Blessed, Not Stressed

Hello Emmanuel,

Don’t be stressed.  Be blessed.

‘Tis the season for last second Christmas preparations.  It can be stressful.  I know.  Our home is feeling it right this moment.  But….

Don’t be stressed.  Be blessed.

Be honest with yourself.  You didn’t create Christmas.  You don’t help Christmas go.  Indeed—and not to sound mean or anything—but without you, Christmas would still happen.   Jesus is still going to be born.  So…

Don’t be stressed.  Be blessed.

Consider just for the moment that you are the receiver of Christmas, not the giver.  Consider that God is the one who is stressed.  After all, wouldn’t an omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God be stressed to fit into a flesh-and-blood human, finite body?  God is the giver.  You are the receiver…. So

Don’t be stressed.  Be blessed.

Yes, I know, you have to buy presents and wrap them and possibly fix food and get to certain places at certain times and get the house clean and……  but Christmas happened in a dirty barn.  The gifts form the wise men wouldn’t arrive for at least another 2 years.  Maybe we really need to re-think how we go about this time of year.

Don’t be stressed.  Be blessed.

Christmas Eve services will be at 7:00 (kid-friendly) and 10:00 (traditional).  Let’s be blessed together.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

New Beginnings

Hello Emmanuel,

‘Tis the season for new beginnings…

First, the obvious:  Jesus’ birth is a new beginning.  It is the beginning of a different way to approach God.  Or, from a different perspective, it is a different way for God to approach you.  It would no longer include a bloody bull on an altar somewhere.  Now there would be a way for you to commune with your God with less fear and with more grace.

Second, the not-so-obvious:  many people will be attending Christmas Eve services.  Some of these people will be those who you could see on any given week, actively involved in the ministries of Emmanuel.  A few will be those who are active in other churches, but are attending with family for that particular night.  And then there will be the occasional visitor who is looking for a spark—someone who is looking for a new beginning for themselves.  Maybe they have become bored with life.  Or maybe they have had a rough year.  Or maybe they are looking for deeper meaning or more fulfillment or… well… there are lots of reasons to want a new beginning.

Christmas Eve is a perfect time for Emmanuel to provide that spark.  It is no accident that, statistically, churches typically get more visitors in January than any other month of the year.  Often times, it is a result of those people who went to a Christmas Eve service, a spark was created and more interest created to come back to a Sunday service.  Let’s allow God to create that spark.

December 21^st at 7:00 will be our Blue Christmas service.  It is designed for those who may have had a very difficult year; for those who feel sad this season; or for those who don’t want to be merry right now.  Some of them may be looking for a spark.

December 24^th at 7:00 will be our Kid-Friendly Christmas service.  It is designed to engage the kids as the Christmas story is told again.  I never really know how it might go.  Kids are unpredictable.  On the other hand, sometimes it is the innocent child that participates in the Christmas story that creates more sparks than anyone.

December 25^th at 10:00 will be our traditional Christmas service.  It is the service that many of you grew up with, that will include the nostalgia and memories of family with an atmosphere of peace and hope.   

On an additional note, Emmanuel has the opportunity to send James Pollitt, one of Emmanuel’s members, to Columbia as part of our District’s Mission Team’s trip in February.  We will share the tragedy that has happened to one particular village and then the new beginning that is being sent to that particular village.  The special offerings for Christmas Eve will be used to continue that hope. 

Let’s move through the season with the intent to create sparks.  It is a special time for God to work in people.  Let Him use us.  Let Him use you.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Getting Re-Called

Hello Emmanuel,

My car has been recalled…. 3 times.  And GM wants to make sure I get it fixed.  The car seems to run okay from my perspective.  However, I get something in the mail every couple of weeks about getting the HHR in to the dealership.  The ignition is evidently bad and the power steering needs to be fixed too.  I’m going to get it done.  I’m impressed how GM has been so persistent, though.  They must truly care about my safety…. or something.

It’s going to be a major inconvenience.  Kim will need to take the Honda to work which will leave me at home with no car.  It will take about 5 hours to get everything fixed.  But when it is done, the car will have a new ignition and better power steering.  And GM will stop bugging me.

‘Tis the season to be re-Called.  Has God been bugging you?  Most likely, there is something broke.  Everything might seem to be working okay from your perspective.  However, God has a way of wanting life to be better than just okay.   It may be inconvenient to get worked on.  It may be taking time out to do things you don’t want to do.

But if you listen to the re-Call, you might find out that life has something better to offer.  Take the time this season to do some special listening and some special doing.  Life might get something new.  And God may stop bugging you.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

When I Was A Kid....

Hello Emmanuel,

School is closed.  I don’t understand it.  So much is wrong with this picture…

First, I look outside and I barely see any snow.  It isn’t even cold snow.  It’s luke-warm.  A half a degree warmer and it would be all rain.  When I was a kid, snow was cold.  It was rock-hard ice that fell from the sky.  We had to carry band-aids with us when it snowed to cover up the scratches caused by the snowflakes.  This isn’t snow.  It’s really a bit embarrassing.  My kids should be embarrassed. 

Secondly, the automated one-call system is borderline evil.  Not only do the kids get to sleep in, but I have to wake up to answer the 3 phones that ring because the school system wants parents to NOT sleep in.  And when I’m awake, I’m awake.  When I was a kid, I had to get out of bed, walk across a cold floor and turn on a thing called a radio to see what was going on.  My parents didn’t have to wake up to come tell me that school was closed. 

So I sit here at 6:27 AM when I should be sleeping.  Instead, I’m typing this article, taking advantage of the opportunity to vent, but also to reminisce about how my generation is so much tougher.

But isn’t that the way it is supposed to go?  Don’t we always think that kids have it easier than we did?  Unfortunately, what we don’t think about is what kids have to deal with today that we didn’t.  For example, privacy is at a premium.  With social media as it is, your life is much more accessible.  And rumors fly around in a matter of seconds, not hours.  The pressure to perform might be a bit different too.  We want to make our kids the next multi-millionaire football or baseball or basketball player (and I thought that when Pete Rose signed that $100,000 contract, he was rich).  Kids play one sport year around and are pushed more to excel.  And I won’t even begin to talk about the changes in college education.  Spending 25% of your working life to just pay back student loans seems to put into question the validity of many college degrees.

The truth is that life is never easy.  Progress only brings different stressors, not less.  There is, however, a common reality:  God is still God.  This is what we should teach our kids (and many adults too).  The debate on who had it tougher isn’t the right way to spend our energy.  The right way is to communicate the presence of the Divine in our lives…..

 because without Him, life is tougher for everyone.

I’m going back to bed…. (and banging on my kids’ doors along the way)

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Peer Learning

Hello Emmanuel,

How willing are you to learn?

I’m in 3 cluster groups—a small group of pastors that spend time sharing with each other the trials, tribulations and celebrations of this job we call Ordained Ministry.  The 3 groups are very different from one another.  One group is getting coached by a pastor from the Baltimore, Maryland area.  We meet every month and go through a set list of questions designed to guide us to be better pastors for our respective churches.  Another group is a group that I lead--a group of area pastors that get together to discuss Ministry Plans (yes, I share the circle chart with EVERYONE).  And a third group is a District-wide group of cluster leaders that discuss leadership development issues among clergy.

How willing are you to learn?

Being a part of a peer group is not easy for me.  For it to be worth my time, I need to talk about what I’m not good at and listen to how I can get better.  I need to admit out loud that I have areas of my job that are flawed.  I have to consider that someone else in the group might know more than I do and listen to what they have to say without getting defensive. 

The truth is that pastors have egos.  They spend 98% of their time being in charge of a congregation’s spiritual journey.  They become well-rounded, too, by delving into money issues, property issues, worship issues, multi-media issues and educational issues and so on.  They get used to being the decision-maker or teacher on most occasions.

……thus the difficulty of sitting in a circle of peers and learning.  How willing are you to learn?

In the end, I always like peer group learning (though 3 groups might be a bit much).  I like it because I know that being humble is paramount to being a good leader (Jesus said so).  I like it because it is the moments when I am reminded that I am not on an island alone in my struggles.  I like it because I get new ideas or get helped reforming old ideas.  I like it because I also get to make friends and be in community beyond the scope of the local church. 

How willing are you to learn?  Peer learning isn’t just for pastors.  Emmanuel has many areas of ministry designed to be places of learning (worship, Sunday school, bible study, small groups, etc).  Or maybe your peer learning happens at your job too.  In whatever context it may be, I encourage you to be willing to learn from those around you.

And if you aren’t willing to learn, then consider that the church may not be for you.  Jesus didn’t come to save the righteous.  He came to save the lost.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Finding God's Smiles

Hello Emmanuel,

Well, the weekend is over.  It’s a weekend that the family has been looking forward to for almost a year… or a decade.  Our oldest daughter, Leah, married her high school sweetheart, Zach, after dating for almost 10 years.  Lots of details went into the planning.  It went great, if I do say so myself.  It rivaled even the best of weddings that I’ve seen over the years.  No one passed out.  The best man didn’t forget the rings.  The pastor didn’t get the names wrong (whew!).  And the bride’s mom didn’t give the pastor a hard time.

What are you planning for?

Think about it.  Most wedding ceremonies are around 30 minutes.  At most, a service might last 1 or 2 hours.  Still, the planning that goes into one is measured in months or years.  Would anyone consider that this is a bit over-the-top?  It could go unsaid that some evidently put more time planning the ceremony than they do planning the marriage.  Some of the most beautiful ceremonies could be had to celebrate a marriage that dissolves within a few years.  In my mind, something isn’t right with this.

What are you planning for?

There are aspects of life that God says is more important than others.  Do your priorities match God’s?  Weddings are important in God’s mind, but marriages or infinitely more important.  Funerals are important in God’s mind, but living is much more important.  Having church is important to God.  Being the Church is much more important to God.  Feeding the hungry is important to God.  Feeding the soul is more important.  Having clean clothes for your kids is important.  Having healthy relationships are more important.

What are you planning for?

I think that some just don’t know how to plan for the important things.  Maybe it is because they were never taught how.  Or maybe there is too much fear behind the planning—that if things go wrong it will hurt too much.  I encourage you to plan for the things that are important to God.  I won’t promise you that life will be better, but I will promise you that the substance of life becomes more meaningful.  And when things go well, it will be thicker and richer and more fulfilling. 

Blessings in life are found in places where God’s smiles are also found.  Go look for God’s smiles.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Today Isn't Monday

Hello Emmanuel,

This is another edition of the Monday Morning Pulpit (MMP).  Today, however, is not Monday.  Nor did I think about writing this on Monday.  Nor did I remember that I forgot on Monday.  Indeed, nothing about Monday is included in this edition of the MMP (except the title… which is incredibly misleading).

This leads me to the theme for today (which isn’t a Monday).  What label would you give yourself and do you live up to that label?  I’m not talking about labels that other people give you.  Often times those labels are wrong or misleading (like saying you are a ‘Monday person’ when you are really a ‘Tuesday person’).  I’m asking if you authentically live out who you say you are. 

For example, I call myself a Christian.  That means that I am a follower of Christ.  It doesn’t mean I’m a saint or divine or morally exemplary.  It means I learn about what Jesus says and try to live accordingly (by the way, it also means that I don’t live according to what other people say that Jesus said…. Be it on Monday or any other day.  I always try to find out for sure what Jesus said and go with that.  We don’t need to add any more words.  He got it right the first time).

So who do you say you are?  If we can get a big group of people together who say they are Christian and try to learn about Jesus and live accordingly (without adding any unnecessary rules), then we might get a really good thing going.  There is, in fact, a name for it:  Church.  And Church can meet on any day (including Mondays) and learn more about how to live the way Jesus says to live.  It can be fulfilling, purposeful and lots of friends can be made in the meantime. 

So who do you say you are?  And is it the same person on Monday as it is on Sunday?  What about Thursday?  I invite you to be a follower of Christ every day of the week…. Even if you forget what day of the week it is today….. and today isn’t Monday.

Love God

Love your neighbor as yourself

Try really hard not to be a hypocrite..

…Then go in grace….

See you next Monday, I hope

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Pains Of Growth

Hello Emmanuel,

I don’t like to spend money that I don’t have.  I don’t mind spending money that I do have.  From a personal perspective, my approach to managing money is this simple:  save enough for retirement, give 10% to the church and then budget to not spend more than what I have left (which means to avoid debt whenever possible).  I believe that this should make me a confiscal moderate.  However, in the world we live in now, where we tend to live on credit, I guess it really makes me a confiscal conservative. 

I don’t remember the channel, but I watched a show on cable that had 3 ‘experts’ predict how the U.S. will come to an end.  It was fascinating.  One expert predicted that the U.S. will run out of clean drinking water.  Another, I believe, argued that the U.S. will run out of fossil fuels.  But the third really grabbed my attention, arguing that the U.S. will have an economic collapse because we continue to over-spend and borrow money to pay pack money.

Every year at about this time, churches are also thinking harder than usual about money management.  Why? Because God cares about how we manage money.  How is the budget working this year?  How will we structure the budget for next year?  Can we expand ministry?  Do we cut ministry?  Do we leave things the same?

Emmanuel’s Finance Team has had a fun job over the past several years.  Our growth in numbers has also meant growth in budget.  As the circle chart has developed more disciples, more disciples has meant more ministry.  We have watched the budget grow from $120,000 in 2009 to $183,000 in 2014.  In that time period, the Finance Team has essentially given the go-ahead on any and all ministry ideas.  More and more ministry got done.  More and more people got to hear about Jesus.  More and more people have come to Emmanuel.  God is good.

2014 has brought a different kind of experience.  We have experienced a ‘ceiling’ of sorts.  The expense of ministry has finally expanded enough to match the giving of the church (which is what we should do every year).  The challenge for 2015, as a result, will have a different kind of feel:  not just maximize ministry, but maximize the effectiveness of ministry.  In other words, focus attention on what areas of ministry need to be more effective.  This might mean saying ‘yes’ to some ideas and saying ‘no’ to other ideas.

I ask for your continued faithfulness in your giving.  Also, pray for the Finance Team.  Being a part of the Finance Team has been interesting over the years, but it can also be very stressful.  Not everyone likes to hear about money stuff, but it is a reality in our lives and a reality that God truly cares about. 

God has blessed Emmanuel.  Let’s honor the blessings by being the best disciples possible.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

For Married Or Single

Hello Emmanuel,

Strong marriages make strong families.  Strong families make strong churches.  Strong churches make the pastor look good.  I am a pastor.  Therefore, I am all for strong marriages.

Okay, so the logic is a bit self-centered.  The truth is that while marriage can be hard, God wants marriages to be healthy.  God wants clear and honest communication.  God wants trust and forgiveness and respect.  If you can’t have that in a marriage, where can you have it?

Another truth:  with a 50% divorce rate in this country and much dysfunction in existing marriages (and, yes, even in the church), there isn’t enough of what God wants.

Another new idea is on the horizon for Emmanuel, specifically in regards to romance (insert ‘awwwwww’ here).  Shawn Young and I have been talking about finding ways to provide opportunities for couples to strengthen their relationship.  For a few years I have been wrestling with the idea of having a couples group, but with all the Small Groups we have going on right now, I’ve had a hard time finding time.  Perhaps the time is now.

It isn’t exactly a Small Group as much as it is a couple’s devotion time.  Shawn is still working out the details, but this new program will be for couples to focus on themselves as a couple.  It is going to run from Sweetest Day to Valentine’s Day with a weekly exercise of some sort that will allow the couple to explore their relationship in some way.

Again, details are still in the works, but throughout this 16 week program there will be a few times when couples meet with other couples in a Small Group, retreat-like setting.  The idea will be to fellowship, but also to learn from each other the ups and downs of being in love (insert another ‘awwwwwww’ here).

I will be preaching on this topic on October 5^th (‘Horse And Carriage, part 1) as well as on October 19^th (Horse And Carriage, Part 2).  Sign-ups will begin on October 5^th for couples who are interested in this new idea.  If you aren’t sure about this, I encourage you to worship with us and listen to this new idea.

Kim and I will be participating and I’m sure I will like it…… or else…

Just kidding… I love her dearly….

…..  or else….

On another note, for those of you who find yourselves in singleness, I’m not leaving you out.  October 26^th is slated to be about the single life and the truths and myths surrounding such.  There are certainly perks (There is almost never an ‘else’ in the equation) to being single as well as struggles. 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Around the Circle in 7 Days

Hello Emmanuel,

Around the circle in 7 days.  Can you handle it?  For those who are new to the church (or absolutely refuse to pay attention to my insistent ramblings), Emmanuel has a plan.  The plan is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  However, it’s more specific than that.  There are parts of the church that simply have to be.  And if there is any week to observe how the Discipleship Pathway works, it is this week.

Tonight we practice Compassionate Care as we grieve with and comfort the family of Mike Wright.  Mike fought a long and hard battle with cancer.  He is now with the Lord.  We will be with the family. 

Tomorrow we practice Risk-Taking Missions.  The Clermont County Opiate Task Force will be holding a community event in the sanctuary to discuss and educate the issues regarding the increase drug problem, specifically heroin.  The public is invited to attend, starting at 7:00.

Wednesday is singing.  More than that, it is singing to prepare for Passionate Worship.  The choir and praise teams get ready week after week to lead you on Sundays.

Thursday we see one of the Faith-Forming Relationships groups.  Bible Study is at 7:00, though many other groups meet throughout the week.

Saturday is Risk-Taking Outreach.  There is the Cruise-In and Community Grill-Out starting at 10:00.  It is a time where we simply encourage fellowship with the community and invite them to come and have a little bit of fun.  We want them to know we are here and care about their involvement.

And throughout the week is Radical Hospitality.  I already got to sample cookies in the kitchen for Tuesday night (it’s a perk that comes with the job).  Welcoming people should happen every time someone walks through the doors.  If you get a chance, check out the church calendar on the website.  Fall is here and it has become a much busier place.

Around the circle in 7 days!  Can you handle it?  No you can’t.  It is too much for just one person to deal with.  However, with a church full of the Faithful and a little intentional planning, God will certainly take advantage of it.

For those who help with the circle, I pray you see and understand the rewards when they are right in front of you.  Recognize when discipleship is happening and be glad.  The Holy Spirit is hard at work.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Do You Know That Person?

Hello Emmanuel,

WARNING:  THERE IS STATISTICAL ANALYSIS IN THIS EDITION OF THE MMP.  NUMBERS MIGHT NOT LIE, BUT THEY DO NOT ALWAYS TELL THE WHOLE STORY.  READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Have you ever sat with someone in worship whom you do not know?  Eat at a carry-in with a stranger?  Ever wonder who that person is at the coffee bar? 

How do you help people connect to the church?

Technically, Emmanuel is still a small church.  True, it is not as small as it used to be.  However, a church is not generally considered medium-sized until it gets to at least 250/week in worship attendance.  Emmanuel is at 180.

However, there are differences in the make-up of small churches when comparing 50/week to 180/week, especially when there are 2 worship services compared to 1.  In my opinion, Emmanuel is experiencing the pains of growth and the challenge of stagnation.  Here is one of the reasons why I think so (yes, the paragraph that follows is statistical analysis which doesn’t tell the whole story.  Bear with me on this.  I do have a point eventually).

I see that new people are finding it more and more difficult to connect to Emmanuel.  I know this by one-on-one conversations with new people and by the evidence of the numbers.  The numbers show we are inviting more people than ever to our events and to worship.  Event attendance continues to go up and first-time visitors to worship are as high as ever.  However, worship attendance is at a standstill over the past year.

So if outreach events, invitations and first time visitors are going up and average worship attendance is not, what can we conclude?  One possibility is that people are leaving the church while new people come to the church (otherwise known as the ‘revolving door’ syndrome.  I don’t see that happening at Emmanuel).  In my humble opinion, I conclude that newer people are having a harder time connecting to the church.  In general, a church has about a 6-month window to get a new person who shows strong interest connected to the church.  If that doesn’t happen, it is likely that the person will leave and not come back.

So how do you help people connect to the church?

The Pathway (fancy word for ‘circle chart’) has some built-in processes in place.   People are invited to move through membership class and then join a Small Group of some sort.  This continues to be somewhat effective as Small Groups continue to grow, but not at the pace of potential growth.  The truth is that some simply don’t want to find a connection in this manner….. at least not at first.

Some people just want to establish relationships in a more informal manner.  Some want to just be spoken to on Sunday morning; look forward to saying ‘hi’ at the coffee bar; have someone to sit with at worship; or at least don’t feel like they are invisible to everyone around them. 

How do you help people connect to church?

As you go about being the disciple that gets to know your fellow Christians, imagine making the attempt to connect with someone outside of Sunday morning.  Take someone to lunch or talk to them on the phone.  Send friendly emails or offer a ride on Sunday mornings.  These things can elevate a person’s connection to the church and help them in their walk with Christ, especially if they don’t feel alone in that walk.

I invite you to consider how you can help people feel connected to Emmanuel.  Sermons can only go so far.  Good music can only go so far.  Informative classes can only go so far.  At the heart of the Good News is authentic relationships.  The human being wants to have friends.  And true friendship is one of the best glimpses of God’s Kingdom.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Robes and Drums

Hello Emmanuel,

Rev. Jay Madigan from Williamsburg UMC shared an article (http://thomrainer.com/2014/08/30/six-reasons-churches-moving-back-one-worship-style/) I want to expand on for this MMP.  It is about worship styles and how we are perhaps seeing a shift in trends.

As I moved through seminary and into my first and second appointments (1994-2009), there was a trend of multiple styles.  Churches would try and find ways to appease the traditionalists as well as the modern worshippers of the community.  Two different worship services would be developed.  One would have liturgies and hymns and robes.  The other would have drums and khakis and coffee.  The purpose, I suppose, was to show that any style was ok as long as worship was designed to point people to God in whatever style the person related to the best.

Emmanuel’s experience is rather similar.  Over the past several years there has been attempts made to show both the traditional side of worship and the modern side, sometimes within the same service and sometimes in separate services.  Sometimes it worked well and sometimes it didn’t.  As a pastor, I have often struggled with this tension between traditional and modern, probably because I don’t know which one I prefer (I grew up traditional but my personality leans toward more modern).

You know what I’ve learned in 5 years at Emmanuel?  Worship style doesn’t matter near as much as many pastors and church leaders thought it did.  What matters more is authentic worship.  Sure, there will be those who prefer one style of music over another…. Or one style of preaching over another.  And there are those who see more meaning in the traditional liturgies than others.  However, Emmanuel has taught me that if a church loves people and lives what it says it believes, people will usually overlook the nuances of what they don’t prefer and embrace what they do prefer in terms of worship style.

Pastor Jay and I had a discussion once about this very topic.  What if we get back to a day when there isn’t ‘traditional’ or ‘modern’ or ‘contemporary’, but just ‘worship’?  I personally believe Emmanuel is close to that day.  We have been weaving two different music groups in and out of worship, each with its own style.  And there are days when liturgy is read or recited (mainly during the sacraments).  I realize that there are those who prefer one style over another, but I don’t see it impacting ministry in any negative way.  We all still proclaim that ‘God is good’ (which, by the way, is a modern form of liturgy) and by the end of the service we hopefully leave with a pertinent message and by the end of the week the hungry get fed and the sick get visited and Small Groups meet and discipleship happens.

What I hope I see happening is a focus on God who is at the center of worship and less energy around how we focus on God.  While no church can be everything to everybody, I actually think that is the point.  So why try?  Let’s be the people God made us to be and share the gifts God gave us to share and let the style fall where it may.  And if it is heart-felt and authentic, people will come, souls will be inspired and disciples will be made.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Shopping With Jesus

Hello Emmanuel,

So…. Because I know that all of you can hardly start your week without reading the MMP, I’m sure you are worried because you haven’t received it yet.  So here it is and this is why I’m late sending it out:

I had to go shopping

It isn’t my favorite thing to do.  Indeed, it is last on my list… like.. dead last.  As in, it wouldn’t be on my list at all if I could help it.  I am put into a high degree of emotional stress when having to shop (this as opposed to ‘hunting’, which is much different than ‘shopping’).  However, it was on my list because we had a great turnout at the Back To School Bash.  380 kids received school supplies.  Needless to say, we ran out of supplies.  So I went shopping in the name of Jesus…. Which is almost the only way you could get me to go shopping.

So I apologize for the lateness of the MMP.  Please understand I would’ve much rather typed this earlier today with my iced tea sitting next to me.  But let us not forget the joy of reaching out.  380 kids is more than doubled from last year.  We learned some more lessons this year (like don’t put yourself in the position to send your pastor out shopping).

Sarcasm aside, it was a GREAT day!!  The people were very patient and appreciative.  The process of the event went much better than last year.  The helpers were fantastic too!!! And to all of the individuals and ministry teams that helped this happen, kudos to you.  It is good to be the church. 

I was going to talk about all the good stuff coming this Fall, but I think I’ll encourage us to sit back and smile for a second.  A lot of energy and thought was put into this event and we should take time to thank God who has put us in a position to be a presence in the community in real, practical ways. 

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Moodiness

Hello Emmanuel,

I woke up this morning in a bad mood and annoyed at Kim.  It isn’t her fault.  She can’t help what I dream about.  However, I feel ok with it.  She has been known to be downright angry with me because of what I did in her dreams.  So if this MMP seems overly sarcastic, I apologize in advance.  Authenticity is my main core value, after all.

My grouchy mood is somewhat justified.  One of our cars got towed yesterday for the 3^rd time in 6 weeks for 3 separate issues.  I have a great track record of something going wrong while I’m out of town.  I know this because Kim reminds me quite frequently…. Which is related to what I dreamed about last night which is why I woke up in a bad mood which is why I may seem overly sarcastic…. .thus my advanced apologies.

So I’m using this MMP to switch my mood.  I’m sitting at Panera, getting ramped up on iced tea and getting my mind set on good news: 

-          I had a great birthday weekend (I got permission to skip church, ate blueberry donuts and  my favorite meal; and I got tons of good wishes from many friends, parishioners and family);

-          My Panera card has earned me a free pastry… good until the end of the month

-          My fantasy baseball team has made a dramatic turnaround (7 wins in the last 8 games).  It’s also a good thing I don’t have to pay my players.  Several are up for contract renewals.

-          School starts in 10 days which gives me 2 more reasons (Hope and Joey) to rejoice between 8:30 and 2:00 every day (excluding weekends, holidays, snow days and teacher in-service days);

-          I hear Shawn did a great job editing/producing the video that was shown at church yesterday.  I can’t wait to see it.  I’m guessing it will be posted on facebook sometime today or tomorrow?  Or perhaps on our website (www.emmanuel-umc.com).  Shawn is awesome, but don’t tell him I said so (by the way, the church should get their own camera so he can do more stuff like that… just sayin’).

-          Jesus loves me regardless of any good or bad news/moods I could share with you;

-          And in other news that is related to the last point, next Sunday is filled with non-stop action:

The Back To School Bash is becoming a huge event at Emmanuel.  This is our 3^rd year and it has grown each time which has necessitated changes in how we do the event.  Our need for school supplies is urgent again.  We have one last week to at least double our supplies.  So please bring them in.  We are looking at helping well over 100 kids and could feasibly reach 200 kids this year.

We will also be promoting several children to their new Sunday School classes and blessing the teachers that spend their time with the children.  It will be a time for the teachers to let some of the students go and welcome new students into their care.  It will also be a time to feel glad for what goes on upstairs during the 10:30 service. 

Now that my mood has officially shifted, I’m going to get my free pastry, more tea and do more work starting with several emails that encourage and plan for future ministry.  My 43^rd year is going to be GREAT!  Why?  Because 43 is a prime number and prime numbers = prime time.  Everyone knows that.

Oh… and….

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

I'm Getting Coached!

Hello Emmanuel,

I’m getting a coach!  Yes, that’s right, the United Methodist Church offers coaching to pastors.  I’ve been coached before and it was a great experience.  It is the chance to spend one-on-one time with another pastor who has more experience than I do.  His name is Chris Holmes.  Your Lay Leader, Muriel Cunningham, and I will be spending the next year in conversation with him.  Here is more about Chris:

                                                            

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialed Chris Holmes as a Associate Coach in 2008, and the United Methodist Church endorsed Chris for the ministry of coaching in 2009. He is a pastor with 26 years of experience serving small to large churches and has seven years serving as District Superintendent in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Chris has played a pivotal role in developing the coaching ministry in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. "As a leadership coach, I come beside denominational leaders and pastors to help them get sharply focused and committed to what they need to do in ministry and then lead boldly with courage."

Chris co-authored the Coach Approach Skills Training (CAST) manuals used by the General Board of Discipleship in the training of Bishops, District Superintendents, and Directors of Connection Ministries in the basic coaching skills. Chris has written numerous articles on coaching and serves as an adviser to several United Methodist Conferences in utilizing the basic skills of coaching in ministry at all levels of the church. He is the President-elect for the newly formed Maryland Chapter of the International Coaching Federation and a founding member of the Methodist Coaching Connection. Chris has begun working with Auburn's coaching program in 2012  (http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Chris-Holmes/8585320).

Some might wonder why I should get coached.  For those who are familiar with coaching, it is seen as often used with pastors who are in the midst of church conflict or immediately after the conflict.  This is not entirely true.  Coaching allows for pastors to take that extra step in becoming a more effective leader when the pastor isn’t sure how to go about taking that extra step. 

I’m at a place in my ministry where I’m not sure what more I could be or should be doing.  As well as Emmanuel is doing, I often feel like Emmanuel is primed for something more and I want to discern what that ‘more’ looks like.  Having a coach might help that become clearer.

So over the course of the next 12 months, Muriel and I will be meeting with Chris.  Chris will dive into our context at Emmanuel and learn about me and my strengths and weaknesses as well as learn about Emmanuel.  It will be a chance for us to get insight from a different perspective.  I’m looking forward to learning.

Finally, to be clear, a coach doesn’t pastor anyone.  He is also not my ‘boss’.  He is an advisor only.  You likely will never see Chris.  He will push me, support me, hold me accountable, pray for me and with me, but will never demand I do anything that I choose not to do.  Nor is his job to step in in my place to do my work.  His job is simply to be a coach.  I’m looking forward to learning.

If you have any other questions about this process, shoot me an email (pastorjoe@emmaneul-umc.com).  I’m sure this will make for interesting subjects for the MMP in future editions.  I’ll keep you informed.  It should be quite fun.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Learning Patience

Hello Emmanuel,

It’s that time of year again!  Time to sit in front of the tv and watch the most grueling, exhausting, competitive, 21-day sporting event of the year.  That’s right!  The Tour De France!

For those who don’t know, the Tour De France is THE bicycle race of the year:  21 days of 198 bicyclists riding through wind, rain, mountains and crazy people.  Since it takes place in France, it is live on TV from about 8:00 in the morning until 12:00.  That’s right!  Four hours of bicycle racing!  I try to watch it live.  If I can’t, I tape it and watch it later.

Ok.. so it isn’t quite as exciting as I’m making it sound.  Actually, there is probably a reason the race doesn’t get great ratings.  It’s a bit boring.  If you don’t know the intricacies of bicycle racing strategy, it is REALLY boring.

So I’m probably a little weird.  I’ve long learned this about myself.  I seem to enjoy events that require a long, patient grind to them.  I also would love a 4 hour chess match and have been known to watch the entire America’s Cup race (that’s a yacht race that rivals the boredom of the Tour De France).  So for those who think I’m patient because I can watch a 3 hour baseball game…  I’m even weirder than that.

This leads me to today’s topic:  patience.  I’ve had to learn patience over the course of my ministry career and in life in general.  However, specifically in ministry, patience is truly a virtue.  I don’t think I’ve ever prayed for patience, but I’ve certainly had to practice it.  Any large organization that is made up of people (churches, businesses, corporations, social clubs, political groups, etc) always seemed to move at a sluggish rate in my mind.  The time it takes to dream, plan, implement and evaluate has often frustrated me.  I have had to learn patience.  To learn patience, I’ve practiced patience.

I like to see it as a spiritual practice, though some may not think that watching 4 hours of pedaling very spiritual… or very productive.  However, it has taught me how to cope just enough to not lose my mind.  For those who see me as an impatient pastor, you may be frightened to think how I would be if I didn’t practice patience.  I would agree.  It frightens me too.  I likely wouldn’t be able to lead a church…. Certainly not a larger church. 

So for those of you who are frustrated with your lack of patience, you could pray for it.  However, after you pray for it, you might want to lend a hand to answering those prayers:  practice it.  In a world that runs 1,000 miles per hour, find a way to slow it all down.  When you can do so as a discipline, it will help you cope with those areas in life that you just can’t wait for. 

Now back to pedaling…

God is Good,

Pastor Joe