The Happy Transformation!

Today I want to share with you a wonderful transformation that's happening in our church this fall. A multitude of people have come forward to create and lead new events and programs. This happened all at once, without real prompting or coordination from me. It's been a spontaneous outburst of ministry led by our people! Check out some of the activities:

• A Tuesday night craft group formed and led by Rosanna Cartwright where women from around the community gather, work on craft projects (individually and together), and share about their lives and faiths.
• A Thursday night catechism study led by Jennifer Parkins and Rosanna Cartwright (with a little help from yours truly in the theological department) complete with homemade prayer necklaces.
• A Wednesday night high school "God Group" full of discussion and fellowship led by Miranda Carter.
• A group for support of those grieving the loss of loved ones led by Susan Rigg.
• An Advent/Christmas worship planning group (bursting with ideas for November and December already) led by Phyllis Kanikkeberg
• A pre-school Sunday School class with curriculum researched and designed by Erika Grieser, a corresponding 1st-5th grade group with curriculum by Rosanna Cartwright with help from church members, and a 6th-8th grade group formed around finding faith in music submitted by the students from their iPod play lists.
• A new group called "Theology on Tap" starts in November. It will meet at people's houses and center around God talk accompanied by beverages from our church's fine homemade beer crafters...kind of a Bible Study for people who don't like Bible Studies!
• Music on most Sundays chosen by the people who share it along with a new hymn-based liturgy designed in large part by Louise Marone, our organist.
• The very website you're reading, created by Patrick Adams and friends.

Believe me, I could not be happier about this explosion of creative ministry! My first few years here were a difficult balancing act between people who had the gifts and skills to do this kind of thing and people who had strong faiths of their own and strong ideas about how the church should be. I spent a fair amount of my time trying to referee, encouraging our blossoming new leaders while trying to placate (and in some cases make space between) the old. The end result was me feeling like I had to shepherd most events to make sure that nobody said the wrong thing to the folks who were trying to lead in a different way and to make sure those new leaders navigated the minefield successfully. Serving as the barrier was stressful and ultimately fruitless. The other shoe would always drop, someone would say something, and people got ground down and discouraged...especially me. For years it felt like despite all of the effort and great intentions, things didn't really change. I suspect that was the ultimate intent behind it all.

I don't know about you, but I much prefer this new way of doing things! All it takes is a "YES!" to these bright, young ministry leaders and a promise that nobody's going to tell you "We don't do that here." The shackles are off and people are free to be as brilliant as God made them! It's no accident that these things happened all at the same time. That simple, powerful "YES!" has revitalized our church and people feel it.

I want to thank everyone who is doing these ministries and those who will lead more that are coming around the corner. (Yes, we've got so many now we had to put some off until later!) I also want to encourage everybody in the church to support these ministries by participation, through prayer, and by affirming that glorious "YES!" What a place this is turning into! We are a living example that change can be great! Be happy about what God is doing in our church today. I know I am!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)