We have made it to the week 5 email giving you information about the themes/categories that emerged from our Who Do You Say We Are sessions. Again, these themes were fairly easy to identify as they were repeated by all of you again and again in the sessions.
This week’s theme (and these are in no certain order) is caring.
In almost every session, people said that they would describe Forest Park and the people at Forest Park as caring. Caring and loving were often listed as one of the first things you think of when thinking of Forest Park and what you would tell others about Forest Park. You said “Forest Park is a group of people who look out for one another” and the people “help one another” and are “always there for you.” One of you even described Forest Park as a place where “people stand by others at their worst time.”
Many people said that Forest Park is known for being loving and for outreach. Some said we are known for “taking care of members” and “reaching out to others in need.” In addition, many of you said that we love each other and care for our members better than other churches. When asked what Forest Park gets excited about, you often said caring, giving and helping others and outreach.
We asked you how you have seen God through Forest Park and an overwhelming number of you said through caring. You said you have seen God through “people taking care of each other”, “support of each other”, and through the fact that “the congregation steps up and takes care of members and does outreach.” When asked what God has done through Forest Park several said outreach and caring for one another. One of you said “God has encouraged us to help others through things like outreach.”
Caring was such a part of Forest Park that when asked what we do best for specific groups in the congregation such as those going through a divorce, people experiencing a death, people having babies and the chronically ill you listed care items such as providing meals, providing prayer blankets and baby quilts, remembering them in joys and concerns and supporting them.
When asked what an Elder could get $1000 for before the end of service the top answer in all sessions was a member need. Some of you also said some outreach items would also receive the money.
Finally when asked what we would need to keep doing if a tornado leveled our building, some of the things you mentioned were taking care of members, supporting each other, outreach and maintaining care groups.