Greetings Adult community of ORB,

God has been moving in some amazing ways among the adults at ORB, and I am excited to be a part of it. You may have heard the "buzz" that in light of all that God is doing among our adult community, we've responded with a shift in focus. We feel that in order to have effective ministry with adults, this new approach will require two things:

(1) An emphasis that every adult has been called by God to serve others and has been given the gifts to do so;
(2) An outward focus on intentional living wherever God has placed us.

This means that every one of us is a functional part of the body of Christ, and that our current life setting is where we are most likely called to minister: our families, work, homes, friends, church, etc.

God is already at work in this capacity among us, and here are the current ways adults are engaging in ministry to others:

-Small groups of adults meeting together regularly to pray for, encourage, and challenge one another
-A mission's team that has already sent one group down to the Dominican Republic and is planning on sending a second early next year
-A mid-week Bible class offering in-depth teaching on the Scriptures
-A mid-week meeting of parents of older children called Mid-Week Oasis that is designed to encourage spiritual growth among older adults
-A mid-week morning prayer group that gathers to intercede for our community
-A service group called ORB Care that understands discipleship as manifesting itself in serving those in need in our area
-A music team that leads and guides the community in worship every Sunday night

So practically, what does this mean, no more "Adult Group"? In addition to the above ways in which ministry with adults is happening, we have scheduled monthly gatherings of all adults at ORB--those involved in ministry and those not yet--to come together, celebrate what God has been doing, and look for new ways of how to minister effectively among adults. Look for an upcoming announcement about our October celebration!

If you are interested in any of the ministries listed, or if you feel there are other areas where your gifts could best be used to serve others, please contact me at mike@theorb.org. My current role is helping adults realize how they can use their gifts as members of this body; as well as encouraging, equipping, and challenging those who are currently involved in adult ministry.

I look forward to serving with you as God leads us,

Mike

Hello adults,

After much thought, prayer, and consideration, the adult group is going through significant changes. The largest is that it is being restructured so that ORB, as a community, will have a better opportunity to outreach to the adults in our families, friendships, neighborhoods, workplaces, etc. It is no longer going forward as adult "group", but as adult ministries. Quite simply, any ministry throughout ORB that is for adult falls under this umbrella. This goes for adult small groups, softball teams, BBQ's, Bible studies, prayer groups, football games, dinner parties, etc.

As adults in ORB, we have the awesome charge to share God's love in the world, wherever we find ourselves. Contact Mike Oliver for more information and to find out what you can do to serve Christ in this world.