Hello, beloved of God!
Ready for a church polity deep dive? (Polity is a word I learned in seminary that just means how we organize ourselves)
Recently Grace organized itself under a simplified, accountable leadership structure. The guidebook to this structure is Mission Possible by Kotan and Bradford. They write, “The goal of any change in structure must ultimately be about successfully implementing the mission/purpose of the organization. For churches, that mission is making disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world…Simplifying your structure in partnership with accountability is not about consolidating power; it is about making the congregation’s decision-making nimbler and unleashing lay leadership for more ministry!”
I’ve also learned that this change happened just before the pandemic hit, which made everything more confusing and difficult. It’s even been confusing for our Church Council, those elected members of our church who are called to be “agents of transformation, listening to the Holy Spirit, discerning God’s vision, and guiding the congregation into the mission field in the name of Jesus Christ” so we spent a portion of our last meeting this past Sunday on a book report to help us all be on the same page.
Kotan and Bradford also wrote, “You may be wondering what happens to all the leaders if they are not nominated and elected for specific terms as members of [Church Council]. They certainly don’t disappear. Instead, ministry teams should flourish, and these teams will need dedicated lay leaders to organize and coordinate their work.”
Long story short, ideally in a simplified, accountable leadership structure, we spend less time in meetings and more time in ministry. I’m excited to live into this with all of you!
All of our Church Council meetings are open, so if you’re curious, you are always welcome to sit in and hear what’s going on. Meetings are posted on our church calendar, which is available on our website. Here are some highlights from our most recent meeting:
Parsonage Update: The parsonage is very close to being listed and put on the market. The only thing remaining is removing a wet bar in one of the bedrooms and putting a small closet in its place along with some small things like light bulbs and face plates. While the sale of homes has slowed in the last few months, prices have remained firm, and we still expect we will net $350,000 from the sale.
Stewardship & Finance Update: We will begin our annual stewardship emphasis this Sunday, October 8. The theme will be “the Good Life” as we discover God’s desire and provision for us to have lives of contentment, freedom from worry, and joy in abundance. With that in mind, we will share our current financial situation on Sunday as we prepare for another year of mission and ministry, prayerfully discerning how God will put our gifts to work. Mark your calendar for Celebration Sunday on October 29!
Embracing All: Our church has been invited to participate in the Grayson Pride event on Saturday, October 21. The purpose of our presence would be to extend our front door as a welcoming, inclusive church that would welcome folks who may have be looking for a supportive family of faith. We will specifically share information about our Service of the Longest Night, a worship experience specifically designed for those experiencing grief or loneliness around the holidays.
Church Conference: Our church conference will be Sunday, November 5 at 5pm. We will have a potluck dinner following the time of celebrating another year of ministry as well as affirming our leaders for 2024. This conference will only be for our church, not a combined event like last year.
I am grateful for the faithful leaders who were already working hard when I got here in July. If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask any member of our Church Council: Gerri Bandemir, Vicki Busby, Scott Caldwell, Stephen Clayton, Melinda Goin, Janet Hennard, Carol Kennedy, or Clark Krov. I also hope you will join me in praying for them.
I’m praying for you. I hope you are praying for me. See you Sunday!
grace & peace,
Pastor Jessica.