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NEW TO METROALLIANCE?
Some Useful Information
Below is some information to help make your first
visit to MetroAlliance a positive experience. You can discover much more
by downloading our Welcome Packet (PDF) from which these tidbits were
excerpted. Just click on the "Thinking about visiting us?" icon located
in the lefthand column!
Childcare
The nursery is where care is provided for newborns through age 2 for the
9:07AM and 11:07AM services. Cribs, swings, and rocking chairs are there
to keep babies safe and comfortable.
Preschool children (ages 2-5) are cared for and
taught only during the 11:07AM service in a special Kid's Church (which
goes up to age 11).
Parking
You obviously found a place to park…on the street, unless of course you
walked. There is another option if the streets are full of cars. The
Lutheran Housing Corporation (just down from the church building between
Lorain and Bridge Ave.) on W. 45th lets us use their lot on Sundays and
evenings.
The MAC persona: We’ve got personality!
Before we go any further, we thought it only fair that we share a bit
about who we are as a congregation. Who are we really? What are we like?
On the surface, we appear to be a small, ordinary
Christian and Missionary Alliance church, meeting in Ohio City (near
west side of Cleveland) in an old brick building. You know; just your
common, plain church folk.
Not!
Diverse and united
We are a group of very diverse people desiring to love God and share
that love with one another and the community.
We are a “come as you are” kind of group, pretty
laid back and real.
When one of us has a need, we boldly ask God for
help – and he amazingly answers.
We care about each other in real and tangible ways
– anything from bringing meals to a new mom or snow-blowing someone’s
driveway after a winter storm.
Loving God and each other
We are excited to dig into the Scriptures and apply it to our lives.
Usually, the preaching you will hear is delivered in an expository
style, rather than topical. Most sermons are part of a series that is
focused on a book of the Bible.
We also love interacting with one another, through
women’s and men’s retreats, monthly workshops, weekly small groups, and
in other ways.
Oh, and we all have a sense of humor. We guarantee
that at least once during each service, something will happen that will
make everyone laugh.
Hmm. Maybe we are just ordinary folk. Just like
you! At any rate, we’re glad you’re here and hope you enjoy hanging out
with us...and enjoy getting to know God along with us.
Adult discipling: Jamming and Rapping
MetroAlliance folks are not usually satisfied to merely “do” church. We
are intent on creating disciples of Christ who are equipped to engage
and minister to people in neighborhood, schools, workplaces and around
the world.
A core piece of our discipling process involves
what we call Jams and Raps and Teams:
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Jams are monthly interactive workshops, each
centered on one of the five key pillars flowing from our mission.
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Raps are month long, weekly study groups made
up of Jam session participants delving more deeply into the
associated book of the Bible.
Jam sessions
These interactive workshops are usually held every month, most often on
Saturdays running from 9:00AM until 1:00PM. Come early for breakfast and
enjoy coffee during entire session! The content of each Jam comes from
our mission statement and is connected to a book of the Bible:
We exist to unite diverse people with God and one
another…
…Through Love (1 John). The Love Jam is your
opportunity to discover MetroAlliance: people who love our savior, and
live our mission, and information on how to join the family of God and
this local expression it. (Note: Required for those wishing to become
members of MAC.)
…In Truth (Ephesians). The Truth Jam is a powerful
time of intense prayer and instruction revealing the lies people
believe, the power of truth, and how you can begin to live free.
…By Faith (James). The Faith Jam helps you to
discover yourself by exploring your SHAPE: your gifts, passions,
personality, and experiences, and how can they be used to serve God.
…With Forgiveness (1 Peter). The Forgiveness Jam is
centered on practical holiness. How are holiness, maturity, and
emotional maturity connected? What about the spiritual disciplines of
prayer, Bible study, giving and fellowship? How can I overcome
bitterness through forgiveness?
…For Community (Philippians). The Community Jam
digs into how to make a difference in the world by sharing the love of
God, viewing yourself and the world from God’s eyes, understanding
cultural differences, and discovering God’s mission for your life.
Rap Groups
If you are used to typical church small groups, then Rap sessions may
see a bit, well, different! Rap sessions are dynamic in that they flow
out of each of the Jam sessions and generally last only 4 to 6 weeks, as
decided by the group. This is how Rap groups are formed:
• You attend a specific Jam session.
• You initiate contact with 2-3 others (of your
gender) at the Jam session to form a Rap group.
• You and those you connect with decide when,
where, and how often to meet.
This gives you and those in your Rap group the
opportunity to discuss the Jam information, dig into the associated book
of the Bible, and get to know each other better. Other characteristics
of Rap groups include:
• Teacher-less groups to share, support, and pray
for one another, grow as friends and in God.
• Biblical. Instead of workbooks and pre-picked
questions, Raps use a form of inductive Bible study, allowing everyone
to learn how to study the Bible more effectively.
• Flexible. Your group chooses the day, the time,
the length. You can create a new group following every Jam, or stick
with the same people for a while.
• Nurturing. Rap groups are same-gendered, or
couples with couples. This is a protection, as well as a way to help men
open up to other men, and women to women. Very small single-gender
groups can nurture a depth in the relationships, an intimacy that is
hard to duplicate safely in larger mixed groups.
Jam it up and Rap it out!
Jam sessions and Rap groups are a simple method of disciple-making and
Christian growth, as the body builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:
16). Add some free food for a great way to get involved and grow! |
