There are some amazing restaurants in our area with lots of space and natural sunlight for the winter. We learned alot about local commercial spaces at the Lent and Summer Dine-Outs. One such indoor space was the local Panera in a commercial shopping area with lots of parking. 

My first day at my new church, I stopped by to speak with the store manager asking what was her slowest day of the week in December. Monday. Now I knew when to plan a ladies event and where I could ‘office’ in public (great Wifi) and gather in small groups while being a good neighbor in the community. 

I made arrangements with the fabulous store manager two weeks ahead of time, reminded her the day before, and the day of the event to be sure the bread, soup, and staff were plentiful. The Ladies’ Cup Exchange was a go.

Ladies’ Cup Exchange Goals:

  1. Gather ladies of all ages and stages within the first month of new church
  2. Table life of sharing food in multigenerational setting
  3. Women can bless one another with ‘what’s already in their cabinet’
  4. One-on-one conversations to share recruiting clipboards for 2024

Schedule:
6pm Arrive for dinner (folks began arriving at 5pm which was great)
6:30 Clipboard time (4 fabulous ladies took a clipboard and went table to table)
6:45 Devotion (Psalm 23 my cup runneth over – what’s in your hand you can offer to your new church)
7pm Cup exchange (right/left game of nativity story in large group)

Wins:

  • Multigenerational new friends-in-the-Lord
  • Easily invitational event to bring a friend or family member (so many did!)
  • Encouragement from a Titus 2 Jesus gal via the devotional
  • A large group of high schoolers in attendance by sticking with only an hour so they could get back to studying for finals
  • Witness boldly in the community by being a good neighbor/customer/shared spaces with other customers
  • Four clipboards with names and contact info for…
  1. Serve with the littles? Joyfully willing to be the “11am nursery-plus-1 or 2” for Safe Sanctuary/Ministry Safe guidelines; spend time to minister to and with the two college-age women who serve weekly; opening opportunity to meet with littles and their parent/grandparent beginning a new multigenerational relationship with a young parent/grandparent. This would be a rotation and ‘sub as needed’ opportunity.
  2. What is a skill you can offer to your new church? Joyfully willing to arrive early/stay late to set up/take down while at our temporary location, greet and direct inside the door, usher folks to small group at 9:30am, usher folks to chapel for worship services, play an instrument, sing, medical, notary, bookkeeping, medical, driver, chaperone, phone calls to gather info, researcher, counter, resting smiling face to greet and usher, make a meal for someone who needs, good print handwriting to address postcards for first time guests and birthday postcards, run errands, price items, can organize people on a team, etc. 
  3. Prayer Partnership? Would you be interested in partnering with another guy/guy or lady/lady as a 6-month prayer partner Jan-June to (1) text/call once each week to pray for and with one another (no longer than an hour) AND (2) pray for our church by name AND (3) at some point in those 6 months both of you would serve together as partners in some way at a Macland Community Church event/Sunday.
  4. What’s in your hand? tables, chairs, clubhouse rental info, host a small group once/weekly/monthly, baker, van to drive youth/children to an event, firepit, backyard, pool, garden, back porch, mission opportunity, etc.

The mission of our church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and WITNESS BOLDLY. As we plan for the new year, we’ll be sure to ‘be a good neighbor’ in the community not asking what they can do for us, but rather asking, “How can our church be a blessing to you and your team?”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17