2013 Triumph of the Cross Community Action Plan
I.
Making Time to “Be” Community and Enjoy Community Life
In 2013, we will grow in the enjoyment of our life together and the encouragement of our
fellowship and relationships, both through formal and informal ways.
We are asking each men’s and women’s group to set dates for fun gatherings at least twice
during the year on official men’s and women’s group nights. We also want to encourage us
to “build glue” in our life together via Valentine’s Dance (without children: Feb 16), our
Community Anniversary Celebration (with children: September 21). We encourage brothers
and sisters to attend Community Lord’s Days (April 20; June 15; July 20). Let’s make time
to be community!
Informally, we want to encourage each of us, married or single, to get together with
others for small Lord’s Days or fun evenings on your own. Get your men’s and/or women’s
groups together for some fun. Keep it small. Keep it easy.
II.
Sharing the Lord and our Life with people from all Christian backgrounds
First, we urge each brother and sister to take on a heart for sharing the gospel, and
whenever possible, to invite people to see our love for the Lord and each other. Each
brother and sister must pray for those the Lord will put in our paths. We ask each brother
or sister to invite a friend to a gathering once each quarter. Also, we should all welcome
new people who come to gatherings and develop genuine friendships!
What TCC events should I invite people to? Prayer meetings anytime! Lord’s Day on April
20, June 15, and July 20. We may have a marriage evening on May 10. If the Lord wills, we
plan to start a 4-6 week Life in the Spirit in September.
Second, we also desire to deepen in our ecumenical vision, appreciation, and courtesy, so as
to better love one another and to make TCC a welcoming place for people of all Christian
backgrounds. Via the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and a retreat with Dave Hughes,
President of the Association of Ecumenical Communities of the SOS, on October 25-26.
III.
Providing Wise and Balanced Pastoral Care
All full and underway members should pursue and strengthen their pastoral relationships
so that every brother and sister is supported well in his or her Christian journey and so
that the community can care for new people. We ask that all members meet with their
pastoral workers consistently. How often? Enough that the relationship is mutually up-
building and growing—at least four times per year for full members, and monthly for
underway members (and for full members during times of significant change or issues).
Both member and the pastoral worker should take the initiative to meet.
Tom Hudson is taking the responsibility as District Coordinator for the “adult” district,
working with Sue Heuver to oversee pastoral care. (Jeff will oversee the development of
the UCO District with Brendan.)
Full and Underway members will complete Foundations 4 (on the first Sunday of the
month) by summer. Tom, Sue, and pastoral leaders will work with Underway members to
discern where they are at re: making a full commitment.
IV.
Broaden Leadership and Lay Ground for New Leaders
It was clear from the Visitation Report that in order to grow in the future, TCC needs to
have more brothers and sisters ready to provide pastoral care, lead men’s and women’s
groups, and simply to be ready to give of their time for service. Therefore, we are inviting
more brothers and sisters to take on pastoral responsibilities (serve as men’s and women’s
group leaders & pastoral workers). Initially, based on input from the community, we are
appointing Jeanne Smith to serve as a Senior Woman Leader (February 10), focusing on
working with youth (high school and younger). And we are working to lay the groundwork to
appoint a younger man to enter coordinator training sometime in 2014.
V.
Trans-generational Community
We will continue to build trans-generational community via participation in the Grade
School Program (GSP), Junior High Program, and UCO. And we encourage all the brothers
and sisters to build informal, encouraging relationships with the youth whenever we see
them.
Re: GSP and Junior High, we continue to encourage parents to have their kids attend at
weekly prayer meetings. We will be faithful in providing childcare and also will keep making
ground on monthly Junior High Program, led by Jeanne and Evan. We want to integrate
every community kid into SOS programs from grade school through college.
We also will keep the ball rolling in UCO and build the early stage of a bridge between UCO
and TCC via Men’s and Women’s groups; getting “boots on the ground” at UMD; mapping out
plan for committed UCO members for summer 2013 (DSO, COA); and starting Formation
courses in Fall 2013 and invite some to become TCC affiliate members.