I am not sure how that is going to play out in Augusta. We do seem to growing at a modest pace. We had a healthy new member sign-up a few weeks ago, but with the usual attrition, our absolute numbers have not grown significantly. We have more newcomers than I can keep track of, and Sundays have been full to the seams, but the newcomers are not signing up for groups. What is very apparent, however, is the increased enthusiasm and vitality in the congregation.
People are present, they are positive, they are excited.
When I wrote earlier about our Small Group Ministry Program, I mentioned that I was not excited about this initially. It was said that I was cynical about it, which wasn t true. I was deeply skeptical, however, about whether anyone would come out to more meetings or make the kind of long-term commitment a group would require. But I was more than willing to work with members who wanted to explore this idea. It turns out that I was wrong.