Hello Emmanuel,
An 11 year-old doesn't know what is about to happen to them. Kim and I both agree that the ages of about 7 to 11 are some of the most fun. The child is old enough to interact with you and thinks Mom and Dad are the coolest people on the face of the planet. They come to you for help, hug you with no reservations and share their emotions without trepidation.
Then they hit adolescence.
After 11 years, their life changes without their permission. Hormones take over. Slowly, their time and energy are taken up by interest in the opposite gender. Mom and Dad's IQ suddenly gets sliced in half. Parents clearly have no idea what is going on and the pressures of school and an ever-changing social life make being a half-kid, half-adult not much fun at all. Grades become more important; the future becomes more fuzzy; and Mom and Dad clearly have no understanding of the situation.
I wonder if Church life is as similar? Emmanuel is going into its 12th year. How do we know if God isn't ready to change us? And how would we react if we suddenly found ourselves facing different interests in an ever-changing church body? Would we get the snippy adolescent attitude? I don't think so. I think we would adapt just as well as we have over the past few years.
I'm seeing an increase in interest. I've had a few voice interest in mission trips (new voices too). I've seen new opportunities to expand our Care Team ministries. I've watched more step forward to teach. Our bulletin is about to get a new look yet again.... and then our Newsletter will be revamped. Visitors have come over the past few weeks looking for something new and different. Even our computer-crash problem might be solved (I said 'might'. Pastor Shawn is optimistic, but I've seen optimistic pastors before and know it doesn't always end well). If that isn't God speaking, I don't know what is.
How do we know God isn't ready to change us? The trick is to be flexible enough to allow God to guide us, even if it means a change in direction. That is difficult. 11 year-olds generally love life. They don't want to be hit with unexpected change. But sometimes it happens nonetheless. Indeed, it must happen if growth is to take place.
Let the Holy Spirit rage through us. The next 11 years should be rather interesting.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
p.s. Pastor Shawn will be introducing his new newsletter next Monday. He will be writing on the last Mondays of the month. I would say that it will be taking the place of the MMP. But, really, can ANYTHING take the place of the MMP? Just be kind to him. His 90-day review period isn't up yet, so he's still nervous.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
I Got A New Job!!!!
Hello Emmanuel,
I'm getting a new job!!! Now before you panic (or cheer), let me assure you I am still at Emmanuel. However, I am STILL getting a new job... or at least I feel like it.
As Pastor Shawn grows into his role at Emmanuel (which he is doing extremely well), I am already feeling my role shift. I want to share this with you because it is important that as I adjust, the congregation also adjusts to the shifting opportunities that we have as a church to minister to others. For some of you, this may not be an easy adjustment. For others of you... well... feel free to jump with joy. So here is how I see the adjustments panning out:
What I Have To Quit: I went upstairs yesterday to help Mary Egan (the GriefShare Co-Leader) figure out the projector/dvd system. Pastor Shawn was already there to help her. I stood around for a few minutes feeling awkwardly unneeded. Then I realized that I shouldn't even be in the room. I have to quit pretending like I know about media stuff (and pretending isn't too far off the mark). If you have media issues, go to Pastor Shawn. If you come to me with media issues, I'll send you to Pastor Shawn.
What I Get To Do: By the end of this week I will have had more one-on-one conversations with people about how they can help be the church than I've had in the previous 6 weeks. This is significant because one of the Lead Pastor's main role is to equip servant leaders to lead. I had 2 approach me just this past Sunday wanting to talk about their role in the church. Awesome!!! If you are looking at how you might fit in the life of the church, let me know. I can put you on my calendar.
What I Have To Quit: I touch base from time to time with Small Group leaders about how their group is going. I recently had a conversation with one leader about curriculum. I had another conversation about encouraging attendance. I had another conversation about adding a new member. Managing 22 groups with this, that and the other is important. What is more important is that I help Shawn be able to do that. This one will take a bit more time because it is a bit more complex than the media ministry. So if you have Small Group/ Sunday School issue, go to Pastor Shawn. If you come to me, I will involve Pastor Shawn.
What I Get To Do: Maybe the most exciting part of my new job is helping you, the church, get ready to grow... uh... even more. I get to help ministry teams find ways to expand how they do ministry. I've already met with Trustees a couple of times, helping them experiment on how to do ministry more effectively. Over the course of this year, I will be doing the same with the Hospitality Team and any other team that needs to figure out how to do ministry in a way that involves more people. So if you are on a ministry team, expect me to meddle. Well, 'meddle' isn't a very good word to use. However, I suppose that a pastor that doesn't 'meddle' is a pastor that is content with the status quo. In case you haven't learned, that isn't me.
What I Might Do Inadvertantly: As I grow into my new job, I will need to apologize up front. Sometimes my excitement of equipping more people to do more ministry will get toes stepped on. I don't intend to be a maverick that just goes around doing my thing, expecting people of the church to move aside when I say. Most of you know I'm all about 'team'. So any 'meddling' I do wil be in tandem with a team of people, especially including any ministry leaders. However, once in a while my excitement propels me to skip the steps of connecting with ministry leaders about any possible changes. This rarely ends well. So I will do my best to help all of us stay on the same page. I'm not perfect at this. I will need grace. But I will do my best.
There is more to the list, but I'll stop now. I pray we can adjust to these changes as we move forward. I truly believe that if we can adjust well, we can live more fully into being the church God wants us to be. 'Making More Disciples' continues to be the end goal. I can't wait to see where the next curve in the road takes us.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
I'm getting a new job!!! Now before you panic (or cheer), let me assure you I am still at Emmanuel. However, I am STILL getting a new job... or at least I feel like it.
As Pastor Shawn grows into his role at Emmanuel (which he is doing extremely well), I am already feeling my role shift. I want to share this with you because it is important that as I adjust, the congregation also adjusts to the shifting opportunities that we have as a church to minister to others. For some of you, this may not be an easy adjustment. For others of you... well... feel free to jump with joy. So here is how I see the adjustments panning out:
What I Have To Quit: I went upstairs yesterday to help Mary Egan (the GriefShare Co-Leader) figure out the projector/dvd system. Pastor Shawn was already there to help her. I stood around for a few minutes feeling awkwardly unneeded. Then I realized that I shouldn't even be in the room. I have to quit pretending like I know about media stuff (and pretending isn't too far off the mark). If you have media issues, go to Pastor Shawn. If you come to me with media issues, I'll send you to Pastor Shawn.
What I Get To Do: By the end of this week I will have had more one-on-one conversations with people about how they can help be the church than I've had in the previous 6 weeks. This is significant because one of the Lead Pastor's main role is to equip servant leaders to lead. I had 2 approach me just this past Sunday wanting to talk about their role in the church. Awesome!!! If you are looking at how you might fit in the life of the church, let me know. I can put you on my calendar.
What I Have To Quit: I touch base from time to time with Small Group leaders about how their group is going. I recently had a conversation with one leader about curriculum. I had another conversation about encouraging attendance. I had another conversation about adding a new member. Managing 22 groups with this, that and the other is important. What is more important is that I help Shawn be able to do that. This one will take a bit more time because it is a bit more complex than the media ministry. So if you have Small Group/ Sunday School issue, go to Pastor Shawn. If you come to me, I will involve Pastor Shawn.
What I Get To Do: Maybe the most exciting part of my new job is helping you, the church, get ready to grow... uh... even more. I get to help ministry teams find ways to expand how they do ministry. I've already met with Trustees a couple of times, helping them experiment on how to do ministry more effectively. Over the course of this year, I will be doing the same with the Hospitality Team and any other team that needs to figure out how to do ministry in a way that involves more people. So if you are on a ministry team, expect me to meddle. Well, 'meddle' isn't a very good word to use. However, I suppose that a pastor that doesn't 'meddle' is a pastor that is content with the status quo. In case you haven't learned, that isn't me.
What I Might Do Inadvertantly: As I grow into my new job, I will need to apologize up front. Sometimes my excitement of equipping more people to do more ministry will get toes stepped on. I don't intend to be a maverick that just goes around doing my thing, expecting people of the church to move aside when I say. Most of you know I'm all about 'team'. So any 'meddling' I do wil be in tandem with a team of people, especially including any ministry leaders. However, once in a while my excitement propels me to skip the steps of connecting with ministry leaders about any possible changes. This rarely ends well. So I will do my best to help all of us stay on the same page. I'm not perfect at this. I will need grace. But I will do my best.
There is more to the list, but I'll stop now. I pray we can adjust to these changes as we move forward. I truly believe that if we can adjust well, we can live more fully into being the church God wants us to be. 'Making More Disciples' continues to be the end goal. I can't wait to see where the next curve in the road takes us.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
Monday, January 7, 2013
New Staff? Now What?
Hello Emmanuel,
Yesterday was exciting! We welcomed Pastor Shawn and his family as a new addition to Emmanuel. Now what? What new potential does this bring to Emmanuel? 2013 has much in store for us. As we expand in staff, we intend to also expand in ministry. I thought I would share my thoughts as to what I see 2013 might bring us. Here are the plans anyway... (and we all know about 'plans').....
1. More retreats! We intend to provide 4 retreats a year for various demographics. There are 2 retreats already scheduled. There will be a couples retreat on February 9th. You'll hear more about it starting Sunday, but I am guaranteeing that it will be a time and place for couples to learn more about each other, more about God, and more about what can make a relationship more loving, more vital and, yes, more fun than it already is. Whether you are struggling in your personal relationships or not, come join us. Whether you've been together for 1 year or for 51, it doesn't matter. It will be a good, enriching time.
Also, there is a women's retreat scheduled for March 2nd. All women are invited to this event. Plans are still in the works, but put it on your calendar.
2. Re-launching the Saturday worship service. Now that we have more staff, I'll be working my behind off to get more leaders equipped so that Emmanuel can sustain a 3rd service. My hope is that we can re-launch by at least the Fall. Stay tuned. And pray.
3. More Radical Hospitality. We are experimenting with a new role: Church Host. We already have one person (Chris Swofford) who has offered to be the guinea pig for this experimental role. In a nutshell, he will be specifically in charge of identifying and greeting visitors who come to worship. In addition to Church Host, I will be working with the team to explore new ways of being the hospitable church God wants us to be. Tackling the issue of parking, especially on the big days/events of the year, will be another issue delved into.
4. More Compassionate Care. Probably the biggest challenge for a church of Emmanuel's size is being attentive to the regular attenders of the church. A problematic dynamic in a growing church is that as it gets bigger, intimacy can be lost. When that family feel is lost in the worship setting, people can fall away for various reasons. Communicating illnesses and surgeries become more complicated. People may not missed when they are absent for long periods of time. Not everyone knows everyone else. As a result, sometimes the opportunity to show Care is missed. While some people are very understanding of this problematic dynamic, others can get hurt feelings. This contributes to what is known as 'The Revolving Door'. People come to the church as quickly as people drop away from the church. In my opinion, this is a big reason why it is difficult for churches to get through that dreaded '200 barrier'.
The solution? It isn't an easy one. Finding a multi-layered approach to being attentive to worshippers is the best way to go. As part of the approach, I believe Small Groups will play a very important role in part of the solution. Leaders who are involved in Small Groups will, over time, become that 'family feel' for many individuals. Leaders communicating with other leaders will be paramount when it comes to care. Because 35% of Emmanuel is involved in Small Groups, it gives us a great start!
5. I will also be looking at how teams implement ministry and considering different approaches. The purpose is to explore Emmanuel's organizational structure and function and to see if it is equipped for growth or if is only equipped for maintaining what we have now. There is already a experiment in the works with the Trustees in re-looking at how we implement ministry. As I work with them over the next few months, we may be able to develop an approach that allows for more people to be more involved in transforming lives. And the more people we can get invovled in taking ownership of being the church, the more disciples that can be made.
The list is longer, but I will stop now. There is a whole other world to be explored in Youth/Children ministries; tweaks to be made in Outreach, Missions, Finance, etc; Suffice it to say, I am excited. I feel like a new job has opened up for me and for Emmanuel. I invite you to share in my excitement.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
Yesterday was exciting! We welcomed Pastor Shawn and his family as a new addition to Emmanuel. Now what? What new potential does this bring to Emmanuel? 2013 has much in store for us. As we expand in staff, we intend to also expand in ministry. I thought I would share my thoughts as to what I see 2013 might bring us. Here are the plans anyway... (and we all know about 'plans').....
1. More retreats! We intend to provide 4 retreats a year for various demographics. There are 2 retreats already scheduled. There will be a couples retreat on February 9th. You'll hear more about it starting Sunday, but I am guaranteeing that it will be a time and place for couples to learn more about each other, more about God, and more about what can make a relationship more loving, more vital and, yes, more fun than it already is. Whether you are struggling in your personal relationships or not, come join us. Whether you've been together for 1 year or for 51, it doesn't matter. It will be a good, enriching time.
Also, there is a women's retreat scheduled for March 2nd. All women are invited to this event. Plans are still in the works, but put it on your calendar.
2. Re-launching the Saturday worship service. Now that we have more staff, I'll be working my behind off to get more leaders equipped so that Emmanuel can sustain a 3rd service. My hope is that we can re-launch by at least the Fall. Stay tuned. And pray.
3. More Radical Hospitality. We are experimenting with a new role: Church Host. We already have one person (Chris Swofford) who has offered to be the guinea pig for this experimental role. In a nutshell, he will be specifically in charge of identifying and greeting visitors who come to worship. In addition to Church Host, I will be working with the team to explore new ways of being the hospitable church God wants us to be. Tackling the issue of parking, especially on the big days/events of the year, will be another issue delved into.
4. More Compassionate Care. Probably the biggest challenge for a church of Emmanuel's size is being attentive to the regular attenders of the church. A problematic dynamic in a growing church is that as it gets bigger, intimacy can be lost. When that family feel is lost in the worship setting, people can fall away for various reasons. Communicating illnesses and surgeries become more complicated. People may not missed when they are absent for long periods of time. Not everyone knows everyone else. As a result, sometimes the opportunity to show Care is missed. While some people are very understanding of this problematic dynamic, others can get hurt feelings. This contributes to what is known as 'The Revolving Door'. People come to the church as quickly as people drop away from the church. In my opinion, this is a big reason why it is difficult for churches to get through that dreaded '200 barrier'.
The solution? It isn't an easy one. Finding a multi-layered approach to being attentive to worshippers is the best way to go. As part of the approach, I believe Small Groups will play a very important role in part of the solution. Leaders who are involved in Small Groups will, over time, become that 'family feel' for many individuals. Leaders communicating with other leaders will be paramount when it comes to care. Because 35% of Emmanuel is involved in Small Groups, it gives us a great start!
5. I will also be looking at how teams implement ministry and considering different approaches. The purpose is to explore Emmanuel's organizational structure and function and to see if it is equipped for growth or if is only equipped for maintaining what we have now. There is already a experiment in the works with the Trustees in re-looking at how we implement ministry. As I work with them over the next few months, we may be able to develop an approach that allows for more people to be more involved in transforming lives. And the more people we can get invovled in taking ownership of being the church, the more disciples that can be made.
The list is longer, but I will stop now. There is a whole other world to be explored in Youth/Children ministries; tweaks to be made in Outreach, Missions, Finance, etc; Suffice it to say, I am excited. I feel like a new job has opened up for me and for Emmanuel. I invite you to share in my excitement.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
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