Here are a few
stories from people and congregations who have been using Project Reconnect. We
would be very interested to hear your stories as well as you start to use
Project Reconnect. You can email us or write to us using the contact details at
the end of this document and encourage others and us with your experiences.
| I belong to a larger congregation in Parkes. I went out to help the village congregations as they started taking up Project Reconnect and learning to run their worship services on their own. I was amazed by the quality of the discussion. Member of Parkes Welcome Congregation |
| In the part of the service where there is the discussion I remember a woman, born in Germany talk about her war experience, and her awareness of the presence of God in a particularly perilous situation. All of us there that day were greatly moved - and I know I had a very real sense of God speaking to us that day. After the service I asked the lady if she had ever told that story in the context of her church family. She had never told that story before. Member of MLMA Ministry Team |
| We started feeling like we were a part of the Mid-Lachlan Mission Area as the people on the DVD came familiar to us. It was good to feel connected to the wider church. Member of Modanville Congregation |
| We were just starting to really enjoy Project Reconnect when someone in the community said to me, "I'm never going to church when you have that TV thing happening." It worried me for a while. Then I realised she never goes to church anyway and after that I didn't worry about it anymore! Member of Bogan Gate Congregation |
| My husband, who doesn't come to church, said, "You used to go to church at 11am and get home around 12:30pm. Now you start church at 9.30am and get home at 1pm! What's going on at your church!" Member of Gunningbland Congregation |
We started using Project Reconnect about two years ago. I have learned more about the other members of the congregation in these two years than I have in the last 20! Member of Bogan Gate UCA Congregation |
| It still doesn't seem quite like worship to me but I like the discussion. Member of Eugowra Congregation |
| We didn't think Project Reconnect would work. There was a lot of resistance to it when we first started but now none of us want to go back to the old way. Member of Cookamidgera Congregation |
| Since being a part of Project Reconnect and always have something to do in our church service, and being part of the discussion, I've grown in my confidence. Once I would never say anything. Now even at other community meetings I have started saying what I think. Member of Gunningbland Congregation |
| People who have not experienced a Project Reconnect service sometimes remark that if they are going to just watch TV they may just as well stay at home and do that. Well, from the way I see things church in the past has just been like watching TV. Members of the congregation just sit passively and watch! The only difference is that they are in church instead of in their lounge room. But while a Project Reconnect service includes a small segment where people watch a message on the TV the rest of the service invites everyone to participate like I've never seen before in almost any church I've been in ... and people seem to love it! Member of MLMA Ministry Team |
October 10, 20067