Congregational Development Team report

The objective for the Congregational Development Team is to effectively extend to others the opportunity to experience the joy and blessing of having St. Andrew’s as their place of worship, outreach, and Christian fellowship.  Our mission can be summarized as the planning and implementation of three facets of congregational development: Invite, Welcome, and Connect. 

First, we look for and identify proven and innovative ways to effectively extend the invitation to friends, neighbors, and even strangers to join us in worship.  Second, we look for ways to recognize and welcome those newcomers to our church, both to ensure that we are aware of their presence and to make certain that they feel welcome while here.  Our goal is for them to want to return.  Our cadre of greeters are the first part of the Welcome, and there are many other things that can be done as well.  Finally, for those who do choose to become a regular part of our parish, we want to make their early time more comfortable and fulfilling by connecting them to the church community through contact, education, and opportunity.

 I know that anyone who chooses to join our parish will greatly benefit from the opportunity for spiritual growth and from the overall church community experience.  Likewise, we at St. Andrew’s benefit in so many ways by the addition of newcomers and what they can bring to us.  In fact, the growth of the church community is vital for its health and longevity.  Parts of this ministry have been present at St. Andrew’s for some time, but it is really now just beginning to be organized as a team effort.  We strongly encourage anyone who wishes to be a part of this important ministry to join us.  Call the church office for more info - 757-595-0371.

Jay Lambiotte

Vestry Liaison to the Congregational Development Team