We are now fully in the holiday season. After our Sunday worship two weeks ago, we celebrated a beautiful and bountiful Thanksgiving meal. On December 7, we’ll have my favorite church ritual — that of the Holiday Pageant with the Friendly Beasts! And on Christmas Eve, we’ll celebrate our candlelight services. Still, the holidays do not take away from the important work of our church community.
The search for a settled minister is fully underway. The hard-working search committee recently surveyed members and friends about our priorities. I appreciate that many of you took time to share your feelings about our community and share your hopes for the future. Based on information collected, the search committee is developing a congregational profile that will present us to prospective candidates. Calling a settled minister represents a new chapter in our church life. Engaging in a ministerial search says that that we are ready for change and growth. I believe that we are well poised to grow our children and youth programs, secure our finances, and provide loving community for each other. Of course, embarking on this process can also cause anxiety and I’ll admit to feeling anxious at times. But when I have those moments, I remind myself to trust the process and just do my part as best as possible. That’s all any of us can do.
There are many hard-working folks in our community, but I want to take a moment to acknowledge some who may be less visible to us. As a medium-size church, we need strong bylaws and policies to run smoothly. Two years ago, we approved new bylaws. Currently, we are working our policies. This important work is being carried out by the Policies Task Force that includes Patricia Wright (chair), John Zinner, and Barbara Kernochan. They write and revise policies, consult with key stakeholders, and then submit the proposed policies to the Board for approval. So far, they have completed many of our governance policies (affecting the work of the Board, Leadership Development and Nominating Committee, and finances). Currently, they are tackling safety policies. So while their work may be largely behind-the-scenes, it is vital to the functioning of our community!
Despite so much going on around us, I hope that you take time to care for yourself. By caring for ourselves, we can better care for others.
