June'25 Words from the Pastor

 As we approach our third Dinner & Discernment gathering, our focus will be on finishing the collection of the church’s history. Over the summer we will be looking at what has been collected with the goal of understanding how this community has come to this place in time. You will be asked to consider questions such as:

• What was important to the congregation during each period?
• Are there themes that appeared and continue to repeat with each new pastor? If so, are they healthy and/or promote growth?
• Was there a time when membership was disappointed by leadership? If so, what was the cause of the disappointment and why?
• If there was conflict, what was the cause? How was it addressed?
• Has the congregation experienced loss? If so, what was the cause and how was it addressed.
• Are there ongoing hurts, frustrations or differences that still exist that could be addressed and healed during the interim process?

Small groups will continue to meet as well. As we begin processing the church’s history in a large group setting, the focus of the small groups will be on our individual experiences within the larger community. Questions for consideration are:

• How long have you been a member of this congregation and why did you join?
• Why are you glad you are a member?
• What keeps you coming and engaged?
• Who do you especially respect as a person or as a leader in this congregation and why do you hold them in such high regard?
• When have you felt especially proud of some members or leaders from your congregation? What makes the incident stand out in your mind?
• How has being part of this congregation helped you and members of your family grow in faith?
• What are some examples of experiences, groups, or classes that made a difference? How did you change?
• Are there any annual traditions of which you particularly enjoy and in which you look forward to participating?

As we continue this journey – a journey that you have not engaged in with previous interims – I would encourage you to consider attending. This process is an invitation to participate in the process of visioning and defining who this congregation will be – what it values – and where it will invest its resources. The success of this process relies on the participation of everyone. If you have not yet been to Dinner & Discernment nor a small group – I strongly encourage you to join us. Everyone of you is important to the future of this church!

Blessings,
Pastor Lynda

The Interim Process

It has been 14 months since Pastor Cara left, and while we are grateful that Pastor Lynda has been with us for the past three months, many of us are getting anxious, confused about what lies ahead. In her role as interim pastor, the emphasis of Pastor Lynda’s work is both to lead us in Sunday worship and to prepare us for our next chapter. In addition to getting to know us and working with Session, her main focus is leading us through the discernment process. Presbyterian Church USA and Interim training break this down into five segments:

1. Heritage of the church – Studying how our congregation has been shaped and formed through pastoral leadership, worship style, membership, and community and world events.
2. Leadership – Assessing membership needs, studying those who have been leaders among our members, and empowering others.
3. Mission – Guiding us through discernment to redefine our identity and our sense of purpose.
4. Connection – Discovering relationships we can build with community associations beyond our walls.
5. Future – Building a vision for our future through really understanding our ministry goals and pastoral expectations as a launch for our pastoral search committee.

With Pastor Lynda’s arrival in late January, we are in our fourth month of the process, with an expectation the journey might be 24 months, requiring time and patience.

The first Tuesday evening of every month, many of us meet in Fellowship Hall, sharing a meal and digging into each of the 5 topics; later that month we break into smaller groups delving into each topic more deeply and on a personal level, sharing our thoughts at the next larger gathering. We believe after studying each of these five areas we will be ready to document the foundation for what we as a congregation want to be and form a pastor search committee to search for someone to lead us in that direction. We invite you to join us and make your voice be heard to further strengthen our future.