Dear Partners in Ministry,
TAKE JESUS WITH YOU. The East Longmeadow (MA) UMC gave all their members a homemade Jesus finger puppet last summer to take with them wherever they went. As one of the organizers of the project noted, this was "to ensure that we were aware that Jesus was with us as we vacationed and to take pictures to send back" to the church. A wonderful variety of pictures were received and displayed. There were folks with Jesus...at the beach....at the Grand Canyon...on a hike....fishing....gardening....at Disney...having fun at Vacation Bible School...at the family reunion...in the car after a long, hot day driving....etc. It also created opportunities to share that Jesus is with us with strangers who noticed the Jesus finger puppets....and the pictures being taken. Kids and adults had a great time celebrating their faith that Jesus was with them. The theme carried over into Advent when the whole nativity story came alive in finger puppets. They even gave one to me....(Bishops really need to remember that Jesus is with them too!)
This is a creative, 21st century version of the old hymn (#536): "Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe; it will joy and comfort give you, take it then where’re you go!" There are lots of great (and fun) ways to celebrate that Jesus is with us.....may He be with you always....everywhere.
FLIPPING FOR MISSIONS. Just as the service was beginning last Sunday at the Hampton (NH) UMC, a man started down the center isle. I thought he was looking for a seat. Then he pulled out a frying pan and began to flip a huge pancake. He had everyone’s attention...flipping along....ooops he missed it....laughter....another try....he made it....applause. When he got to the front he announced it was ALL FOR MISSIONS! Shrove Tuesday they would have a pancake breakfast to raise funds to support the United Methodist Maine (Down East) Economic Ministry.
With such enthusiasm and creative presentation of the mission challenge, I realized why this church continues to be deeply engaged in mission...mission teams...working with the homeless....100% mission shares....Advance specials....Haiti.....peace with Justice.....mission studies....youth mission projects.....etc.
Is your church flipping for missions.....lifting up the great mission opportunities we United Methodists have here in our community, in New England, and around the world? Learn about all these opportunities on our neumc.org web site....and share the stories in ways that get people's attention....and involvement.
SMALL GROUPS, SMALL GROUPS, SMALL GROUPS. The Leominster (MA) UMC is finding joy and growth (spiritually and numerically) in small groups. They now have nine small groups meeting weekly (mostly in homes) studying the "Essential 100" passages of the Bible: five each week, fifty from the Old Testament, fifty from the New Testament. It is enriching the participants, the congregation and drawing new people (who are more likely to come to your home....it's easier to get to know each other in a small group....and don't forget the Methodist cookies....or celery). The pastor may lead one or two groups, but he or she should really equip the laity to lead most of them.....a great way to use lay speakers. Think creatively about where and when to have small groups. Here's a list of places small groups were started by churches I served: in the mill, at an automobile dealer, in the jail, after-school "club" at the high school, at the Y, in senior citizen apartment building, a senior center, a youth gym, in restaurants over breakfast or lunch, at the university, in a homeless shelter, in a downtown office building, in "the projects," at a city park (for teens hanging out in the summer), in neighborhood homes all over the community. You can add to the list of possibilities.....wherever there are people.
Small groups were the secret of John Wesley's method for Methodists. A recent study of our most vital United Methodist Churches says small groups are a key to their vitality. Lent would be a great time to start new groups...during the week....or as new Sunday School classes for adults or young adults. Or, as I suggested around Christmas, plan new small groups to meet after Easter to meet the needs of the "seekers" or inactive members who will show up at Easter....invite them to keep coming....at least for a new small group. There are resources available through our Conference resource/media center....often with DVDs to help "lead" the small group.
Try it....and let me know how it goes....what good resources you discovered....where and when you had it??? THINK SMALL.....GROUP.
PPP. During worship at the North Charlestown (NH) UMC, people and the pastor lifted up names of shut-ins or folks in the community who were in need. Then the pastor called the congregation to the three P's: Prayer, Phone, Postcard. In other words, what will we do to connect, build relationship with these people? I would add a fourth P: "Pop in and visit." Clearly this church (founded in 1811) is still practicing and growing through building relationships with their neighbors.
I remember visiting another United Methodist church where the pastor asked people in the congregation to raise their hands if they would be willing to call or visit that week the person whose name was being lifted up for prayer. The list was long. There were about 1,000 in attendance. It was inspiring to see the number of people who committed themselves to "follow up" with a caring PPP or P with at least one person on the list. It could happen in your church too.
SIT TOGETHER MORE. On Jan. 23, the Sunday before President Obama's State of the Union Address, I was preaching in Springfield, VT. The service was at 9:30 a.m., it was 5 degrees below zero, and there was the usual snow and ice to contend with (after all "it's winter in New England"....I know, I've shoveled snow off my roof, too). I arrived at the church about a half an hour early and was followed into the building by an older gentleman who was all bundled up. (I later found out that he is 93 years old....I am so inspired by the "senior saints" in our churches.) "You must be the Bishop," he said. (He could probably tell by my "frozen" expression that I was "from away.") Without skipping a beat he went on, "Do you think they'll sit together?" He could tell that I didn't know what he was talking about...and I didn't. "Sit together....you know the Congress!" "Oh, yes." I blurted, finally waking up and warming up enough to respond. Then with a quiet wisdom, he added, "I think we need to sit together more." How true.
People started arriving for worship...and sitting together. Young and old, the more affluent and the less, singles and couples, the robust and the frail, those who sang and those who just listened, all of our differences gathered together in one place...for the one purpose to worship the one God. We talked about the two teenagers, Leah, 16, and Connor, 15, who had committed suicide earlier that week in the area....we asked questions together...sought a Word from the Lord together....prayed for them...and us. During joys and concerns there was mention of cancer and unemployment and birthdays and hospitalizations and world peace and silent thoughts too deep or private for words. But there we sat together. A young doctor from Virginia had "come home" to check on his mother and her house. He stood, and with a voice full of emotion thanked the congregation for all of their caring and support.....for being the church.....sitting and praying and serving and hoping and believing together.
I give great thanks to God for all of our congregations that gather, as Springfield does, as the Body of Christ, in all of our diversity, One. Through Christ, God has made us partners in this ministry. May we all learn "to sit together more" and discover in each other the gifts of this partnership....even when it’s five below zero.
Grace and Peace,
Pete
