The opening worship service may have been conducted in a university gymnasium, but the local affairs committee—and their art committee—did their best to ensure the space was transformed. The floor was covered in blue and the chairs were draped in tie-dyed pillowcases, turning the makeshift sanctuary into a symbolic ocean. A quilted banner bore the logo and slogan of the assembly—a wall of water rising above a path and footprints through the sea, and the words “On the Edge.”
It was here that commissioners and visitors joined together for the first time.
In his sermon, outgoing moderator Rev. Dr. Rick Horst tackled some reasons for church decline. There are many questions flying around, he said, and all seem to try and address the same issues. But perhaps they are the wrong questions to ask.
“Instead I think our pointed, perhaps searing question should be something more like this: Who are we helping in the name of Jesus Christ?” he said. “That is to say, a missionally focused church is called to care far more about persons than about maintenance and survival.”
Following communion and the conclusion of the service, Rev. Dr. John Vissers—wearing his ceremonial robes and hood—was installed as Moderator during the first sederunt of the 138th General Assembly.
In addition to opening worship in the evening, the Sunday schedule included an experiment. For the first time, a “Q&A@GA” session provided a way for commissioners to ask questions about the reports and recommendations they would be considering throughout assembly. In previous years, Monday’s schedule was dominated by briefing groups—hour long sessions during which various committees and groups presented their reports and answered questions from commissioners. In the Q&A format, commissioners could ask direct questions of resource people who were stationed at various tables.
The change was intended to eliminate the day of briefing groups, and thereby shorten General Assembly by one day. This year business began in earnest on Monday and is expected to end on Thursday.
