Losing My Job

Hello Emmanuel,

When will I lose my next job?

I've already lost several jobs.  Sometimes I quit my job.  Sometimes I was pushed out willingly.  Other times I was dragged out with trepidation.  But make no mistake.  I have lost jobs.  When will I lose my next job?

In the beginning I was playing the guitar.  I don't have that job anymore.  Now we have not one, but two capable teams to lead music.  And sometimes there is a guitar player who plays just a little bit better than I (just barely... by a smidge.. by... oh, nevermind... I've been put to shame).  The music got better.  I lost my job.

Remember when I led the Faith-Forming Relationships Team meetings?  Some of you don't.  Once a month I would go into a room and we would hammer out semi-complicated issues with nursery and the ever-expanding Sunday School program.  I would get my whiteboard markers out and delightfully draw diagrams on how we could problem-solve and train teachers and get curriculum and make more space for more kids.  I loved that job.

Yeah... uh...  I lost that job too.  Teachers stepped up.  Classes got formed.  People took over leading and managing Sunday School.  They didn't need me any more.  In fact, the FFR Team got so good at it that they split into 3 teams.  You would think they would let me do something.  They did.  They let me lead the Small Group Leaders Team.  Long story short:  I lost that job too.

When will I lose my next job?

I used to pick out music for every worship service.  I lost that job.  I didn't used to manage the website, but then I did, and now I don't again.  I used to change the church sign.  Then I didn't.  Now I do again.  But I won't in the near future.   Sometimes I have lost the same job twice.  Under normal circumstances, I'd call that embarrassing.

I've led as many as 9 Small Groups at Emmanuel.  NINE!!!  I lost every one of those jobs.  I could tell you how, but it wouldn't make this article sound so dramatically tragic.  When will I lost my next job?

In previous churches I've lost my job as greeter, prayer, song-leader, liturgist, youth leader, Bible study teacher, Sunday School teacher, membership class teacher, mission project leader, finance leader, secretary,  bell-ringer, VBS helper, cook and the list goes on.

Some people inevitably ask, sometimes directed at me, 'what does Pastor Joe do?'.  My whimsical answer is, 'I lose jobs'.  The Methodist Church was started by normal people in the pews.  If the United Methodist Church is going to excel in an era that watches the decline of mainline denominational churches, it will be a result of normal people in the pews who take jobs away from the Pastor.

Some don't get this nor agree with it.  It is why many churches get stuck at around 200 Jesus-loving people (or sometimes at 50).  If we are going to continue to 'make disciples', then I need to continue losing jobs---- to continue finding and equipping people to step up and lead so that I can go to the next job...... so I can find a way to lose that job too.

I've already moved into other new jobs this year.  I've stepped in and helped lead Trustee meetings.  I will be stepping in to help lead a new ministry with the Care Team and the Hospitality Team.  I have played a bigger role with the District in helping lead other clergy.  I will be helping the Staff-Parish Relations Team hire new staff after Easter and I am supervising a part-time Pastor, encouraging him to lose his jobs.

Those jobs I just mentioned in the previous paragraph?  I want to lose all of them.

Now don't go too far with this.  There are jobs I will likely never lose.  I will preach (sometimes behind the pulpit).  I will offer the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism.  I will teach (sometimes when you are not aware of it).  I will give counsel (the scariest is when we are in my office... but I do love those whiteboard markers).  And, first and foremost, I will be sure to keep Emmanuel focused on our Vision by meeting with people to equip them to be leaders.  Aside from those 5 main roles, I expect to lose my jobs.

Do you look forward to firing me?  Is there a job that I do that you would rather do?  Or maybe there is a job that you think someone else would be better equipped to do?

Feel free to fire me.  Trust me!  I have a list of jobs in my head that I can't wait to start so that I can lose.  Emmanuel has only begun the journey forward.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

P.S.  We need 4,000 more eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt on March 30th in order to reach our goal of 10,000.  Buy and fill plastic Easter eggs with WRAPPED candy and bring them Sunday.  (I don't want that job).   Easter is coming!

Being 4 Places At Once

Hello Emmanuel,

(Begin dramatic entrance music here)

Chocolate Easter Egg production has begun.  If you've ever wanted to be 'accidentally' coated with chocolate, here is your chance.  Production is taking place pretty much all day, every day (until 8 PM), for this whole week.  Help is always needed.   

(continue dramatic music here)

It's raining as I type this.  Hopefully it won't be on March 30th at 1:00.  We have, so far, collected around 7,000 filled, plastic eggs for the Community Easter Egg hunt.  Our target number is 10,000 eggs.  The altar at church is looking rather colorful as we collect them through the next 2 Sundays.  I'm getting excited, hopeful and excited... (did I type 'excited' twice?).

(please don't stop the music yet.... but tone it down a bit... something more mellow, but not so somber....)

While a lot of attention is paid to the previous two ministries (and rightfully so), I have found it challenging to not let it drown out what other things are happening this exciting time of year.  When a church gets big enough, it finds itself doing more than one thing at a time (gasp!).  In addition, it is expected that no one can be involved in everything at church (double gasp!).  Indeed, sometimes a person has to choose what to do and what not to do (gasping, but not hyperventilating).  Sometimes it means that in order to invest in one ministry, you might miss out on a different ministry (ok.. now you can hyperventilate).

What is the solution to this?  There isn't one because it isn't a problem  It is a blessing.  When mutiple minstries (and sometimes large events) are happening at once, it means you have multiple people with various Calls being equipped and empowered to help the purpose of the church move forward in different ways at once.  If done effectively, it can only speed up the 'making disciples of Jesus Christ'.  Consider a few of the following layers of ministries, all happening at once.

(Cue dramatic music again)

Youth Ministry - they are having a dinner theater production.  It's gonna be funny!  And it will raise funds to help Emmanuel effectively reach youth for Jesus.  We have big hopes for the summer.   Buy a ticket.  Get fed.  Be entertained.  Equip the Youth for ministry.

Legos, Seeds and Missions -  it's all in the lobby.  Bring seeds to be donated to Jackson Area Ministries.  Hungry people are given the opportunity to grow their own food.  

Women's Bible Study starts tonight and is every Monday from 6:30 to 7:30.  It will last 6 weeks.

Staff-Parish Relations Team - and if you really want to get behind the scenes, consider the work the SPRC has done the past 6 months or so.  They have not only hired a new staff member (Pastor Shawn's 90-day review is coming up), but the part-time secretary position has opened up.  They will be looking to fill it shortly after Easter (and if you are able or willing to help us fill the gaps with some volunteer office work and/or cleaning of the church until the end of April, let me know at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com).

There are other ministries in place as well, so don't email me to tell me what I forgot.   It's March.  My brain is on overload.  It's ok.  I'm taking a vacation after Easter.

Until then, consider me excited, hopeful and excited.  Emmanuel is chugging along at a pace that will certainly continue to bring people to worship and introduce (or re-introduce) them to really Good News and then empower them to be the church with everyone else. 

God is Good,
Pastor Joe

p.s.  Don't end the music.  Continue playing it the rest of this Lenten season.  Easter is coming. 

Missing Coat, Part 2

Hello Emmanuel,

If you read the MMP two weeks ago, you would've read about the not-so-tragic event of my wife's missing coat.  It is with great relief that I inform you that her coat has been found.  As expected, it was a total accident.  Two coats that looked similar were mixed up.  All is fine with the Universe now.......   which leads me to this week's MMP.....

There are more coats at Emmanuel than ever before......

...and the more coats there are, the better chance of there being confusion and accidents and mix-ups.  And don't think that it can only happen at the coat rack.  With more coats, there are more people and with more people there can be more confusion, accidents and mix-ups all over the church building.  With more people there can me more ideas, more ministry, more opinions, more evaluating and more.... well.. maybe you get the idea... but if you don't.....

As I mentioned Sunday, March is a crazy month for Emmanuel.  Spring, in general, is a very busy time and it is all that I can do to stay focused on the simple task of communicating (I've often believed good communication is 80% of effective ministry).  Every time a new article was put on www.emmanuel-umc.com or a new announcement was made for Sunday, something else would pop-up on the calendar, expecting word to get out on some other event, idea or ministry.  To be sure, we could've easily had twice as many announcements on Sunday.  It's tempting to do so because so much of what we do this time of year is important in so many ways and we want you to know about how to be a part of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

This causes me to consider what we can do to make communication as effective as possible.  Recent history tells me we will only get more busy, not less busy.  There will be more coats next year, not less.  So how do we deal with such a dilemma?  I have some thoughts about what we can do now and what we can do in the near future.  But if you are already bored with this article (or don't want to read my rambling), then skip to #4.......

1.  Continue to Distinguish between 'inside' and 'outside' information - If ministry teams can find a way to communcate well with each other privately, we can use communication tools (website, announcements, etc) for announcing information that would be relevant for everyone, including guests.  For example, not everyone is waiting to hear when the next Outreach Team meeting is, but they may be waiting to hear about the next Outreach Event (like the Easter Egg hunt).  If the Outreach Team communicates well with each other, there would be no need to announce it otherwise (other than having it on the church calendar), leaving room for communicating events that may interest everyone.  Most teams already do this well.

2.  Website and the Newsletter:  For many churches, the main vehicle for communicating is Sunday morning announcements.  This changed for Emmanuel a few years back.  While there may have been a little grumbling with this change, the reality is that we cannot spend 25 minutes making announcements every week.  First and foremost, Sunday is for worship.  Emmanuel's main vehicle for communicating is the website:  www.emmanuel-umc.com.  This is why we encourage people to register every week.  We simply cannot get the word out on every aspect of every ministry on every Sunday.  Communcation starts with the website..... sort of....  for those who don't  have internet access, there is a hardcopy of the newsletter on the Welcome Table every Sunday.

3.  The magic of the Church Calendar:  What gets on the website is usually a result of what is on the calendar.  If it isn't on the calendar, it likely will not make the website.  And ANYONE can put stuff on the calendar (either the wall calendar at church or the Google calendar on-line).  Those who edit the website (there are about 6 of us), edit based on events we find on the calendar.  'Outside' information (ministry that the entire congregation may be interested in) gets top priority for front page stuff.   Inside information (team meeting schedules, etc) gets last priority because it is expected that teams communicate with each other privately. If it isn't on the calendar, it has no chance to make the website or the newsletters.

4.  Are you bored with this article? Then consider this:  there were 81 people at the first worship service in the new sanctuary in 2005.  There was an average of 130 in 2009.  There was an average of 170 people in 2012.  Boring?  I think not!!  Exciting as all-get-out?  I think so!!!  When you go about communicating the Good News of Jesus, you want as many coats as possible.  However, in doing so, you want to avoid confusion, accidents and mix-ups.  Granted, they will eventually happen.  However, if you can minimize them and stay focused on our purpose of communicating Jesus, we will continue to bring more coats into the church.

We aren't perfect at this.  We never will be.  But I will continue to do my best to equip the church leaders to stream-line the most important of church communication to you.  While I'm finding this to be increasingly difficult, I will not let us get tangled up in less-important matters than that of 'making disciples of Jesus'.

Now.... to find a bigger coat rack.....

God is Good,

Pastor Joe