EXPECTING "And now, you will conceive....How can this be? .... For nothing will be impossible with God .... Here I am, the servant of the Lord." These snippets from Luke 1 remind us of the wild, amazing, unbelievable conversation between Gabriel and Mary. She was "expecting!"
Three of our daughters have been expecting since last spring. On December 1 our daughter Sarah delivered our third grandson, Isaac. In the next ten days, Meredith is expected to deliver our seventh granddaughter and in the next twenty days Megan is expected to deliver our eighth and ninth granddaughters (pray for us...and them!). It's great .... if you're a grandparent. But our daughters (and their husbands) have been reminding us of the challenging process of "expecting" .... waiting, preparation, waiting, growing, waiting, excitement, waiting, things changing shape, waiting, birth pangs, waiting, changes of routine, waiting, waves of joy, uncertainty, "letting go and letting God" .... Oh my, the baby is coming! .... WAIT!
What "new life" are you expecting in your journey, in your church, in your world this Christmas? What has God conceived within your mind and heart...that will change the shape and routines of your life or your church life? What amazing-grace stirrings within you cause you to ask, "How can this be?" .... "Is it possible?"
Is this the time to embrace the work of preparation, the openness to growth, the sense of excitement, the pain of birth pangs, the "Letting go and letting God," and the saying, with Mary, "Here I am, the servant of the Lord," as you and your church expect new life in this Christmas and New Year? It all begins with expecting it to happen and then patiently partnering with God in the New Birth God has for you and your congregation.
Are you expecting?
NEW BIRTH is wondrously happening in many of our congregations. This fall I visited seventy-five of the Vermont congregations that are now a part of the "new and improved" New England Conference. The Vermont DS (Brigid Farrell), and our conference Lay Leader (Oscar Harrell) joined me in these eight days of visits and the Vermont Lay Leader (Evie Doyon) has also been with us some. What a great adventure .... most recently in the winter wonderland of Vermont snow. There are so many dynamic things to share .... so I will spread them out over the coming e-mail....but here are two for now.
- HANG OUT A BEDSHEET....At Monkton UMC they have a sheet out in front of the church with spray paint lettering announcing the "Fall Family Program...Let Your Light Shine!" which started in November and is running through December. Casual attire and continental breakfast are included in the invitation for an 8:30-9:45 a.m. family program that features crafts, children's stories, music, and worship .... every Sunday has a different theme. Before hanging the bed sheet out, they had 12-15 average attendance on Sundays, and no Sunday School. Now they are averaging 50 with a great mix of adults and kids...and growing. NOTE: Do not use your same old church sign to promote things .... people will not "see" it unless it is different and stands out. They also put a "sheet sign" about this program on their Scout Troop "Bottle drop" bin near the elementary school in town.
- BIG SCREEN FOR BIG MISSION....At Mendon UMC, a growing church with about 44 average attendance now, they have put a big flat-screen television on the wall on either side of their lovely 1876 sanctuary. When I saw it I wondered .... are they watching "soaps" or what? No .... they have a big mission of reaching the hearing impaired and deaf. So everything is printed (plus great videos and pictures for everyone) on those big screens. Plus, they are now getting the voice activated software so that the pastor's sermon will be instantly turned into script....and available on laptops for the hearing impaired to read, as the pastor preaches.
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING AFTER CHRISTMAS The most effective churches prepare to have great things happening in January (new small groups addressing people’s real needs...unemployment, parenting, grief support, etc ...a sermon series addressed to "seekers"....a creative Sunday School theme for kids). Have an attractive brochure, posters around, and announcement about all of these during the Christmas Eve service(s) when there will be many seekers in worship with you. Have your best greeters, music, preaching, childcare, and parking spaces for the visitors coming Christmas Eve. (And make sure the bathrooms .... if you have them .... are clean and ready.) Invite people to sign in with names and addresses .... and then follow up the week between Christmas and New Years with a note or call. After Christmas is not a "down time" .... it should be an "up time," .... one of our best times as we follow up and give our best to those folks who have been interested enough in spiritual things to come on Christmas Eve.
WINTER SPA IS COMING Just a reminder, Winter Spa, for pastors and spouses and their kids will be held January 18-20 in Manchester, NH, with Marcia McFee and John Edgar .... and some great fellowship and renewal times. So far there has been an excellent response .... over 125 so far. Even though the deadline has passed (yesterday) you can still register until December 23 at www.neumc.org\winterspa or call Rosemary McNulty at the Conference Center (978-682-7555, ext. 201).
MAY THE BIRTHDAY OF JESUS OPEN THE GIFTS OF REBIRTH-DAYS FOR YOU!
Grace and Peace,
Pete
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