Equipping Ministry connecting with Central...
Getting to Know Equipping Ministries

We would like to introduce you to a new member of our body: Equipping Ministries. Read on for answers to the most commonly-asked questions about EM! (formerly known as AiM)

What does Assimilation and Mobilization mean?

It was our ministry's original name and our purpose. Assimilation refers to helping our members find fellowship and belonging. Mobilization refers to helping our members understand their unique spiritual design and live out their calling in every area of their lives.

What is the purpose of EM ministry?

It is our goal to help guide, or aim, our body toward faithfully living out God's plan for his church. There are two specific targets toward which we are aiming our efforts:

• For our church body overall: To increase awareness of how God intends his church to function, and to help Central apply that biblical blueprint

• For each and every member: To assist individual members in identifying how God is calling them to grow their faith, through specific opportunities for fellowship and ministering to others.

As you can see, the scope of this ministry is very broad. If after reading about EM, you feel God is leading you to contribute, please call. We would love to talk with you!

How does EM accomplish these goals?

The ARROW guides us through a five-step process. These steps might happen in sequential order for a new member, or in a different order for someone else.

	A:	All in the Family We aim to help members, both new and long-term, to gain a sense of belonging and ownership in our church family, feeling welcomed and appreciated. Our deliberate methods at present include greeters, pew cards and follow-up teams, concourse booth, children's ministry booth, fellowship teams, small groups and the new members' class.
	R:	Reading God's Blueprint As members begin to feel at home at Central, they will hear about and observe the value we place on understanding one's spiritual design and using it in ministry. We explore these topics through our Spiritual Design Class, created by Pastor Jerry Cooper. (See Exploring Your Spiritual Design for more details.) This class is being offered during Adult Christian Education on Sundays.
	R:	Review and Referral When the Spiritual Design Class has been completed, graduates are invited to meet with an EM facilitator for a one-hour consultation. The consultation provides connections to the fellowship, nurture and growth opportunities that will move the individual along in their faith journey.
	O:	Opportunity to Try If an individual is referred to a ministry area for service, he or she will need to receive training, support and follow-up. Sometimes the first referral for a small group or ministry opportunity will result in a good fit, and sometimes it won't. We expect to walk beside individuals as they try something, evaluate, and perhaps try something different, until a fit is found. We do not view that as failure - just more information to help us find a better fit.
	W:	Winner's Circle Recognizing and celebrating service and growth is necessary to remind us of God's faithfulness in equipping our members and to thank those members for their obedience and faithfulness in serving. We look forward to expanding our ministry to include this important role.