Counting Down

In 10 days we will be on our way.

On Sunday, September 27, those committed (now 24 people) to the downtown site will join with those interested in the downtown site for a lunch (and ‘launch’!) meeting in the Sunnyside Grosvenor church basement at 12:45pm. You are welcome even if you have remote interest. Everybody please RSVP kronberg@sympatico.ca by Sept. 23 so that Ellen Kelly and team can prepare enough food for us all.

You may think that the launch of the Sunnyside downtown congregation is still 6 months away. But actually, in 10 days it will begin in preliminary form. In order to launch strong on April 4, 2010 as a congregation of 60-80 people, we must join together now to become a community and prepare to go.

Here are 10 things I’d like to tell you as we count down the 10 days between now and Sept. 27.

10 – A team of 4 (Chris C., Anne-Michelle K., Andrea M., Elizabeth P.) has come together to work with geospatial engineer (Matthew D.) to discern the best location downtown and pursue a rental agreement. Such decisions always occur in submission to and communication with the Sunnyside Board.

9 – Our first baby (Cole D.) joined the launch team last week! Now we have people on the team anywhere between a few months and 90-some years of age.

8 – Launch team members (60-80 people who will go to the downtown site) do not have to be willing to give exorbitant amounts of time to the start-up of the downtown site. First, discern whether you are called to be part of the downtown Sunnyside congregation. (If the answer is yes, you are part of the launch team.) Second, let me know! Third, consider how you might give of yourself to the downtown congregation and neighbourhood (it may be a lot and it may be little – ask God what He has in mind for you).

7 – You will read three stories in the September 27 Sunnyside Up! about what motivates Josh & Tara Kirkey, Andrea H. and Andrea M. to be part of the downtown site.

6 – Pastor Brent and I have booked time on December 1 to create the first coordinated preaching plan for the two Sunnyside sites. Preaching topics and texts will be the same at each site. Pastor Brent and I will alternate to preach at the downtown site.

5 – Families, you may want to consider joining with other families (your friends) to become part of the downtown site. We will choose a rental space that has rooms for Sunday School and nursery. It is our intent to offer a full Sunday School programme.

4 – In the Sept. 27 Sunday services you will hear two unique stories (Andrea M., Chris C.) about how the decision was made to go to the downtown site.

3 – There will be a townhall meeting on Sunday, October 18 at 12:40 p.m. in the church basement. Anyone may attend to ask any question or express concerns about the multi-site initiative.

2 – Other launch team meetings will happen on Sundays, Oct. 25, Nov. 22, Dec. 6, Jan. 24, Feb. 28.

1 – I am grateful to be campus pastor of the downtown site and look forward to the many ways that we will continue to move forward together, as Sunnyside Wesleyan Church, to love and serve Jesus.

Meet the Early Adopters!

It takes time to consider and embrace new ideas and directions.

On May 31st, we at Sunnyside voted in favour of establishing a Sunnyside Downtown congregation, with plans to gather a launch team of 60-80 people by mid-fall 2009 and have our first official worship service downtown on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010.

I’d like to introduce you to 18 ‘early adopters’ who have already discerned that Sunnyside Downtown is where God is taking them.

• Andrea H.
• Andrea M.
• Chris C.
• Debbie B.
• Elizabeth P.
• Ellen K.
• Greg J.
• Josh K.
• Joy K.
• Karen C.
• Kerry K.
• Kirsten P.
• Kyle B.
• Louise B.
• Lynn M.
• Matthew M.
• Paul K.
• Tara K.

If you are not on this list, but would like to be, please let me know.

You will hear a number of stories, written (Sunnyside Up!) and spoken (Sept. 27 services), explaining how some of these people made the decision to go downtown. Feel free to talk to them directly. There are 22 others, not ready to ‘go public’, who have expressed significant to tentative interest in the downtown site.

Families, would you consider talking with a few other families (especially your closer friends) about taking the risk to go together downtown? Keep in mind that there will Sunday School and nursery services offered at Sunnyside Downtown as they are at Sunnyside Grosvenor.

We have only just begun! I am amazed at your positive interest and response. You are welcome to jump in at this point in the journey. If you want to talk further, please give me a shout at kronberg@sympatico.ca or call 613-730-9411. It would be good to see at least 40 names on this list by our first Launch Team meeting, Sept. 27 at 12:45pm (over lunch) in the church basement.