Community Council Update
This month, our church blog is sharing mid-year updates from our four councils: Discipleship, Worship, Missions and Community. This week, we close the series by hearing from the Community Council. Read about their work at www.spdlorg/onsecondthought.
Do you feel welcomed—like you’re part of the family—when you’re at Second-Ponce? That’s because we value Community. We place a priority on building relationships and caring for each other with Christ-like love. Our council says it this way: “We grow in community, connecting and caring for each other, and inviting others to join us.”
Every member of our Second-Ponce family takes this value to heart. Guests consistently tell us that we are one of the most welcoming churches they’ve visited. At Second-Ponce, it doesn’t take long to build friendships that become some of the most important relationships in our lives.
Because building those connections is so important to us, we have a designated Minister of Community on staff in Jonathan Hall, and a Community Council, a congregational leadership body. Together, we make sure we continue our churchwide focus on strengthening relationships and building new ones.
So what is Second-Ponce doing to encourage a vibrant community of faith? Here are some examples and ways you can engage in our church’s community ministry:
SPdL Rides—our newest ministry—pairs members who need a ride to a medical appointment with members who can give a ride. Can you be a driver?
The Prime Timers ministry gives our senior adults opportunities to get together for fun and fellowship. Have you signed up for this year’s Peach Trip?
Occasionally after Sunday worship, we have Lemonade on the Lawn and special lunches to encourage some extra fellowship after the service. The next lunch is on July 30 as part of our Back to School Sunday festivities. Stay tuned for details!
Our Sanctuary Ambassadors welcome guests every Sunday morning and help them connect with our Second-Ponce community. Did you know that since last October, we have welcomed over 150 guests in our sanctuary?
The beautiful flowers you see in the Sanctuary on Sundays are then transitioned the next day into individual congregational care bouquets. Each week the Flower Team makes these smaller arrangements and takes them on visits to our home-bound members.
As soon as you walk in the door on Sunday morning, you are welcomed by our Greeters. You may have gotten a ride from the parking lot to the church door in our “SPdL Bug.” If you’re not sure where to go—finding the bathroom, looking for coffee, want to join a Sunday Schoool class—we’re here to help.
Funerals and memorial services can be a difficult time for family and guests, so we always have a team of Bereavement Hosts on hand. Families regularly tell us how much they appreciate the extra attention we provide.
Fellowship is an important part of our Sunday morning gatherings. Before Sunday School, our Coffee Team makes sure we have coffee and hot chocolate to share while we catch up with friends.
Second-Ponce has a long history of sharing God’s love. Our Heritage Team preserves and displays the artifacts that tell our shared stories.
Our Deacon Ministry Teams reach out to guests and new members, minister to family members in their time of loss or need and make regular connections with our homebound members.
Our Wednesday night Fellowship Suppers and SPdLU (Second-Ponce de Leon University) sessions are special times for seeing old friends and meeting new ones. A recent SPdLU series called “The Sacred Journey” gave us a chance to share our faith stories with others around the tables.
Sharing a meal in a small group is a great way to get to know people. Our Second Course community groups encourage us to get together for a meal or fun activity with other members we may not know.
Young Adult events, Parents Connect and a Women’s Fellowship group all are great times to get together with people who share your interests.
We are always happy when our neighbors participate in church events. We work with intention and care to plan and host special experiences—Community Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, the Peachtree Road Race, Fall Fest, etc.— that engage Atlanta and the surrounding areas in community.
Do you have questions?
Are you interested in being a part of one of these ministries?
Do you have an idea for community that we haven’t thought of?
Just send a quick note to community@spdl.org or reach out to anyone on the Community Council: Eddie Applegate, Gary Branch, Chris Clark, Laurie Entrekin, Pat Kerr, Ron Watts (chair) or Jonathan Hall, our Minister of Community. We would love to hear from you!