Growing Pains are a Good Sign
Dear church family,
It is good to be us right at this time in this place. God has done more for us than we could ever ask and more through us than we could ever take credit for. Just this week we have celebrated the life of Hazel Hunter our matriarch who co-founded this church in 1949. Hazel lived a good life and she died a good death – that is, she died in full faith in Jesus and she died having left us better than when she found us. This week, we have had many personal ups and downs in which some of us have held onto our faith successfully and others haven’t been quite so strong. And yet the simple fact that we are concerned enough to seek real change so that one reaction we always have becomes something else – something good and holy and edifying – is a sign that God is working in our hearts.
God continues to grow our church, not because we have growth as a goal, simply because we want to be whole life disciples and others want that too.
We are regularly going through growing pains in the life of our congregation. Remember with me what those are so that we can be aware and then do something about them
- Communication: it is easier to be left out of the loop as the church grows. Please pay attention to the bulletin and to the all church emails (if you are not on the email list, contact Lauren in the church office).
- Comfort: Everyone has a prefered size culture and we easily give our comfort zone a moral status. Pay attention to how you are feeling and go out of your way to make guests and new members feel as welcome as you have in this church family for 10, 20 or 30 years.
- Control: Church change and growth results in less control over everything, for everyone. Let’s get used to it. Church is messy. People are messy. YOU are messy.
Let us want the change that Jesus brings in the lives of our friends, family and neighbors mores to keep tight reigns on these 3 C’s.
For the last few Sundays, there has been a very full room in the second service (which can make us introverts feel quite uncomfortable). When you arrive, find someone to talk to, introduce yourself to someone you don’t yet know and grab a seat towards the front of the room to leave space in the back.
God is putting heaven and earth back together and He is starting with us. Amen? Yes! I want that.
Your Pastor,
Robert
