Ponder This with Tillapaugh

Article by

Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

All the adult Sunday School classes at Bethlehem are now reading Frank Tillapaugh's, The Church Unleashed. He will be here for a seminar May 10-11.

Here are some projections to keep in mind as you ponder Tillapaugh. Assuming that in the future our growth rate will be the same as the average growth rate of the last two years (12%), we get the following projections.  (The children's figures are based on different growth statistics for each department.)

 

Morning Worship

Total Sunday School

Sunday School (0-17)

1985

817

630

274

1986

915

705

284

1987

1024

789

320

1988

1146

883

363

1989

1283

989

398

1990

1437

1107

434

Our sanctuary feels crowded at 450, and is packed at 500.

The Long Range Planning Committee (a task force accountable to the Council of Deacons) has considered at least 26 different options for making room for this kind of growth. The least outlandish of these are being drawn up into a document for evaluation and discussion. The next meeting is March 6. Pray that the committee have the mind of Christ in weighing the options to lay before the congregation.

Communicate your own dreams and proposals to Randy Dunnette (Chairman), Bobbi Hersch (Recorder),  Rollin Erickson, Carl Fredricks, Don Pearson, Paul Johnson, Dave Laurion, Ronn Kreps, Dan Lehn, or the staff.

Expectantly,

Pastor John