From our Pastor

 

 Leadership is a complicated skill. Leaders who inspire know that the circumstances, timing, and people involved are each critical to determining the style of leading. There is leadership that suggests, without demanding. Leaders may listen carefully and speak minimally. Other times a leader has assessed the time, people, and situation and therefore chooses to lay out direction and goals for an organization. The last of these ways of leading is what I chose for the Administrative Council Retreat on January 22.  Here are some of my personal and church goals for 2012 and into 2013. They will take amending and fine turning. Some may be discarded or postponed. But we all know where we end up when we have no clue as to where we are going.
 
Personal Expectations:

The most effective realization of my expectations relies on ways in which you support and participate in them, as is appropriate.
 
** There is a way of sharing the faith that is relational. It is based on developing friendships, which over time may bring opportunities to share one’s faith. It is not handing out tracts or bowling people over. The most natural way to practice relational faith sharing is to do what you enjoy doing or will do. In addition to my relational faith sharing, I will give guidance to our church on this. I can’t say that I enjoy working out at a gym very much, but it is a good place to make connections with people in a non-intrusive way. I expect and invite you to be aware of places and opportunities to be the Church, to develop relationships that will enable you to share your faith. It is true that when we reach out to others through the love of Christ, our own faith grows.
 
** Because I will be spending more time in the community, I will need to decrease other involvement in church, such as attending fewer meetings. I request the chairs or secretaries to keep me informed about plans and dates—which some already do. Other ways of reducing responsibilities will have to be discerned.
 
** I want to start a blog that will include scripture for the upcoming Sunday and will invite people to comment, etc. about the passages so that the worship and sermon are relevant. I need a minimum of twelve people to commit to doing that at least every two weeks. I also will need guidance on setting this up. Let me know if you have experience in blogging and/or wish to read and respond to the blog.
 
** To keep myself healthy, I plan to take a yearly vacation (clergy in this Annual Conference may be away as many as five Sundays—not job related—and four weeks). 
 
Expectations for the Church:
** Install a screen in the Narthex that gives announcements, running on Sunday mornings and other appropriate times so that the number of announcements is minimized at the beginning of church. Guests are not usually interested in many announcements in the service.
 
** Keep announcements to no more than 3 on Sunday mornings; they must be ones that pertain to everyone (e.g., Ash Wednesday services on February 22 at 12:15 pm and 7:30 pm) so that there is no sense of rushing in worship. Folks will need to check out announcements in the Bulletin insert and in the Lamplighter.
 
** Define our mission field so that we are clear on whom we are trying to reach. A radius of approximately ½ mile from the church will encompass several apartment complexes and businesses. It will also include one school. In conversations with administrators of the schools we can determine where we can best serve.
 
** Let people know about Walk to Emmaus (3-day weekend retreat on Long Island) so that in 2012 at least 4 adults will attend Walk to Emmaus and 3 youth will attend Chrysalis. These retreats are intended to revitalize one’s faith.
 
** Offer free coffee/tea one time a week (8 – 9 am) in Narthex/Library. This is a form of relational faith sharing that can bring people into the church that otherwise would not come. This requires at least two people each time to set-up, host, and clean up. We will need a solid core of volunteers.
 
         The disadvantage of putting the ideas and hopes in print is that it doesn’t automatically call forth an interaction, simply a reaction. I invite you to speak with me about any of these so we can work cooperatively toward a stronger parish that is faithful to the Gospel: Good News! On any of these goals, don’t wait to be asked. Raise your hand now while reading this, or say out loud, “I want to help”, and then let me know where you can serve.