Friends, the events of this summer have made me think about our growth as a church.  Pastor’s, in the course of their ministry, hear many people talk about how they’d like to see the church grow.  And each person, it seems, has a different idea of what that growth would look like.  Or perhaps, the differences consist more of what type of church they are trying to grow.

We often think of a growing church as one that fills more pews Sunday morning and has less difficulty funding its ministries. But as any farmer can tell you, there are many factors that effect the growth of a crop long before that crop bears fruit.  And even the manner of harvesting that fruit will have a bearing on the ability of the earth to bring a new crop in the next season.

Last November, the Board hired Gail Grossman, a long-time church consultant with the United Methodist Church, to help strengthen our congregation’s leaders for the task of growing our church.  She introduced us to a way of understanding the core ministries of a healthy, growing congregation.

Every church that grows, must do four things.  It must welcome new people into it’s midst.  It must connect them to the community.  It must facilitate the ongoing transformation of their hearts and minds.  And then, it must send them back out, into the world, to plant the seeds which will welcome new people into ministry.

These four ‘core’ ministries; welcoming, connecting, transforming, and sending, each call for different gifts and skills, but they are all essential to the ongoing vitality of a fruit-bearing church.  In our conversation last November, we recognized that our church does a decent job at creating a warm and welcoming community.  We find ways to connect with each other and even to connect with those who are curious or courageous enough to come through our doors.  But we also recognized that we long to deepen our connection with the life-transforming and renewing work of the Spirit, so that those who come into contact with our congregation discover a people whose faith is making a powerful difference in the world and find ways that they can bring their unique perspectives, experiences, and energies to that purpose which we, together serve.

On the Eco-Forestry work camp in July, I watched our youth come to recognize the difference between healthy forest and land being used to farm trees.  They came to see that one is a treasure of creation, with habitat to nurture and sustain an abundance of flora and fauna, with the capacity to hold moisture and release it slowly into ever-flowing streams with rich aquatic life.  The other generates great monetary wealth for a few companies, and jobs for a few people, but degrades the earth and water resources that took thousands of years to accumulate.

Our youth learned to see this difference, not because they read it in a book or heard it in a sermon.  They saw it with their own eyes.  They touched it with their hands and they got pretty mixed up in the soil itself.  That week changed their lives and the perception it awakened has the potential to change our whole community.

Camp director John Jones said, ‘We don’t tend to really live more respectfully of the earth’s resources unless we have the kind of relationship with the earth that deepens our commitment to it.’  The work camp deepened their relationship with the forest and creek at Myrtlewood and their work on its behalf will continue to make a real difference in its health.

Now it’s our turn to tend the vitality of our congregation and its ministries in the world.  That is why the board is inviting the whole congregation to attend a Creative Planning Retreat with Gail Grossman Saturday, October 6th.  It’s not enough for the board and ministry teams to attend.  They may generate good ideas, but what we most deeply need is a re-ignition of our church-wide vision for the direction of our ministries in the coming year.

Churches that grow have something in common.  They have deep and wide participation from their members in the brainstorming, planning, and activities of each of their ‘core’ ministries.  This meeting is not intended as a sneaky way to get people to do things they are not good at or don’t have time for.  It is designed to help us all to see our unique role in the purpose which God is placing before us right now.  I hope you can put Saturday, October 6th on your calendar and let the office know you plan to attend.  We’re planning for a hearty meal and tasty refreshments to keep us going strong.  All ages are welcome and child care will be provided.