The Youngest and the Oldest
Here is some fun for Sunday's Gospel.
It is a true blessing when you can catch part of the vision God has for a community. What I mean is the fact that through prayer, conversations and time I think it doesn't take long to discern where the future strength of a congregation lies. I feel like I have been given a glimpse this past week into the future of this congregation.
The interesting things is that this has shown itself to me in the form of caring for the children of the congregations. At one church there is only one or two kids. This will take nothing less than a miracle for this congregation to rebound...I have hope...At the other congregation there were 70 or so in worship, but there were 20 kids at the children's message. And as much as they get critiqued this is what I have going for me. So what will it take to create a cultural change with these 20+ kids the next years so that when they are in High School there are actually at church.
Well, the fall has been speedy to say the least. I suppose each pastor has started confirmation already. It shows some fun potential--Here We Stand! There is a sad tradition that most of the kids families and parents are not in worship on Sunday. I actually look at it as a great opportunity.
Starting a Bible study--which is not a tradition--at the parsonage on Thursday evenings. We are looking forward to hosting a small group of people and focusing on spiritual maturity and vision with the select folks who are interested.
Have around 20 visits per month to make to those who can't make it to worship regularily. I have forgotten how much time and energy output it takes to do this. The Youngest and the Oldest--my very own soap opera.
There is a great text study group in the area that I have really enjoyed. There is a great group of pastors. AND I will be meeting my predecessor in the morning as she will be participating in the text studies weekly. I look it as she being Paul(a) and me being Apollos.
Preaching is still a balance act in which I have often felt just a bit off balance. I don't think that I am trying too hard, but rather that I am not able to focus in enough and carry a contigious thought. Well...by the grace of God there is a word of it...
What I am absolutely excited about in the upcoming month is first call theological. I started thinking about all the cats I would see and I feel very encouraged that it will be a great time of fellowship. Have a blessed week. Paz.
posted by Chad K @ 9/26/2005 08:38:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
when you see a snapshot of the future it is tangible, bold thing you can latch onto. using that rope you can pull yourself and the congregegations through good and bad times always striving to navigate towards that future. i think your soap opera will be one of the most realistic ones ever ... even better than 'reality tv'.
is it possible to say there were 70 in worship instead of we worshipped about 70. i think part of our problem as a nation is that we do indeed worship 70 (or however many are in our church) and sometimes fail to worship the one who has gathered and enlightened us. (now off my soap box - not to be confused with the soap opera.)
text study, visits, lots of things to take our time. but they can also be very useful to us as we learn and grow. i have found my text study to be really useful.
i think leland is on to something about the worship attedance thing. we worship god, not the people who come. they are the worshippers. although small, differences in language are vital in our conversation.
vision is great. vision is also hard to make reality. keep praying and i hope your bible study goes well.
i'm sure those kids love you. part of what will insure that there's a church for them when they become adults is simply that you spend time now praying for them, and getting to know them.
i've been thinking about the oldest in my parish who still expect that the pastor will call on them. i wonder if that will be true of future generations. our role seems to be changing all the time.
i'm so jealous that you are doing a bible study at your home. what a great opportunity for teaching and for learning. those people have no idea how much this will benefit them!
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