From the Study...

The Church of Jesus Christ as we have known it for years is changing. We have had to deal with change before and we have done so successfully. In the early part of the 20th Century churches of several denominations found themselves struggling with the issue of the ordination of women to office in the church. In the early 1980s the Presbyterian Church navigated her way through the reunion of the southern and northern branches of the denomination. It was a struggle, too, but we succeeded. Other matters like ordination standards, same gender marriage, and property issues have called us to rise and deal with them. But this time it’s different. Those issues were about the mechanics of doing church. This time it is about being the church. Those issues were about the rules. This time it is about the spirit. Those issues were about feeding the institution. These are about feeding the spirits of the people. Churches need to move from institutional maintenance to spiritual renewal. A pandemic has helped us realize this.

The Session will have a day-long meeting on a Saturday this month to begin the process. Every year we have an officer training retreat to reflect on where we have been and where Christ seems to be leading us. In the past the focus has been more on the rules of life in the church than on being the Body of the living Christ in the world. This year the three who will be coming into active service on the Session are all experienced Elders. They know the rules. That means this time we can spend our time on building a vision for the future of our church and making a plan for getting there. On a Sunday in November we will have a celebration after worship. Last Sunday we celebrated our heritage. On that Sunday in November we will share a meal, burn the mortgage, and cast the vision for our future. The day is November 14. Mark your calendars!

Blessings,

Mike