Fulfilling the Great Commission – Obeying the Great Commandment

• Responding to growth – two Sunday services

• Reaching our community for Christ – urban ministry

• Raising a new church – Wallyford church plant

Looking Up and Reaching Out

Our six core values lead to two primary responsibilities for followers of God in any age: worship and witness. That is, looking up to God and reaching out to others – Carrubbers has run on these principles for 150 years.

Our general vision is that of a ministering community of believers consumed in worship and witness. This means not only a strong and well-developed teaching and preaching ministry but also a strong and well-developed ministry touching and reaching local communities and beyond.

Our specific vision for Carrubbers is the same as DL Moody's, that is to have the building open and active from 10am until 10pm reaching the community for Christ, but also to see a totally new church established in Wallyford.

Listen to our senior pastor, Wayne Sutton, talk about the growth and vision of Carrubbers.

If you have any questions you can email the pastors.

Rationale for Two Sunday Morning Services

We are now six months into out move to two morning services at Carrubbers. We are grateful to God for the many blessings that He has "lavished upon us" in recent days but also sense a great responsibility to respond in faith and trust. Part of this response included "opening up" our church from two points of view:

• "opening up" more space for our community of believers to worship the Lord week by week.
• "opening up" more space to welcome into our community those we are praying will be touched with the gospel and the love of Christ in the days ahead.

We have been implementing the following programme for Sunday mornings, beginning on Sunday 20th September:

• Morning services will be in the main hall at 9:45am and 11:30am. Each service will last 75 minutes and will be led by the same service leader with the same speaker.
• The speaker will continue to be allocated 45 minutes (including pastoral announcements) and there will be the same live message and songs in each service.
• There will be a break of half an hour between services and Stepping Stones will continue to offer tea and coffee after both services. Those attending the first service will be encouraged to continue conversations in the cafe rather than the main hall after the service.
• After an initial "settling in" period morning communion will take place monthly and become the focus of the service.
• Creche, Sunday School and a children's focus during the service will be provided during both morning services.
• The Free Breakfast will run from 8:15am until 9:45am in the Lower Hall which will allow the Sunday School some time to set up.

Please pray for our church, our ministry leaders and our surrounding community:

• Pray that with "one heart and one mind" we will step out in faith to trust and obey the Lord.
• Pray that we will accept change as a natural by-product of growth and that each one with enthusiastically look for opportunities to bless and to serve in the days ahead.
• Pray for those ministries and individuals most impacted by the changes to be made.
• Pray for the effectiveness of our witness to our community and our world.

We want to hear feedback from folks to hear what else needs to be learnt and discovered. Please email us and let us know what you think.
We have used the term "flexibility" in our approach to this new initiative and are very much aware of the fact that there will inevitably be changes along the way as we continue to evaluate and assess our ministry at Carrubbers.
Thank you for your faithfulness, your patience, your involvement and, especially, for your prayers.

"And may the Lord direct [our] hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ" – 2 Thessalonians 3v5

Wayne Sutton