Ministerial
Musings For August 2012
To my Brothers & Sisters in Christ:
It seems like yesterday that
I was honored to celebrate a new beginning with you; yet, 3 months have flown
by. And now we look at what to do next. Here are a few of the questions that I
have been asked, or I have thought of based on what I have observed; and, what
I would do about them.
First, let me address the
pastoral change. The fact is I am not Jerry, nor will I ever be. I also am here
on an interim (temporary) basis. How long that lasts is up to the congregation,
not me. I have no desire to supplant whoever God wants to be your permanent
pastor, if there is to be one. My job is to help you (A) identify areas that
need work, (B) build a plan that the congregation will support, and (C) help
you survive as a congregation.
Let us start at the
beginning... this is supposed to be a Christian church, chartered in the Church
of the Brethren denomination. If this statement is true, then we need to
address the basics of both parts of that statement.
What I mean is this: We are
called to be Christians; this means we need to be thinking about how Jesus
would deal with our issues and take action based on that understanding. If we
are concerned about what our numbers look like on Sunday mornings, what are we
doing to reach out to those who are missing service? Are we talking with them
to see why they are not with us, and what can be done to fix the issues - if
anything can be fixed? Is it as simple
as they can’t get here, or it is too hot in the church, or is there bigger
things going on? Are we reaching out to our friends and neighbors who are not
church goers, and inviting them to join us? This is an everybody task, not a
one person or one office-holder job. Are we offering to help those in our
family (who are struggling) with more than just prayers? If we are concerned
about money issues, have we set our own personal financial house in order, and
prayed with God to make sure our own giving levels are where He wants them? And
then offering to help look at where the congregation is at to see what can be
done to improve its overall budget health? In the book of Acts, we are reminded
that the early church lived in a community in which the needs and burdens were
shared across the whole community. We need to stick together and work together,
and not carry the attitude of... “well I did my little part, the rest is up to
everyone else” and then stop paying attention to the situation!
Next, we are a Church of the
Brethren congregation. The Brethren way is 300 plus years old, and it is time
we start refocusing on what it means to be Brethren. If in the next month or so, you as a
congregation choose to keep me and my family around, I would propose that we do
several things:
1)
We need to have a SHAPE seminar taught here
to help folks figure out what their spiritual gifts are, and how to make use of
them.
2)
Starting in September, I would begin holding
a Wednesday evening class dealing with Brethren basics that will run at least
until Thanksgiving.
3)
We need to find a group of people in our
church who are willing to go into the schools one day a week and volunteer to
work with the kids who need help and companionship. There are a number of ways
this can be done, and we can discuss it with those who are interested.
4)
We need to be serious and intentional about
inviting the families around us - in the neighborhoods we live in; in the
places we work; and the families that use our building - to join us on Sunday
mornings.
5)
And finally, we need to put in place a long term
plan to provide financial and spiritual stability for the congregation. To do
that I would recommend that the Leadership team bring forward a recommendation
that we begin the journey through EFSM.
EFSM is an acronym for
“Education For a Shared Ministry”. It is a training program that will involve
the entire congregation in learning what needs to be done for a small
church to survive and grow. It includes finding someone to be the “Minister In
Training” - who’s role in this program is to learn the pastoral care and
preaching roles of a typical paid Pastor IF the congregation gets to the
point it cannot afford to pay one. It means 5 or 6 lay people stepping up and
saying “I will complete training to help lead a ministry area for my
congregation”. This means committing to a 3 year training program that
will require reading and studying; some trips; meetings; and serious
spiritually based work on things like goal setting and budgeting. Adopting this
program also means the congregation is willing to invite folks from the
district and denomination into our church, tell them the truth about our
situation, and listen to what they have to say about dealing with our issues.
EFSM is a lot of work, but I
do not think most of you are afraid of work. It means a lot of spiritual
growing, and some outside the box thinking. It means a serious commitment from everybody
in the congregation to grow and keep your congregation going.
As I have told the
leadership team, I am willing to help make EFSM
happen and lead you through the process - IF you are willing to take the
journey AND the district will approve my working with you long term. But the
primary decision is up to the believers in this congregation. I will not tell
you what you have to do, it is not my place. And the district will not force
you to do any program.
My family will be in prayer for each of your
families until you decide our future together. May the Lord lead you to the
place He has planned for you.
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