ePulse Second Presbyterian Church

Kick off the 2009 education year in style at 2PC’s Rally Day! Children can find their Sunday school classrooms and meet their new teachers on Sunday, August 23. An adult Christian education open house will also meet in Fellowship Hall. Adults can learn more about classes, meet the teachers and class materials will be available for purchase. Only one service will be held at 10am that Sunday, and activities will begin at 11am.

•Adult Christian Education Classes Being Offered this Fall:
That the World May Know: led by David Anderson
dot.com: led by Jason and Tara Kowalcyzk
Christians in Action (CIA): led by Joe and Cathy Teague
The Choir Class: led by Paula Pratt
The Serendipity Class, led by Mark Brown
The Missional Church: led by Laurie Sprague
The Parables of Jesus: led by Dr. David Webb

Visit www.secondpres.info for class descriptions.

Youth Class Being Offered this Fall:
Junior high and high school students are invited to be part of Dave Ramsey’s Generation Change Study. This is a bible study and financial management course for teenagers. Come check out a class preview on Rally Day in Grace Hall at 11am. The course will begin the following week (Aug. 30) and run for 8 weeks. More information can be found at:
http://www.daveramsey.com/hope/generationchange/

New Children’s Sunday School Curriculum
A new Sunday school curriculum has been selected for children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade for fall 2009. The curriculum, “Buzz,” by Group publishing, was selected after a six-month review process and features a game-like structure with a take-home element for families. Come learn more on Rally Day or pick up a copy of this quarter’s Second Press (available in the kiosks or on 2PC’s website) to learn more about the new curriculum.

Results of the Natural Church Development Survey

At July’s session meeting, the elders and pastoral staff got to hear the results of the Natural Church Development survey, which 2PC has administered in 2004, 2006 and 2009. This survey is for thirty leaders (this included the elders and some program staff) and is a series of questions about the ministries and life of the church.

These questions are grouped into eight categories: empowering leadership, gift-based ministry, passionate spirituality, effective structures, inspiring worship services, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism and loving relationships. 2PC’s responses were compared against the thousands of other churches that have also taken the questionnaire. An average score for each category would be a 50, indicating that those surveyed believe that the church’s ministries in each of these areas was roughly equivalent to all of the other church’s ministries. Areas which are particularly excellent would receive a score higher than 50, and areas which struggle would score lower than 50.

The results were really encouraging; 2PC’s average score was a 61, which is much higher than average. Even better, three of the eight areas of ministry (gift-based ministry, effective structures, and loving relationships) scored higher than a 65, which the survey consultant told the session was “off the charts.” Three years ago, which by all accounts was a difficult time in the life of the church, 2PC’s average score was only 45, and none of the results were higher than 65. Since then, one area (empowering leadership) has jumped up by 30 points, and both loving relationships and effective structures have increased by 25 points. In 2004, 2PC’s average was 55, and none of the results were higher than 65.

The two lowest areas this year were need-oriented evangelism (scoring a 45) and inspiring worship services (scoring a 48.) While both of these are just slightly below average, they stick out because all of the other scores were so far above average. The session will continue to wrestle with how worship can be even more meaningful, and how the church can reach out more effectively reach out to others in the months to come.

Of course, this is just one survey, but the session and pastoral staff agree that the results seem like a good gauge of the church’s health. We are all grateful for the ways that you serve Christ through your ministries at the church, which of course are the foundation for a healthy congregation. It is my prayer that 2PC will continue to thrive as we live out our calling of be blessed to be a blessing!

I am grateful to be your pastor,

Dr. Charles B. Hardwick

Goodbye from Eric Peltz

My friends in Christ, I can do nothing more but to fall on my knees in awe of our awesome God that brought me here this summer.  You have been blessed, certainly, but you have been a blessing to me in more ways than are measurable.  I will praise God always for your contributions to the kingdom, and I will never forget how you poured your hearts into me like a pleasing offering unto the Lord.  May the God of joy fill you with all strength and hope as you seek to be a missional church! Thank you for making my stay here so meaningful!

Picture Directory Photography Session (August 19-22)

Photographers will be at 2PC from August 19-22 taking photos for the new picture directory, so please check your calendars to see if you have signed up for an August appointment. Pictures are being take in Martin Hall, rooms 102-104, on Wednesday through Friday (3-9:30pm) and on Saturday (9am-4pm). Please call Olan Mills at 1.800.845.1157 if you have forgotten your appointment time or would like to set up an appointment time. Photographers will return to take the last round of pictures September 16-19.

Annual 2PC Fellowship Open (8/16)
You could be the lucky winner of a new set of golf clubs at 2PC’s fellowship open! Held at Highland Park, this tournament offers prizes for skill, and prizes for lack of skill. Tee time is at 12pm on Sunday, August 16. The entry fee for this event is $40 and includes green fees, riding cart and appetizers at Schooners following the tournament. Please contact Dave Pendell at 663.2257 with questions.

2PC Blood Drive (9/16)
The need is constant and the gratification is instant. 2PC needs as many donors as possible for a blood drive on September 16 from 2-7pm. Call Barb McGaughan at 830.3434 to set up an appointment time.