Imagine riding a motorcycle. Not just any motorcycle - a drag bike like this one.You begin going through the gears...First...Second...Third...Fourth. Your speedometer tops 100...then 150...then 200. The engine on your bike is whining. The stripes on the pavement have gone from dashed to solid. The objects to your left and right are indiscernable blurrs.
You're holding on for dear life, right? Your knuckles are white - you feel like your hair is on fire. You don't even taste the bugs that you're eating and you swear you can feel the skin peeling off your face. Can you relate to that?
For all the youth directors and counselors out there, maybe a better analogy is driving the church van full of teenagers on the interstate...
In either case, you're holding on for dear life, praying that a deer or other obstacle won't run out in front of you. You keep the throttle maxed out and hope for the best. There is very little opportunity for maneuvering or braking. You find out just how long you can hold your breath.
This is an accurate description of what ministry is like for me right now. We have had seasons like this before, where so many things seem to come together at once and it all seems a little overwhelming. The rush is indescribable - it's a combination of joy, excitement, and sheer terror. If I had hair, it would surely be on fire.
I posted a few weeks ago about our success at inviting friends, neighbors, and family members to church. I've served a larger church and if attendance fluctuated by 50 or 60 on a given Sunday, it was hardly noticable. In a smaller church, adding half that amount still adds up to 20-30% of your worship attendance. That's a shock to the system! Since July 18th, many of the people we invited have stuck around and become regulars with us. Very exciting.
A new school year has begun - the youth and children's ministry are getting back in the swing and we're gearing up for Confirmation to begin next month. At the same time, we're trying to figure out how to get the new kids and their parents plugged in. (now accepting creative ideas)
We're doing something that many churches aren't doing and we're actually expanding our Sunday School to add one or two classes. At the same time, we're beginning to make preparations to add a second Sunday morning worship service in hopes that we can spark even more growth.
The sanctuary is about to get some renovations with the addition of a video system. A new projector, screen, and the expansion of our A/V booth. Our capabilities in worship will increase exponentially. In fact, worship will probably morph somewhat with that capability. We're even exploring whether or not we will need a weekly bulletin as we go forward, or if we can just create a monthly newsletter.
As if that wasn't enough for our trustees, there is some talk about taking advantage of the housing market and shopping for a new parsonage. *If you're a member and you're reading this, don't be alarmed - it's still just talk. If it's a feasible possibility, we'll report to you later and you'll be a part of this decision.
Two and a half weeks from now, we'll have a guest preacher. Rev. Bert Neal will bring our Sunday message and hopefully we will have several people from his launch team as our guests as well. Bert is new to our district and is a "parachute-dropped" church planter. As Bert brings the sermon and leads our worship, the plan is that our church will become a partner in this new expansion. It's exciting to think that our small membership church can help build a new congregation in the next county that will launch with more people than we already have. Join us in praying for Bert and Sacred Praise UMC, set to launch in March of 2011.
There is so much going on that I'm sure to be forgetting something. (Oh yeah, we're doing a new church directory for the first time in six years, and we're beginning work on nominating next year's church leadership) Things are at the edge of control and in some cases, out of control - for us that is. I just keep holding on tight and trusting that God will keep things moving in the right direction and keep my head above water.
This is an accurate description of what ministry is like for me right now. We have had seasons like this before, where so many things seem to come together at once and it all seems a little overwhelming. The rush is indescribable - it's a combination of joy, excitement, and sheer terror. If I had hair, it would surely be on fire.
I posted a few weeks ago about our success at inviting friends, neighbors, and family members to church. I've served a larger church and if attendance fluctuated by 50 or 60 on a given Sunday, it was hardly noticable. In a smaller church, adding half that amount still adds up to 20-30% of your worship attendance. That's a shock to the system! Since July 18th, many of the people we invited have stuck around and become regulars with us. Very exciting.
A new school year has begun - the youth and children's ministry are getting back in the swing and we're gearing up for Confirmation to begin next month. At the same time, we're trying to figure out how to get the new kids and their parents plugged in. (now accepting creative ideas)
We're doing something that many churches aren't doing and we're actually expanding our Sunday School to add one or two classes. At the same time, we're beginning to make preparations to add a second Sunday morning worship service in hopes that we can spark even more growth.
The sanctuary is about to get some renovations with the addition of a video system. A new projector, screen, and the expansion of our A/V booth. Our capabilities in worship will increase exponentially. In fact, worship will probably morph somewhat with that capability. We're even exploring whether or not we will need a weekly bulletin as we go forward, or if we can just create a monthly newsletter.
As if that wasn't enough for our trustees, there is some talk about taking advantage of the housing market and shopping for a new parsonage. *If you're a member and you're reading this, don't be alarmed - it's still just talk. If it's a feasible possibility, we'll report to you later and you'll be a part of this decision.
There is so much going on that I'm sure to be forgetting something. (Oh yeah, we're doing a new church directory for the first time in six years, and we're beginning work on nominating next year's church leadership) Things are at the edge of control and in some cases, out of control - for us that is. I just keep holding on tight and trusting that God will keep things moving in the right direction and keep my head above water.
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1 comments:
It is so good to hear all the things that God is doing through you and your congregation. Looked forward to hearing more.
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