A Better Choice: Nov 25

While I can't remember the number of Thanksgiving services I've attended, my memory is clear that almost always they've been poorly attended and included the hymn "Come, ye thankful people"  with that Florida inappropriate line "...e'er the winter storms begin."  What winter storms?  The plants in the field next door are new, the tomato and strawberry harvests are in February. It's Florida.  So I'm thinking....  Would I rather be in a poorly attended service with an awkward hymn or at Lamb of God where 700 volunteers prepare and deliver 6700 dinners in three counties to people in need?  Not a hard choice for those who love the Gospel! 

No Potholes: Nov 18

There is a famous pothole near one of the bridges from the island where I live.  All the locals automatically veer around it and watch tourists clunk into it.  Churches have potholes, too.  Think what it would be like to be a first time visitor, perhaps not familiar with church terminology, and be told that the restrooms are off the narthex.  What's a narthex?  Part of our work in the transition is to find and smooth over all the potholes in our church life for newcomers and for our search for a new pastor.  Whenever you hear someone say "Everyone knows that..." it is probably a pothole which needs to be filled.

Think Community, not Family: Nov 11

Count up the people at the biggest family gathering you can remember:  a birthday, graduation, Thanksgiving.  How many in your count?  Typically we come up with numbers like 5, 10, 13, 22, perhaps as many as 50 at a big event.  Sometimes church members think of congregations as their "church family."  WRONG.  A congregation is a community, made up of many families, many groups.  Most of us identify with one or more ministry groups, circles of friends, but at our best we are a community of many diverse families and groups, each one with a different recipe for birthday cake or turkey dinner.  This is why it is so important for everyone to add ideas to the focus groups and profile we are building to search for a new pastor.  The next time someone says "church family" whisper in their ear "COMMUNITY."

Strong giving needed now: Nov 4

Rumors are rife during an interim.  The first one was that the transitional pastor has everything in hand and the congregation can relax.  NOT TRUE.  Hard work for all is the gift of transitions.  Another one, which put the staff and board of trustees into fits of crying and laughter, is that the Lutheran Synod and Episcopal Diocese are paying for the transition and we can all hold back on our giving.  NOT TRUE.  We pay our fair share to both synod and diocese and we will need even more resources to hire the next pastor than were used before. As the board puts together the 2013 budget they need to know that we are in a strong position. No holding back in giving now.