November 1 st Family Meeting Sharing responses and common themes.

What are we about at FXCC?  Honoring God thru worship  Gods heart to this community  Loving & Serving God  Making Disciples of Christ  Welcoming/Friendliness  Relationships/Connections/Family  Meet a lot of people & doing a lot of activities  People of the word  For hurting people  A place to belong  Diversity  Outreach & Service  Growth Groups/Small Groups  Building up ourselves to serve God  We come together to praise God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

What are we about at FXCC? (continued)  People trying to know God better  People who care about members and nonmembers  We are not perfect members; we are just trying to follow Christ  Local Church in Fairfax, VA  Reflecting God’s Image to spread His glory  Bible believing church trying to put God First in our lives  Reflecting Jesus  Hub of encouragement  I don’t know/I could not answer that question  Serving LOCAL needy  Not too Big, Big enough  Seek & save the lost, serve community with love  We know we are sinners saved by God’s forgiveness and grace

What is our “win”?  Didn’t Know  Strengthen fellowship  Team working as a family  Everyone using their gifts for God  Everyone growing in relationship with Christ  Becoming part of the Community  Spiritual growth & equipping for works of service  When kids grow up and stay committed to God  Everyone is in integral part of the church  Follow thru on the survey by sending out answers and following up  Seed planters  To go and do/acts of service  Bringing people to Christ

What is our “win”? (continued)  Showing how God is relevant today  Worship  Following Jesus/Growing closer to God  When members are inviting others to join God’s work  Experiencing God’s unconditional love  Planting seeds in the community  Equip and encourage members  Sharing the good news to the world  Anything you’re willing to die for, but not necessarily succeed in.  Seeing the next generation walk with Christ  Make devoted followers of Jesus Christ who passionately lead others to Him.  1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul was calling them to how they were living with one another. How to live holy lives among one another.

What should our “win” look like?  Money not an issue, spending time strengthening our members to reach out to the world  More spiritually mature mission-minded people  Packed pews/increased attendance  More people involved – higher %  There would be movement, towards a goal or end. It might appear disorganized or messy, but it would be characterized by people being drawn to Jesus and spiritual growth  Not a change in what we do, but more organized, focused & targeted  Stronger relationships & Family atmosphere  Spreading the Gospel – the church is the win  Deeper relationships, better church service, intentional mix of age groups  More people involved in service/outreach; currently a core group of members are carrying the load

What should our “win” look like? (continued)  More open minded about what God is/the church would be more culturally diverse  Regular communication of progress from growth groups, Elders, and from missions/Friend speak as a ministry/more focused 15 in 15/learning from other churches  Where we are placed all over – using our gifts/don’t highlight groups, we are one body  Focus on spiritual growth & equipping the body to share the good news. More mission-oriented, community outreach, simplify worship and how we utilize resources  We already have our “win”; we do great things. But we shouldn’t be content with where we are  Do not understand question. Growth is individualized with God.

What is our target audience?  Everyone/Anyone/Christianity is for everyone  The lost  Not sure  College  Young singles  Christians  Our community  Families of children  Youth  Stepping Stones Preschool Families

What is our audience? (continued)  Only church of Christ demographic  Current family  Under 30/40 needs a lot of attention  Where God has placed each of us  No target audience – it takes God out of equation  Do we look like our community?  People who need to be transformed  Whoever God brings us

Where do you see Fairfax winning and how can we improve? Winning:  Giveaway  Children’s Ministry  Youth Ministry  Bible Class  Corporate Worship  Community/Fellowship  ESL  Corporate Worship  Refocusing on Spiritual Growth  Stephen Ministry/Grief Books  Relationships in community  Backpack food  Providing multiple opportunity for outreach and service  Growth groups  Promotion of service & activities  Deaf Ministry  Outreach Projects  Mission Trips  Trunk or Treat

Where do you see Fairfax winning and how can we improve? (continued) Needs Improvement  Being more focused ministries/projects  Revamping adult Bible class, more diverse options  Communication  We have good moments, but I would not say we are winning  Too many activities, not enough different volunteers  Budget/Giving  What can be done to not be stressed about money?  Stop dividing classes by age  More ushers needed  Stop cutting Bible class short  More inspiring speakers from outside  No fellowship time on Sunday mornings; shorten worship and bible class to have time  More opportunities to build deeper relationships with follow members

Where are you winning and how can you improve?  Participating  Praying for others/ministries/direction  Volunteering/Serving  Looking for opportunities  Daily Bible reading  Using my gifts & giving my time  Spiritual leader in the home  Outreach  Teaching Bible Class  Building relationships  Dynamic Marriage  Attending corporate worship  Least of These  Growth Groups  Attending Bible Class  Serving the Parenting class dinner  Missions  Giveaways  Backpack Food

Is this “thing” (Insert ministry, study, event, etc.) helping us to accomplish the win?  Yes  Re-evaluate Backpack & Giveaway  I don’t know  Re-evaluate Least of These  Missionaries  More collaboration with growth groups  Devoted time in worship  Everything in place is a good start.  This church has been progressing since we joined.  We aren’t doing anything negative just too much.  If what we are doing isn’t helping us grow spiritually and share the good news with the others maybe we don’t need to be doing it.

How do we accomplish/implement the win?  Ask God what He wants before proceeding with anything.  Moving people closer to God  Be clear on communication – spotlight  More accessible worship/singing  Employ different kinds of worships  Common “Win”  Follow thru with this process  More options/connections for young adults  Partner with already existing groups in our community  Why not meeting budget?  Spiritual Growth  Friend Speak  Specific Growth Groups (Divorce, Singles, CR)  Growth Group Focus  Bible Class

How do we accomplish/implement the win? (continued)  We need more growth groups  Doing this survey and talking about this is a good first step to accomplish this.  More concern with people not at church than those inside the church.  Church wide commitment to achieving this win, that is reinforced with communication and programs.  Create an idea board for members to collaborate.  More options for young adults/Create an environment for them to “hang out” with us.  Partner with other groups/churches already helping (like FACETS) (don’t recreate the wheel)  Start by looking at our budget why aren’t people giving?/Do we need this building? Would rather sit in a folding chair if it means we could help/reach more people.  Pray and keep service activities going.  Serve God, grow closer to Christ and our fellow Christians and bring others to Christ. That’s our “win” and what we have been doing.

What is our “win”? TOP 3 DISCUSSION  Relationships – strengthening, developing for God  Elder modeling in home hospitality to develop deeper relationships  Elders in the office  Celebrate more victories – building relationships though encouragement (softball FXCC team)  Spread out activities through out the year  Going away from FXCC – teaching others, brining other to Christ  Serving the needs of our family here/deepening relationships  Strengthening the body here, learning about the bible more

Top 3  Impactful change to lead people to Christ  Continue to be a place of acceptance  Let our talk match our walk  We need to long to be together  Equipping works for service  Growing as the family of God  Able during weekly walk personal tools to be able to share the good news  What are we doing daily when not at chruch to continue learning?  Focus on the word, often  Already a winning family

Top 3  Focus more on worship and being in the sprit  See the over all body all be moved to commit to the vision and works at the church  Encourage everyone to disciple  Educate to Serve the community and out faith  Show relevance  Individual spiritual maturity (to focus on to preform the great commission)  Deaf community for example may feel excluded to think about how we can not exclude others

Top 3  People will know us by our love – Relationships  Seek opportunities to foster relationships  Honoring God, serving others,  Deeper Relationships – comfortable with each other to ask for help in our spiritural growth/challenge each other  Know when new people/visitors are in our building  Be a church when people walked away be passionate about God  Equipping our members to serve outside our building  Being confident in our own faith  Corporate worship, prayer, growth groups –  Family – encouraging families; we have lots of people in/out for a short period of time, FXCC should feel like home like family

Top 3  Are we God’s heart to this family?  Growth Groups – no room, with a family there is always room  Growing body at FXCC – brining people to God (not just to FXCC)  Growth Group becoming a part of one  Common spiritual growth; praying as a group – share the common threads with Elders we will start to see growth  Everyone growing in Christ  Sharing the good news to the world (where ever that is)  Worship – fellowship, singing, growth groups

Accomplishing the win  Focus on building relationship with God/Inside church  Potlucks – get to know one another over food  Growth groups getting together to do this  Leading a singing night and having a meal afterwards  Serving together – make the church schedule simple  Having a Saturday/Friday social  Outreach – Monday night meals serving the parenting class  Growing our relationship with that group  Daily bible reading – study guide/facebook/social media  Find time for fellowship on Sunday – coffee house

 Continual prayer during worship, being in the word daily  More break out groups when studying  More mentorship options  More mission trips to get to know our missionaries  Developing relationships with the people around us  Committee to God being obedient  Embracing the ministries we already have (not placing them in a box)  Looking at this as a joy not a job (something we get to do/want to do)

 Fellowship Time  Things you can invite anyone to – game nights (yay!)  Looking over things we do, do they accomplish the win (re- evaluate)  Finding a growth group to attend (when people can’t)  Is there a way we can find another way to fellowship with them  Time for fellowship  Between worship and bible class  Fellowship during bible class – building a deeper relationship  POTLUCKS  Assigned seating that is random each Sunday. =)

 7 years since we have had a deaf minister  More formal deaf ministry  ASL classes so we can communicate with each other to deepen our relationship (lesser known prophets, please visit)  Invite people into our homes  Invite ourselves into other’s homes (see Sammie Young)  We need to use the gifts God gave us and not shy away from them  Any relationship is going to take time and you being intentional – we have to make that a priority; being accountable to one another

 Equip me – that’s not the elder/staff/minister responsibility  That’s an individual responsibility to equip/feed ourselves.  Being intentional about making/reaching out to others to have a relationship with them – sharing our faith (to people who may not be connected  Need to re-evaluate what’s important to us and how we can grow  Potluck – NOV 29 Family Day  Not a sermon but a thought (example – WGTS)  Christmas/Easter invitation  Host each other at our home – fellowship (busy schedule, we forget about doing that)

 Looking for visitors/new members on Sunday to invite them to lunch  As a family that we need to change our mind set –  Own the problems/needs instead of waiting for a ministry to be started  Asking the hard questions to make these things happen (budget, ministries, building) so we can do the things we need to be doing – where God is leading us.  If you don’t have a personal relationship with God – we need to begin there first before we are ready to go and do.  Varied worship experience (reaching people where they need to be reached)  Ability to inspire people – Everyone is going thru something  Dynamic Marriage (example)  Hard work to begin and continue relationships

Accomplishing the win  Activities –  We should examine all ministries to see if they fit in building relationships  Backpack – taking time to fellowship instead of getting 2.5 packed per sec.  Need more workers less managers  Cut back on the # of activities so we can do more  Being mindful of involving everyone in the activity – not turning volunteers away (esp. kids)  Relationship with God  Reading bible, prayer, it takes time  We have people that need coaching  Bible study, growth groups, cook outs (potlucks)  Being real with one another (and our life is crazy) putting on our face for church  Are we still meeting the needs that God’s church was created for

Next Step  Begin a time of prayer and fasting to see the guidance of God  Sunday, December 6 th from 5 to 7pm