I started six months ago writing about my experience with change in church structure in our congregation and in the area and regional expressions of church.
I began by recalling some Sunday night conversations, and as I prepare to summarize what I have said, I want to revisit those conversations. In respect to recent events; the sudden changes to our social, private and professional lives, there is substance in those talks beyond church structure.
A short time after the death of Paul Graham, there were some legitimate concerns present. Paul was a great leader and he tithed generously. Ours was to confront the financial challenge while learning to trust in our own leadership in a post Paul Graham era. It became wise to think through some kind of contingency plan. There were a number of “what-if’s.”
Our Sunday night study groups had grown into a safe place to explore, challenge and sometimes transform. That was the most fertile space to hold these talks. We began our discussions on the “What-if’s” choosing one topic each Sunday night. The first was “What if we won the lottery?” For some time developers had expressed interest in our property. No one had made an offer we couldn’t refuse, but what if they did? What would we want if we could have anything? These were fun visioning sessions!
The next talks were around a more realistic assessment of the then current budget report. “What if we had to sell the building?” No one liked the way it sounded. Then we began to talk about how other models of church assemble and deal with space and property. We talked about the importance of location to mission. Then we began to dig into what it means to be the church. How the church is not the building. We visioned ways we would sustain cohesiveness in our church family and how we would minister to the community. Crazy ideas!
We didn’t see this coming. We are still secure in our property, yet we are unable to assemble there. This was not the way we envisioned it, but our visioning has left us prepared. The tools we earned in those exercises have served the entire congregation, not just individuals. Somehow the capacity of the whole collective was affected and prepared.
This congregation has modeled what it looks like to be church over these weeks of “shelter in place.” You have found ways to stay in touch. We have had treats and food dropped off at our house. It is kind of like Christmas! We have kept prayer lines connected and we have helped each of us with need be reassured that we are not alone! The live cast worship on Sunday has brought a new energy to the praise team and new folks have stepped forward to help make it happen. I’ve actually had fun! The drive through communion is a great idea! I have seen the love of God in volunteers waving at traffic and offering the hope of reassurance in the body and blood of Christ! Letters for inmates and socks for the community outreach are still coming in and still going out! Many of you have made second efforts to get monthly and weekly offerings to the church to ensure some kind of financial stability while we are unable to assemble.
I am so glad we took the opportunity to vision and dream together. I am humbled by the teamwork and leadership.
We will be together again soon. Perhaps we will learn some new talents and gifts we have to offer from this experience. Certainly we will have a new appreciation for both social media and for the gift of being together in person. Absence makes the heart grow fonder! to be continued…
I began by recalling some Sunday night conversations, and as I prepare to summarize what I have said, I want to revisit those conversations. In respect to recent events; the sudden changes to our social, private and professional lives, there is substance in those talks beyond church structure.
A short time after the death of Paul Graham, there were some legitimate concerns present. Paul was a great leader and he tithed generously. Ours was to confront the financial challenge while learning to trust in our own leadership in a post Paul Graham era. It became wise to think through some kind of contingency plan. There were a number of “what-if’s.”
Our Sunday night study groups had grown into a safe place to explore, challenge and sometimes transform. That was the most fertile space to hold these talks. We began our discussions on the “What-if’s” choosing one topic each Sunday night. The first was “What if we won the lottery?” For some time developers had expressed interest in our property. No one had made an offer we couldn’t refuse, but what if they did? What would we want if we could have anything? These were fun visioning sessions!
The next talks were around a more realistic assessment of the then current budget report. “What if we had to sell the building?” No one liked the way it sounded. Then we began to talk about how other models of church assemble and deal with space and property. We talked about the importance of location to mission. Then we began to dig into what it means to be the church. How the church is not the building. We visioned ways we would sustain cohesiveness in our church family and how we would minister to the community. Crazy ideas!
We didn’t see this coming. We are still secure in our property, yet we are unable to assemble there. This was not the way we envisioned it, but our visioning has left us prepared. The tools we earned in those exercises have served the entire congregation, not just individuals. Somehow the capacity of the whole collective was affected and prepared.
This congregation has modeled what it looks like to be church over these weeks of “shelter in place.” You have found ways to stay in touch. We have had treats and food dropped off at our house. It is kind of like Christmas! We have kept prayer lines connected and we have helped each of us with need be reassured that we are not alone! The live cast worship on Sunday has brought a new energy to the praise team and new folks have stepped forward to help make it happen. I’ve actually had fun! The drive through communion is a great idea! I have seen the love of God in volunteers waving at traffic and offering the hope of reassurance in the body and blood of Christ! Letters for inmates and socks for the community outreach are still coming in and still going out! Many of you have made second efforts to get monthly and weekly offerings to the church to ensure some kind of financial stability while we are unable to assemble.
I am so glad we took the opportunity to vision and dream together. I am humbled by the teamwork and leadership.
We will be together again soon. Perhaps we will learn some new talents and gifts we have to offer from this experience. Certainly we will have a new appreciation for both social media and for the gift of being together in person. Absence makes the heart grow fonder! to be continued…