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Dear Friends:
Our finances and structure will change in June. And we need your help to do the correctly.
The manner in which we have been doing ministry for the past six years will not be sustainable beyond June 30, simply because the design we have been using is inappropriate for where we are and where we need to be going. The Session, the Treasurer, the Presbytery and I are keenly aware that if we continue using this structure we will suffocate.
Our mission strategy for the past six years was put in place in November 2004 specifically to secure a pastor-driven program for closing out the ministry in Holyoke, planting a new church and constructing a building in a new mission field. All of us were very successful at this. The ten year task was accomplished in five.
We now need to be equally successful at making our church’s ministry expansive in its comfort the sick and dying, care and feeding of the hungry, and the nurture of hurt and suffering souls if we are to continue to flourish. In many ways this is a grand opportunity. All the energy and resources we put into building a building, can now be directed to service, compassion, teaching, comforting, healing all in the name of Christ our Lord.
This week I will be exploring how to structure our church given our size and financial position so as to advise the Session. But I need your help in this. All of us need to be part of the discussion. Please begin by participating in our Session’s “Designing Our Next Phase of Ministry” questionnaire that was distributed on Easter and is available again this morning.
The questionnaire is asks only five questions. It’s short, but we need everyone’s input. We need to ourselves protect against making inaccurate assumptions from limited input. Answer the questions, drop it at the office, or mail it back.
You can download a PDF version from the website, www.PioneerPresbyterian.org.
Ideas can be shared also on FaceBook; search “Life in the Meadows,” or “First Presbyterian, Granby MA.”
Comments can also be posted on the Pastor Blog, at LifeSparkofFaith.blogspot.com, or Google search “Life Spark of Faith Blog.”
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You bullet three groups: sick & dying, (care & feeding of) hungry, and (nurture) hurt & suffering souls.
ReplyDelete...Considering the geographical location of the church, Granby-South Hadley line, the most obvious need I am aware of, is the Younger Generation, especially, junior high, up and through College age. I would call them the HUNGRY and the HURT AND SUFFERING SOULS...Certainly you've heard about the issue of bullying in S.H. (and it's there in Granby, too, I'm told.) And Drugs...There's a bullying Task Force and I know Lori Souder, pastor of the Center Church is a member. I think it would be useful if you were a member, or at least attended a few sessions...
...Think it would be useful to sponsor some programs that would draw folk into the church...My son Jon said he would be willing to lead a painting class that met once a week...What about a book club or facsimile thereof?...Sponsor a bus trip to attend concerts, Broadway show, Red Sox game, whatever, at reduced price...Something at the Mellon Center...A cooking club...I'll have to look up your PDF questionnaire but haven't got time just now. Best!
It is so true. Great ideas. It would be great to see it all happen. We need to shift our ministry structure to make it possible. The pastor-driven structure we used to plant the church cannot drive the great ideas in the comment. It needs a participant driven structure such as we experienced at last December's Christmas Concert where the role of pastor was not the program manager but the guide. Let's keep the dialogue alive and keep thinking as you are about the things we believe would be of good service to our Lord, and then be shaping our structure so these wonderful ideas matriculate with power, impact and success. Thanks for the input.
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