Recent Internship Assignments and Training

This being the halfway point in our internship - six months along - we are being given a different focus in our internship. I (Chris) may be given an opportunity to teach a quarter of Sunday School classes at Liberty Chapel, but for the most part preaching and teaching will be set aside in order to vary my experiences and training in preparation for our own field and the possibilities that might lay ahead.

Switching Roles
I will be switching roles with Allen at Liberty Chapel for the entire month of January. What all this entails I have not been completely informed of at this point. Some of what this means, however, is that I will be the one primarily responsible for visitation, announcements, and communication within the church. On top of that the elders will have specific tasks that they will assign to me throughout that month. Hopefully no prank calls: "Chris, we need you over here quick - I have a toilet I need plunged!"

Test Case - Visitor Policy
Allen and Tom (the chairman on the elder board) decided to give me an official project that would function like a test case, but with actual implementation; it was to be something that would give me practice in thinking through real issues that need solutions in most local churches. They decided to have me work on what would serve as a visitor policy at Liberty Chapel, and gave me some criteria to guide me. They wanted a plan/solution that would enable them to keep track of any new visitors that walk into the church Sunday morning in order to be able to follow-up with them - whether by a card, a phone call, or a home visit.

Liberty Chapel has had a lot of attempts at keeping track of members' attendance, trying to identify visitors, and following up with visits, but have not stuck with or seen any effective plan. To my observation, the gaps for error were always too wide. I made my proposal this past week at the elders' meeting and was given the go-ahead to see its implementation. It should be in place either this week or next week. It should give me some good opportunities to talk to and meet with new visitors at Liberty Chapel. We will try to let you know how it goes.

Someone joked at the meeting that, given the fact that Allen and I are switching roles in January, perhaps I can let him implement the plan.  Something tells me that that's not going to happen. :)