Good News!!!

Dear Friends In Christ,

This past week has been filled with excitement which leads me to update you on a couple of things! 

 

On Tuesday I met with the United Church of Christ New Orleans Association Committee on Church and Ministry which concluded that I have now met all requirements for ministerial standing.  This certainly comes just in time as we continue to move forward with Worship Village, the first ever midweek service for Good Shepherd United Church of Christ.

On Thursday, October 7, 2010, at 6:35 PM, Good Shepherd’s Worship Village will hold its first service.  The service is intended to be casual, comfortable, contemporary and Christ-centered.  Each week, the service will begin at 6:35 PM with worship music, followed by Holy Scripture and a brief, real world, Christian message.  The service will conclude each week by celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

On Sunday, October 17, 2010, at 4:00 PM, Good Shepherd will join with the New Orleans Association of the United Church of Christ to host an Installation Service acknowledging my ministerial standing as a Licensed Minister and Associate Pastor of Worship.

Good Shepherd United Church of Christ is located at 5122 West Esplanade in Metairie, LA and is on the web at www.gsucc.com.  Please make plans to join us!  Meanwhile,  you can also follow Worship Village at www.WorshipVillage.com, www.myspace.com/worshipvillage, www.twitter.com/worshipvillage and www.facebook.com/worshipvillage.

Blessings!

+RG

Worship Village: Coming Soon!

On August 8, 2010, the Church Council of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ granted approval to move forward with a midweek service to begin in Fall 2010.  The service, to be known as Worship Village, will be a casual, comfortable, contemporary, Christ-centered worship experience on Thursday evenings at 6:35 PM beginning October 7, 2010.  The 50 minute service will feature contemporary worship music, an applicable, real world, Bible-based, Christ-centered message and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Dr. Randall Graf, who is currently completing his requirements for ministerial authorization and licensure in the United Church of Christ, will serve as Worship Pastor for the service and explains that “the 6:35 PM start time for Worship & Communion allows for most people to attend after work or school and was chosen as a tribute to John 6:35 whereby Jesus states: ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”  Graf adds that “while the service is designed to be ‘in addition to’ not ‘in lieu of’ Sunday service, it is also designed to be extremely ‘seeker friendly’ as Good Shepherd continues to serve our larger community, including ‘unchurched’ folks who are seeking for their lives that which only Christ can provide.”

Still in the early stages of development, Worship Pastor Randy Graf continues to bring this concept to fruition and is currently lining up musicians and others volunteers to serve on the worship team and in other capacities to make the Worship Village a success which glorifies God.