Dear People of Christ Church,
Thanks to everyone who showed up for the annual meeting on Sunday, and special thanks to all those who shared such great ideas in our visioning conversation! We have much to do together, and it's exciting to welcome new fellow-travellers into our midst. Welcome to new "registered" members Gennaro "Jerry" Simeone, Debbie Robinson, Amanda Gee, Jeanette Asadoorian, Robert Doherty, Emma Atwood, Rob Atwood, Doug Whittington (Christine signed last year), Maureen Keleher, and Dan Keleher. We'll have the book out this Sunday, too, for those who couldn't make it last Sunday.
One of the words that came out of our "building our resources" group was the word "audit." When you think about the IRS, audits don't sound very inspiring; they sound frankly adversarial. But the group was thinking of something different-an audit of where our ministries are and what we are called to do. How are we focusing our energy as a community? Are we putting our resources-time, talent, and skill-where the Holy Spirit is leading us? How are we welcoming the passion and gifts of newcomers? Can we really do what we've set out to do, or do we need depth in favor of breadth?
At baptism, each of us is "ordained" into the Christian life and given a mission, as laid out in the covenant we promise to support. To "seek and serve Christ in all persons," to "strive for justice and peace," to share in Christ's "apostles' teaching and fellowship" (i.e, the church). That is your job as individual Christians, and that's our job as a church. So what is your own "audit" process? In my own life, I'm looking toward Lent, which now is just ten days away. My sabbatical was a time of renewal, to be sure, and now that I'm back on the ground, I'm happy to put some of that new energy and clarity into action-as well as being thankful for that season coming up as a reminder to slow down a little.
One of the gifts of creating the opportunity to sit down with everyone is to check on how you are doing in your own ministries and how you might be called to enter into new ones. Absolutely everyone has a ministry; the trick is to find how the shape of your life and the shape of the life of the church and the world can meet. This is not an easy thing; I know what it's like to balance jobs and kids and community. Just last night I was torn between going to my son's school PTO meeting and going to an ecumenical clergy gathering... I ended up skipping them both and sat with a friend and her new baby instead. But if you think you might have half an hour once in a while, let the altar guild know if you want to stop by and lend your efforts to polishing. If you have fifteen minutes, maybe you could stop by after a community group has used our space and make sure everything is locked up. If you have a few hours, maybe you could cook a meal for the Day Center and drop it off so the next volunteer can serve it. Maybe you have a Tuesday night free, so you can come to our Lent series starting on February 19. Maybe the best you have to give is five minutes of prayer-and maybe those five minutes will change your life and the life of the church. Nothing is wasted in the service of God. So many people have such powerful ministries in this place-750 Main Street over the years has been held afloat by an ocean of prayer (and some tears, too). We need the church, and the church needs us. From wardens and vestry to altar guild to our so-vibrant-it-shakes-the-walls children's ministries, thank you! It's a little like Byron said in his stewardship talk-we have enough money; it's just in our pockets. We have enough time, too-it's right there in our calendars.
Blessings,
Sara+
p.s. When did you last invite someone to church? The names of people to fill our pews are in your address book-maybe start with the pancake supper?
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