Dear friends,
On September 17, after kicking off our Season of Revival in worship, we moved into Sue Dickerman Hall (and onto Zoom) for a congregational meeting. We voted on an agreement with a cell tower management company, which will give us potential for income to support our mission. We heard reports about restoring our flooded basements—and imagined new possibilities for how we might use the space. We voted to honor Rick Seaholm as Commissioned Minister of Music Emeritus, celebrating the gifts he has given our congregation and the ways our connection, though different now, will continue to enrich our church.
Much of the meeting centered on our new organizational structure. With input from existing groups, a team has spent the last year looking at how things currently happen, along with gaps and opportunities.
The structure that has emerged is based on four ministries: administration, outreach, spiritual life and congregational life. Each ministry may have multiple teams to enable its work. Some teams meet regularly; some are action-oriented. Some are on-going; some are short-term. Crucial to this structure is flexibility.
As Deb Roy presented the model, we shared lots of ideas for how we can ensure everyone’s voice is heard and gifts are valued. Over the next 15 months we will experiment, exploring what works and what we can tweak. We will invite members and friends to envision where they see themselves in these ministries.
We weren’t singing and praying and reading scripture in our meeting; even so, it felt like revival. The coordinators we elected are a wonderful group: committed, wise, creative, bringing a wide variety of perspectives. Many teams are already robust. Other are new, and we know many people are already doing the work, sometimes unnoticed. As we fill in the teams, we will celebrate our strength, energy and dedication.
So where do you see yourself in these four ministries? Is there a team you are already part of? A team that intrigues you? Here are just a few of the new teams you might consider joining:
Rental Development: Develop new rentals to strengthen our church.
Open and Affirming: Help us go deeper in our welcome.
Worship Leadership: Read scripture, serve communion, be a liturgist.
Caring/Visiting: Write cards, make calls, care for one another.
Extravagant Welcome: Invite new friends to join us; help them feel welcome.
Fellowship/Events: Plan ways to bring us together—meals, fellowship hour….
See a full list in the Narthex. Put your name on a sticky note beside a team that intrigues you, on our poster. Or let us know and we’ll write your name on a colorful strip of paper and put it on for you!
Peace, Debbie