You Are Getting Noticed!

Hello Emmanuel,

Emmanuel is getting noticed.  Your Lay Leader Muriel Cunningham and I are traveling to Columbus on Thursday to meet with the Cabinet.  The Cabinet is a West Ohio Conference Ministry team made up of the 8 District Superintendents and the Bishop.  Muriel and I are going to have lunch with them because they want to know how a church the size of Emmanuel can have so many people involved in missions.

I’m not going to lie.  This is very cool.

It is cool for a couple of different reasons.  First, this is very affirming for Emmanuel.  Healthy churches attract the good kind of attention.  When people who want more churches to be healthy start asking, ‘how do you do that?’ then it affirms that we must be doing the right kinds of things.  Very cool.

Second, it is an opportunity for Emmanuel to expand our Vision—to not just focus on ‘making disciples of Jesus Christ’ at our local church level, but help others make disciples of Christ at their local church level.  We become a teaching church as well as a disciple-making church.  Very cool.

We have around 100 people involved in mission work throughout the year.  The combination of people giving and people serving allows Emmanuel to connect with the lives of so many people who have basic needs being unmet.  As I started compiling the list of all that we do, I became amazed again at the heart that Emmanuel has.  We define mission as ‘Go and Help’.  Here is our list.  If I’ve missed something, let me know.  I probably have.

Missions Team                                               

Traveling Pantry                                             

Inter Parish Ministry pantry                                       

IPM cart                                                         

Jackson Seed Ministry                                                                                   

Teen Challenge                                              

Clermont County Senior Citizens      

Saul’s/YWCA - Bare Necessities                                          

Saul’s Homeless Shelter – shoeboxes

Saul’s Homeless Shelter – food                                 

Back-To-School Bash                                    

Christmas Angel Tree                                    

School Dance  Groups                                               

Home School Groups                                     

Prison Ministry                                               

County Coalition Drug free                           

Camperships                                                   

UMW Fund Raising

Bake Me Home

Summer Impact

30-Hour Famine

Build-A-Bear – Ronald McDonald House

Mission trips – Columbia, Haiti, Russia, Mexico, Ireland, Kentucky

How does this happen?  It takes more than just having the heart of Christ.  I think it takes 3 things:  visioning, process and leadership.  I won’t go into the details here for fear of writing a book, but communicating a clear vision is the start.  Having a well-defined process helps ministry get implemented.  And, of course, you need a few chiefs to take charge and make decisions.  I believe Emmanuel has all 3.  Very cool!

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Teenagers And Our World Relgions

Hello Emmanuel,

I have a theory about the lack of young adults in churches today.  It is well documented that the 18-30 year-old demographic in churches across denominations is lacking.  Gaining momentum in Young Adult ministries is difficult as well.  So why is this?  Some might say that young people are strapped for time and money or that they are simply more mobile than ever before.  Here is my theory:

It starts with how the Church ministers to young teens.  As children enter their teen years, the Church does not adjust well to their development of independent thinking.  We expect a 14 year-old to react to a Sunday School teacher’s lesson the same as a 6 year-old might.  6 year-olds will more likely assume the teacher is smart and wise and knows all the answers.

Teenagers?  Not so much.

The Church needs to be equipped to answer tough theological questions that, if answered poorly, threaten the basis for our Faith.  Who is God?  How do you know the Bible is true?  How does this Trinity thing make sense?  Who did Adam and Eve’s kids marry?

As teens get older, we get less smart and not-so-wise in their eyes.  We need to be ready to give answers that help them explore their Faith, not minimize it.  We need to stop trying to act like we have all the answers and explore our Faith with them.  If not, they will wise up and realize that we don’t have all the answers.  And when they do, it will discredit the Church in their eyes.

The Youth are learning about other religions as part of their Sunday School program.  They are even visiting other houses of worship.  This can make some of us grown-ups nervous.  Why?  Well I think it is because we are sometimes afraid of what they might think.  We know they are thinking more independently.  What if they like Catholicism?  And, heaven… er….  Methodists forbid…. What if they like the Mosque? 

I believe education is a good thing…. As long as we are by the side of the youth and think alongside of them, we can explore Faith with them and show them why we are where we are… at Emmanuel United Methodist Church.  If we do not, when the teen turns 19, 20, 24, 26 years old, they will go off on their own and explore on their own.   They WILL find out that our way is not the only way.  And, often times, the reason for the Young Adult to leave the church is that they have felt tricked to believe a certain way throughout their childhood.  And as some of you know, they WILL exercise their independence.

So if the Young Adult is going to leave the Church, let them do so after we struggle in the faith with them as they are a teen.  Let’s not try to hide the rest of the religious world from them and get them to assume our way is the only right way (some call that ‘brainwashing’).  Let’s have open discussions with them and be the kind of teacher that isn’t afraid of the hard questions.  My theory is that the Good News is Good enough.  We don’t have to embellish it or pretend that it is better than it is.  If we are honest and vulnerable and faithful with our young people as they grow into adulthood then that is all God is asking of us.  And when it is time for them to be on their own, they will make their decisions, which is going to be true if we walk with them or not.

Let’s trust that God will speak to all of us in the Church, including our teenagers.  We can’t make them believe like we do.  But I can’t make you believe like I do either.  And yet God’s love and grace will be revealed to their hearts in time.  Let our conversations with them allow it to be revealed sooner rather than later.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Easter Exhale

Hello Emmanuel,

For those of you who don’t know, this is a big day for me…. No, not Opening Day… 

It’s the Easter Exhale.

Starting way back on Ash Wednesday, churches everywhere start the slow build-up to Easter morning.  It starts with a clear admittance to needing God and ends with a clear declaration of salvation by resurrection.  In between is this sense of anticipation that starts soft, but gets louder with each passing Sunday.  By the end, it is this roar of expectation.  Pastors want Easter to go just right…. to not allow Lent to end with some anti-climactic thud…. But to help people see and feel the miracle in their personal lives.  So much pressure, right?

And then Monday gets here and we let out a big sigh of relief.  It’s as if Easter hinges on how we implement our roles as Church leaders.  And when it is over, we feel we can relax a bit.  ‘Whew!  Jesus rose from the dead again this year!  Made it through another one!’

I often amuse myself.  Certainly, I don’t want to minimize my role.  As Pastor, I am in charge of getting the right ears in the right places to hear the right story.  And then I need to be prepared to listen to the hearts of others and fill any needs of hope and love where they are absent.

However, is the Easter Exhale really necessary?  I try to remind myself that the Good News is Good enough.  Does it need much embellishment?  Do we church leaders really need to work hard at helping the Good News look Good?  Or do we see ourselves as a little too important at times?

I don’t always know the answer to the above questions.  On one side is a sovereign God whose story is etched in stone (or printed on paper) through the eons and has trumped any human effort to silence its effects.  On the other side is the human tendency to become desensitized to the miraculous triumph of Christ and yawn through another Easter morning. 

Somewhere in the middle of the two sides is the church whose job it is to proclaim the miracle.  The church finds itself on this balance between seeing itself as the important messenger of God, but not seeing itself as so important that it becomes the Message.  Maybe that is why it is tiring work for me.  Striking that balance is not always so easy. 

So this Easter season I will exhale again.  But in the midst of exhaling, let’s not lose perspective on who we are and our role.  We must continue to reach out, welcome, inspire, teach and send forth.  We need to find new and innovative ways to keep from becoming desensitized to a Divine message of new life.  And as we do so, let’s keep our eyes on the Divine as the humble servants we are called to be. 

Another Easter Sunday has passed.  God is the Good One.  Let’s point people to Him.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Passing the Torch

Hello Emmanuel,

Keep your spiritual fervor…..

I talked a bit about it yesterday, but I want to focus on one specific ministry that helps me keep mine:  Confirmation Class.  One of the specific roles of the pastor is to lead a Confirmation Class every year.  It is a class that is offered to youth who are ready to explore the more committed prospect of being a church member and also to be baptized (or confirm the vows made at their baptism if they were baptized previously).

Every time I lead Confirmation I am reminded of my own confirmation.  As a youth, Pastor Mark would attempt to teach me all about the church and why it is a blessing to be a part of a community of faith.  To be honest, most of it was either over my head or seemed insignificant to me.  However, over time, I recognized that Pastor Mark was helping lay the foundation for deeper questions and answers as I grew into adulthood. 

For my part, my hope is to give the youth a chance to retain some of the very basic components of church life and theology.  We’ve gone over the 6 basic beliefs of United Methodism; the 5 vows of church membership; and of course we went over the Discipleship Pathway of Emmanuel (i.e. Circle Chart) over and over again.  If I can get 12 and 13 year olds to retain those components then I will take it.

But it’s more than that.  I am able to watch the very beginnings of independent theological thinking.  As youth begin to think independently of their parents (something that is both a blessing and a curse for parents), I am able to observe the innocence of asking impossible questions and yet the most obvious of questions.  How do we know God is real?  Why is the Bible the Word of God?  What is the Trinity?  What is a Sacrament?  Is the Holy Spirit a ‘He’?  Or an ‘it’? 

Will the 2 months of classes be remembered by the students?  Will they retain all of what I’ve taught as the vital components of being church members?  Maybe…. And maybe not.  (I wonder how many adult members would pass a test).  However, what is just as valuable in my eyes with the knowledge of being the church, is the realization that there is a community of people willing to walk with them in their journey of faith….. starting from the very beginning and going to the very end.  I pray the youth recognize this to some degree and will realize it more as they mature in the faith.

If so, then that is partly of what helps me keep my spiritual fervor.  Passing on the Church to the next generation is among the greatest Calls that we can fill.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

From Welcomed to Welcoming

Hello Emmanuel,

From being welcomed to doing the welcoming…….

Fitting into a new group can always be an anxious time.  Church is no different.  As many of you know, I am very sensitive to new visitors when they attend worship.  They are often there to decide if Emmanuel is a church for them.  I do what I can to help them feel welcomed and comfortable, but not overwhelmed or pressured. 

The next early step in the discipleship process is attending the Roots class.  Once a person has returned over a period of weeks or months, they are invited to attend the 3-hour class to learn more about Emmanuel--our core values, principles and overall vision of who we try to be for God.  Some decide to take the class.  Others are content to just attend on Sunday and be peripherally involved.  Either option is ok.  However, once the class is taken, they are given the option of joining the church.

But then what?  The next early step in the discipleship process is a step Emmanuel has been working on.  People at Emmanuel don’t always find their niche right away.  Some struggle to figure out where they can fit in; what ministry to be involved in; how to connect to other people in the church; etc.  If a new person or new member cannot find their place, it can be very discouraging and frustrating.  Some may eventually even fall away and go look for a different church.

While Emmanuel cannot be everything to everybody, we could do a better job guiding people along in the discipleship process…. Especially for those who specifically express interest in getting more involved.  Well, we will now have a class that may do exactly that.

‘Grow’.  It is a 6-week class designed to integrate John Wesley’s theology with the overall vision of Emmanuel.  It explores the church, but also explores personal faith and attempts to connect the two.  By connecting personal faith and church vision, a person has the opportunity to see where they are Called and by what avenue they can live out that Call at Emmanuel.

Now for those who think this class is only for the newer people, think again.  God has a habit of opening new doors also for those long-established church members who may feel the need for a shift in their church life.  More than once has a church member come to me to express some discomfort or uneasiness or even burnout regarding their place in the church.  ‘Grow’ is for you too. 

And for those who feel good about where you are?  ‘Grow’ will be a good refresher course on the vitality of our faith in the context of being the church. 

Vicky Hensley will be teaching this new class starting April 16^th.  The class will be on Thursday evenings, 7:00-8:30.  There is a short and easily read book involved for $10.  If you are interested in the class, you can email Vicky at sewblessed@fuse.net. 

I’m excited about this next new step.  Finding your place in the church is not always an easy thing to do.  We want to help you as much as we can.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Having Fun Yet?

Hello Emmanuel,

Are you having fun yet?

Of all people, pastors should know how much work goes into being the church.  Attending meetings, planning, practicing, studying, evaluating, conflict management, returning phone calls, counseling, sermon prep, writing emails… on and on.  It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks of being the church.  Not just pastors, but other church leaders can get caught too.  Not only do other leaders have church tasks to get done, but they also have their regular Monday through Friday jobs, family schedule to manage, etc; 

So the question is a valid one:  Are you having fun?

Last week I made an intentional effort to smell some of the roses that are going on at Emmanuel.  What are the qualities of the church that we can look at and smile about?  What are we having fun with?  God isn’t a fuddy duddy (You think creating the platypus wasn’t fun?).  Why should we not have fun?

2 new Small Groups got started last week; 7 people have joined the church already in 2015; the choir is attempting an Easter cantata; I’m changing my sermon delivery for the 1^st time in 13 years; a brand new copier is sitting in the office; Confirmands are making their banners……

I try to not take myself too seriously, maybe to a fault.  I know that some perceive me as the ‘holy man’ of the church that has the role of blessing others and discouraging unholy behaviors when they occur.  Maybe some need to have that person available to them.  I don’t know if I’m that or not.  Maybe I am at some sort of informal level.  However, I do know that Jesus had to have some sort of laugh….had to have fun at some point during his days.  I know, I know, Scripture makes no mention of it.  Scripture makes no mention of a lot of things we believe were true about Jesus.  I need to believe that Jesus wasn’t a fuddy duddy either (after all, wouldn’t you think walking on water and scaring the you-know-what out of the disciples wasn’t at least a little bit fun(ny)?

So are you having fun?  What isn’t fun about chocolate Easter Eggs or watching hundreds of kids trip over each other to gather 10,000 plastic eggs?  What isn’t fun about legos (coming real soon) or singing catchy songs or movie nights or euchre tourneys or……

Easter is coming.  Life is good.  Don’t forget to stop and see it from time to time.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe

Is It 2016 Yet?

Hello Emmanuel,

It is already March.  Wow.  How time flies when you are … ummm… having… ummm….

Ok… so January and February was not all that fun (aside from a week vacation).  It has been too cold, too gray and too many funerals.  The count is now up to eight.  I did 3 all of 2014.  So there has been an obvious theme to 2015 so far.  I told Kim I am ready for 2016 now…. Except….

Easter is coming…. 

Life seems to show up just in time to save the day… or in this case, the year.  I don’t know if it was intentional, but planning Easter to coincide with Spring was brilliant (at least for this hemisphere).  As drab as it has been, I know that green and sunshine and smells of new growth and baseball are very close.  And Jesus will once again show us that life can come from death.  Faith will get a shot in the arm.  I will be very excited again.

So how are you preparing for new life?  While the Lenten season certainly encourages us to prepare for starting all over again with God, I’m not sure we are always focused enough on what new life really means.  As a church, we do get busy with the Easter season, but do we spend enough time sitting still and ponder the upcoming emptiness of the tomb?  And when it happens, do we find that moment on Easter day to allow the drab colors of Winter and Lent to be washed away?

I hear a lot about people who struggle through the Winter.  I’m not sure I hear enough Easter cheer to counterbalance the blahs.  Lent is not only a time to get right with God.  Lent is also a time to anticipate the moment when God makes it right with us.  How do you anticipate?

Emmanuel has opportunity.  The choir is preparing a cantata for Easter.  If you can sing, join us Wednesdays at 7:00.  New Small Groups are getting started.  If you want to connect with people in the church, let me know.  A new class is going to be taught about finding your niche in the church.  If you want to find your niche, let me know.  10,000 Easter eggs need to be filled with candy and we need servants for the April 4^th hunt.  Thousands of chocolate eggs need to be created.  The basement of the church is waiting for the arrival of many.

How are you anticipating God working miracles again?  Let me know if you need help figuring it out.  It’s already March.  Easter is coming.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe