by Pastor Rick Henderson
We are continuing the careful and prayerful process of evaluating the possible next steps for traditional worship at Autumn Ridge. On behalf of the Worship Advisory Team (WAT), thank you for your patience and prayer for us. The recurring theme when our team prays together is that we would honor Christ above all and love this congregation well. In the hope of being helpful, I want to remind you of everyone who is on this team with me.
- John Aderton
- Scott Baxter
- Ian Benoit (Pastor of Worship)
- Jill Boldt
- Matt Mattingly
- Mary Scales
- Dave Swanson
- Andy Tlougan (Elder Board Chair)
- Carla Werre
We aim to be good listeners to the congregation and communicate to you with clarity. If you have questions or thoughts that you’d like to share with the team, you can contact any member of the team personally at one of our services. You can also share via email at info@autumnridge.church. Everything that any of us receive from the congregation we share with the rest of the team. Thank you to those of you who have already done that.
The WAT meets on the first Thursday of the month. You can expect an update from me in the following Connect, after each meeting. It is possible that we will meet with more frequency as this process continues. The two most common questions I’ve heard are:
- What is the status of the traditional service?
- What were the results of the survey?
What is the status of the traditional service?
The status is the same as it has always been. We are doing our best to provide a high-quality expression of traditional worship. We are grateful for Jill Boldt and Kevin Lake, who have led as volunteers. We are thrilled to have Dan Mansfield as the interim traditional worship leader.
What were the results of the survey?
I don’t think you will be surprised that traditional worship is beloved by many in our congregation. And yet, defining what traditional means is often in the eye of the beholder. Our survey asked you to identify the top 3 musical elements for traditional worship. I know this question wasn’t easy. You ranked 9 elements in the following order:
- Traditional Hymns
- Choir
- Piano
- Modern Worship Songs
- Newer Hymns
- Organ
- Occasional Orchestra
- Guitar
- Drums
There were other things we learned as well.
- 70% of those who responded are over the age of 60.
- 46% of those who responded serve on a ministry team less than once a month.
Our heartfelt prayer is that everyone who attends Autumn Ridge gets to experience full connection with the church body and the mission that unites us. Naturally, the WAT is prayerfully and carefully considering how we can take our next steps forward. My all-time favorite song is the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. My second favorite song is by Johnny Cash. I don’t think we’ll be singing anything by the Man in Black.
We want to be a church where the young and not-so-young sing timeless songs that impart the richness of our faith. We also want every person to be engaged with our mission. Leadership is a destination of discipleship. That doesn’t come with an expiration date.
How we can serve will evolve over the course of our lives. And yet, we are a body, and we are incomplete without each member. I love inviting people into the joy of joining a ministry team. I won’t list them all, but you might feel drawn to get more information about:
- Kids Ministry Team
- Student Ministry Team
- Prayer Team
- Guest Services Team
- Visitation Team
- Funeral Reception Team
- Sunday Morning Cafe Team
Again, I want to thank you for your prayers. I will continue to keep you updated as this process continues.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Rick