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

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.

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.

Substitutes and Fourth/Fifth Grade Teachers Needed (ASAP)
It’s easy to live out the blessed to be a blessing life! Sign up to be a Sunday School teacher this fall. There are slots open in fourth grade, fifth grade and as a substitute in all ages. Please contact Andrea ASAP (andrea.kladder@secondpres.info)!

New Orleans Mission Trip (Info Meeting on 8/30)
Second Pres will send another team of volunteers to rebuild homes and lives shattered by Hurricane Katrina on November 7 – 14. You can join them in assisting some of the 25,000 people who still remain outside their homes. We will be working with Project Homecoming to do various construction tasks, and whatever your skill level, there is a job for you! If you are interested in going, please plan on attending an informational meeting on Sunday, August 30 at noon in F201. Please contact Rhonda Furst at r_furst@hotmail.com or (309) 827-6816 with questions.

Ladies Night Out: An Evening with Shauna Niequist (9/9)
Women of Second Pres! On the night of September 9, you’re invited to come enjoy food, fellowship, worship and a presentation from Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines. While Shauna may originally have been best known as the daughter of Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Church, she is now an up-and-coming author (check out her blog at www.shaunaniequist.com. Come hear her thoughts on life, faith, food, family and friends. More information and tickets are available near the Welcome Center.

Postcards of Bloomington Normal (9/11)
Join JOY (Just Older Youth) Fellowship for a presentation by Mike Schulz on The Postcards of Bloomington-Normal. Punch and fellowship will be held at 10:30am and the presentation will be held at 11am. If you are interested in staying for Friday Prayer Lunch at 12pm ($5) please contact Kim at 828.6297.

Preschool Registration
The Second Presbyterian Church Preschool still has a few openings for the fall! We have space in our toddler and two-year-old classes. Please contact Marijane Galvan at 828.6287 or marijane@secondpres.info for more information.

Hospitality Volunteers

The Hospitality Ministry is looking for volunteers (ushers, greeters, kitchen helpers, welcome center attendant and those who could provide transportation to Sunday services) for the fall. Sign up sheets will be available near the Welcome Center on August 23 and 30. Please email andrew.metivier.h7vk@statefarm.com for more information.

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

•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.

Rally Day is Two Weeks Away!

Second Pres is having a family reunion on Sunday, August 23, but it’s not one filled with funny lawn games or having to listen to crazy Uncle Bill telling one of his stories again. Instead, it’s the whole 2PC family coming together to start the program year off with lots of excitement and enthusiasm!

Throughout the summer, we’ve been looking at the times in the bible when Jesus tells people to either “come” or “go,” as we ourselves have been coming and going and enjoying all kinds of summer activities. However, with all this coming and going, it’s easy to lose track of people you’re used to seeing at church, and to get disconnected from the life and ministry of 2PC. Therefore, reconnecting is what Rally Day is all about.

Here are some of the things planned for Rally Day:
•One blended worship service at 10:00am. (Yes, that means there are no 8:15, 9:00, or 11:00 services.) The Chapel and Chancel choirs plus the Contemporary Worship band will all join in offering music that day.
•Open house for Kids’ Sunday School in Martin Hall at 11:15am. Students can find their rooms, meet their teachers and make their name tags.
•Preview of Adult Christian Education offerings throughout the Fellowship Hall.
•Display of archived pictures and artifacts
•Brunch after the worship service (tickets $5 available at the door)
•Youth reconnect in Grace Hall. This includes a preview session for the 8-week Dave Ramsay Generational Change Study. This class focuses on financial management from a Christian perspective.

Many of the ministry programs are starting back up soon after Rally Day, so this day will be a great opportunity to see what each of the program areas are up to in the fall. It’s my hope that you’ll not only learn about what each ministry areas is up to, but that you’ll be spurred to get more involved in what’s going on.

This is a great opportunity to invite both friends from Second Pres you haven’t seen in a while, and friends you may have wanted to invite but haven’t yet. In other words, not just Second Presbyterian’s family is invited to the reunion. It’s going to be a great day of reconnecting with friends new and old and a celebration of God’s faithfulness to Second Pres. Let’s get together. Let’s celebrate all that God has done. Let’s celebrate all that God will do.

With Anticipation,

Dr. Charles B. Hardwick

P.S. I’m in Atlanta celebrating a wedding this weekend and will return to the office on Tuesday morning.

By now you may have met or heard the beautiful organ playing of Dr. Judy Webb, 2PC’s new Director of Worship and Organist. Now, we are equally excited to introduce Dr. David Webb, Judy’s husband. David is a family physician at the Carle Clinic in Mahomet, Illinois, and is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Medicine.

As impressive as those credentials are, David is also a gifted and dynamic teacher of God’s word. He has taught Bible classes for over 34 years, taught more than 20 different books of the Bible and taught classes for tour groups in Israel. He is also an author, having written, Wisdom of Life, a book based on proverbs that he wrote for his daughter.

This fall, David will begin teaching a class entitled, The Parables of Jesus. Join David for discussion about the stories that some have called the “autobiography of God.” For more information on this and other classes, please visit www.secondpres.info to download this fall’s Adult Christian Education’s brochure.