So I believe we are in about the right spot to be having our all-church conversations as part of this “time between.” But I’ve had a couple of questions about practical matters.
To reiterate: our first two conversations will be introducing the process and developing together a timeline of the events, seasons, and people in the last fifty or sixty years. Those will be October 6 and 13. We will look at the community and our context in Ithaca and Tompkins County on October 27. Then on November 3 we will look at ourselves in the mirror and talk about the valuable missions and ministries done for God and neighbor by the congregation. On November 17 we will use part of the worship time to fill out the excellent US Congregational Life Survey, one of the very few normed across the nation and the denominational spectrum.
We will have a refreshment and conversation time after worship as usual, and then we will gather downstairs in the fellowship hall for a light lunch. Part of the idea of that is to refuel so we can work for a while, but just as much to enjoy each other’s company, visit, and have a fellowship time in fellowship hall. In fact, if you have other Sunday plans, stay for lunch even if you have to leave right afterward. Even if you have no interest in the working session, come for lunch anyhow. And if there are recent arrivals or first time attenders, invite them downstairs anyhow, especially! I’ve heard lots about how enjoyable such communal meals have been here over the years, and encourage everyone to show up for that part at least. Children are not merely welcome but encouraged to attend! We can work out rides, too.
Another set of questions have been about whether you have to be at all of them. Nope! They are connected, to be sure, but each should be valuable and interesting (and even some fun) in its own right. We hope to be able to record some way or another (if you have ideas or video or audio equipment to help with that, let me or the office know), and we will have notes about the sessions both to catch people up if they could not be there and to preserve the ideas for the search committee we will be electing later.
And folks have asked me, “How is this different than what we did before?” First, being mildly impatient and easily bored myself, I like to keep it kind of compressed and tightly spaced, hence the packed schedule in October and November. It’s also in order to be done before Thanksgiving and Advent and Christmas. I try to keep it moving and interesting and fun. But the biggest difference is that I keep the focus on the end product: the search for the next pastor. We can do this partly because the good work done with the Gathering process last time gives us a head start on the data and vision parts of the process. But our focus will be on understanding the history and processes and makeup of the congregation and how they relate to the pastoral relationship. Sure, we have to refresh and reaffirm the vision we have of First Congregational Church, but my push will be toward understanding how that vision and the way this congregation functions will inform the search for a next pastor. The goal of all this is a strong, productive, healthy partnership between pulpit and pew into the future. That goal will drive the conversations and keep us on track. The product is not a good study experience or a statement of mission, but a call extended to the right person to work with you to accomplish that mission.
If you know people who have not felt good about the church for a while (or are one), please encourage them to join the all-church conversations. The atmosphere will be honest, but I want to make it non-threatening and comfortable so people can share if they want. It’s a chance to see how we got where we are and find out where God wants us next. Please participate!
This Sunday we have a group of guest singers from a Cornell Glee Club joining our choir, so I hope you can make it to worship. Somehow, the combination of a “glee” club and the joy of God’s love in Christ Jesus amuses me. Hope to see you Sunday at 10 am.
In Christ,
David
Texts For Sunday Worship:
From the Hebrew Bible Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
From the Epistles 1 Timothy 6:6-19
From the Gospels Luke 16:19-31
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