Weekly Round-Up

First, I am pleased to announce the beginning of a new six-week Bible study on October 25: Introverts In The Church: A Survival Guide.

If you’re an extrovert, don’t run away!  This study is meant for you, too.  In a church built largely on the principles of extroversion, it benefits all of us in the church to learn more about each other and how to reach out to each other and then to the world together.

As an extrovert, you might find that there are friends or congregation members that you don’t quite “get” or with whom you find it hard to establish friendships.  You might find yourself asking why they don’t come to events, or why, when they do come, they only stay for a limited time.  You might wonder why certain people never seem to speak up or offer input during Bible studies, or who seem frustrated by church meet-and-greets.  This study will help you understand and reach out to those folks, some of whom might be introverts, in new and thoughtful ways.

And if you’re an introvert like me, you’ve spent a lot of time struggling with how to reconcile your personality to the demands and expectations of largely extroverted churches.  You’ve probably made some mistakes.  And though you’ve read a few books on Christianity and introversion, what you’d really like is a simple guide that helps you navigate what it means to be a worker in God’s church while also embracing the identity He gave you.

Everyone is welcome to participate – the study is free!  I hope you all join me.

In other news, this week we talked about walking through fear and discomfort, shifting perspective to create compassion, and the importance of active remembering.  I hope this recent turn to cooler temperatures (on the East Coast, anyway) finds you all well and warm.  Enjoy the fall, and if you like caramel apples be sure to eat a few.  It’s the perfect time of year to do it.

Be blessed, and may your weekend offer rest and comfort.