* Elder care responsibilities to transition effective immediately. * Initial meeting of each group to occur in early December and be fellowship-oriented.
Between now and December: * Identify a willing and able leader for the Dexter group * Communicate the vision to the congregation
In the short term, we can tell people that elder assignments have been restructured.
But how much more than that should we try to communicate? Are we ready to start sharing the vision with at least some of the people? Does the vision need more precise articulation before we do that? Or should the "kick-off" come from a more broadly disseminated message (i.e., from Steve)?
I am inclined to favor a grass-roots campaign. I feel we're ready to approach at least some of the people (those who seem likely to become "core") and start communicating the vision.
Well, there certainly is risk in pursuing and presenting ambitious vision, but I think there's also a risk in presenting a non-ambitious one. The risk with the latter is that people may think, "This is the same old, same old we've always had, just tweaked a bit."
I'm not sure I agree that no one should feel scared or threatened. I know I feel both of those things. But maybe I overestimate what we are actually doing here...
It's not that hard for me to do elder care if all it means is calling people once a month or something. No one really knows, most of the time, whether you're doing it well and regularly (or if you're really doing it at all).
It's not that threatening or scary to lead a [insert cool name here] if all that means is building community. It might even be a lot of fun.
It is scary to lead a [insert cool name here] if that means building community and forming disciples and trying to have a mission to the neighborhoods in our sector.
Of course, God is able, and it will be beneficial for us. But it's still a journey into unfamiliar territory. If God wants to do something new in and through us, that's exciting, but I have to say it's scary too. It threatens the way of life I have, one I'm not entirely satisfied with, but one I know well.
I am reminded of a quote from Annie Dillard:
On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.
5 Comments:
To reiterate the decisions from Sunday:
* Elder care responsibilities to transition effective immediately.
* Initial meeting of each group to occur in early December and be fellowship-oriented.
Between now and December:
* Identify a willing and able leader for the Dexter group
* Communicate the vision to the congregation
In the short term, we can tell people that elder assignments have been restructured.
But how much more than that should we try to communicate? Are we ready to start sharing the vision with at least some of the people? Does the vision need more precise articulation before we do that? Or should the "kick-off" come from a more broadly disseminated message (i.e., from Steve)?
I am inclined to favor a grass-roots campaign. I feel we're ready to approach at least some of the people (those who seem likely to become "core") and start communicating the vision.
Well, there certainly is risk in pursuing and presenting ambitious vision, but I think there's also a risk in presenting a non-ambitious one. The risk with the latter is that people may think, "This is the same old, same old we've always had, just tweaked a bit."
I'm not sure I agree that no one should feel scared or threatened. I know I feel both of those things. But maybe I overestimate what we are actually doing here...
It's not that hard for me to do elder care if all it means is calling people once a month or something. No one really knows, most of the time, whether you're doing it well and regularly (or if you're really doing it at all).
It's not that threatening or scary to lead a [insert cool name here] if all that means is building community. It might even be a lot of fun.
It is scary to lead a [insert cool name here] if that means building community and forming disciples and trying to have a mission to the neighborhoods in our sector.
Of course, God is able, and it will be beneficial for us. But it's still a journey into unfamiliar territory. If God wants to do something new in and through us, that's exciting, but I have to say it's scary too. It threatens the way of life I have, one I'm not entirely satisfied with, but one I know well.
I am reminded of a quote from Annie Dillard:
On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.
I certainly agree it is the right thing to do, and I'm excited about the possibilities.
(And if you think I had that entire quote in my head, let me introduce you to my friend Google :) )
<< Home