Congregation Visits - the first email to neighborhing congregations

This is my first public announcement to other pastors about the vote to close.
I sent this email out the Monday after the Congregational Conversation which lead the Council to write the resolution to dissolve the congregation.
I am sharing this to give other pastors going through a similar process some ideas.

The email:


I wanted to ask each of you to place Our Congregation on your congregation's prayer lists. After a congregational conversation yesterday the congregation asked the council to write a resolution to be presented at a special congregational meeting on Dec. 4th to dissolved the congregation with the effective date of June 10th, 2012.

This is going to be a hard vote to make and I ask that you pray that the Holy Spirit be with them and offer them comfort over the next two weeks as we wait for the vote. I ask that you pray for peace in their hearts and I ask that you pray that God will show them that they are in fact making a decision that is centered in Christ's mission. And, finally, I ask that you pray that they eventually come to the understanding that it's time to let go.. and that it will be okay.

Also, to help the congregation with the transition of no longer worshiping at Our Congregation and to aid in the process of finding new worship communities I am asking area pastors if they would consider hosting a Our Congregation Welcome Day (or however you want to word it). The purpose will be to invite the members of Our Congregation who will not be worshiping at their congregation but will instead be worshiping as a church family to a new church community. In essence we will be "church shopping" as a church family. My thought is that we come to worship then after the service you and maybe a "welcoming committee or group" give my members a tour of the building, give handouts of your ministries or brochures, answer any questions they may have about teams or leadership or worship, and just welcome them into the community. I doubt everyone will end up at the same congregation - that is not the point. It is more that I have some members that have never worshiped in another congregation (other than a family baptism or something) and that first step is going to be hard, and if we can do it together it might make it a little easier.

These are dates I am thinking of. If you would like to host the congregation, please let me know and indicate a date. Also, I will get back to you after the vote on Dec. 4th. There is still the possibility that the resolution will be voted down - then we will not be doing this. I would just like to have dates in place for the first Sunday following the vote so I can have people begin planning for the visits.

Jan 8
Jan. 22
Feb. 12
Feb. 26
Mar. 11
Mar. 25
Apr. 15
Apr. 29
May 13

I also have 2 other requests. I know that at most of your congregations there are friendships between our members. I will be mailing out a form to the neighboring congregations and other places asking for people to write down memories of Our Congregation or how the congregation  was a blessing in your life. Can you please ask members to write down any memories if they have them? I would like to put a book together and present it to the members at our celebration service. Which leads me to my last piece of information: Our celebration service date will be May 27, 2012 - Pentecost Sunday. We will be inviting the entire community. Please mark that on your calenders as well. The final worship service will be June 10th - but I think that service will be more private.

God's blessings,