it's a link from my Shelfari book list. Check it out. If you read something that is on my list, let me know what you thought of it.

Hope you enjoy some new and different reading!
Brian

Today, 18 people went public with their faith in Jesus Christ through believer's baptism. It was an incredible day on a serene part of the James River in historic Cartersville.

Of all the things I enjoy doing, Baptisms are what I enjoy most. When a person is baptized, it is a witness not only to God's work in their life, but also in the life our our church. Many times, we all work so hard, volunteer so many hours, sacrifice so much, that we can sometimes ask, 'is it worth it?' And days like today remind us of the answer: Yes! It is absolutely worth it.

This year, 50 people have given evidence of an inward change through this outward sign. And since our church began, a total of 203 people have been baptized. Every life that is changed is important, and when folks are willing to display their faith this way, it is a strong indication that they are going to be serious about their spiritual lives in the future. We are privileged to be a part of such an awesome thing that God is doing - and it's worth every investment we make!

So, on behalf of every person who's lives are better because of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, let me say thank you. You work hard. And your work makes a difference! What a great day today was...it just doesn't get any better than this! See you Sunday - Brian

Next Baptism September 23

Believer's Baptism is one of the most important steps in the life of a Christ follower. I strongly believe that the Bible teaches this as a practice that we should continue. You can find the teaching of this in several places, including:

• At the end of Peter's message in Acts 2, he calls those who have made a commitment to Christ to be baptized.


• The Ethiopian Eunich in Acts 8


• Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9


• Cornelius in Acts 10


• Jesus' own baptism


• Jesus' teaching in Matthew 28:18-20


• Paul's teaching about baptism in Romans and other letters.

So if you have made a decision to follow Christ and have never been baptized as a believer, you should strongly consider doing so. Baptism doesn't 'save' you, but it is a strong public prounouncement that all believers are called to make.

If you would like to be baptized, our next baptism is on Sunday, 9/23 at 3pm. Give Kevin Salyer a call at Kevin at powhatancommunitychurch dot org.

Upcoming Series

We are really excited about our new series - GOD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. I really believe that this series will help every person in our church - regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey. I have read the book and found it to be both insightfully personal and entertaining. Be sure to get your book at the resource table this week! If you haven't joined a small group - now is a great time to do that. You can attend Small Group Connect - right after either service on 9/16 or 9/23 or you can email Sammy Frame at Sammy at Powhatancommunitychurch dot org.

Paying for our building

I mentioned in my letter that we were forming a team to organize the most effective strategy for raising money to build our building, while keeping 'guilt and pressure' off the table. If you are interested in serving there, please let me know. There are several ways that you could help and we need to get started right away. There will be a meeting of folks at my house on Wednesday, September 12. If you are interested in coming and being a part of this team, please let me know.

Thanks,

Brian

Welcome to the PCC Blog!

By now, you probably have received a long letter from me. I know I can be long winded, but there was much to say. I'm hoping that this blog will be one more tool that we can utilize to ensure that you stay better informed on a more regular basis.

One thing that you will want to know is that we may not respond to every single comment posted by folks to this blog, though we absolutely read them all. If you have a question that you want an answer to, an email will ensure a response. But feel free to comment on this blog and to ask questions, too.

Someone on our staff or in leadership at our church will post to this blog at least once per week. We may post more often than that, depending on what is going on and what needs to be shared. We will do this as an experiment through the end of the year and if it's beneficial to enough folks, we'll keep it going.

Looking forward to talking...
Brian