Several different factors have come together at the same time to cultivate an opportunity to make a couple of adjustments in ministerial staff responsibilities that we hope will be fruitful for our ongoing ministry to one another and our community. Amongst the factors, there were two main drivers. One, our Bold Faithfulness and More Than Sunday initiatives clarified a need to have focused attention on interacting with, cultivating space for, and reaching out to our community. Second, Zach’s journey through and graduation from Divinity School and subsequent ordination have underscored and honed particular gifts and passions for ministry.
The first shift that we are making is that Sarah’s secondary ministerial responsibility will shift to focusing on how we can utilize our facilities to welcome in, meet the needs of, and foster relationships with our community. We have named this as something we want to do, to steward our facilities as a key resource in ministry and mission so that we become a 7-day-a-week hub for community. Yet, we have not had anyone directly looking at how best we might do this. Sarah will serve as that point person and lead for this effort. Of course, Sarah’s primary responsibility will remain as minister to our youth, and there is not change there.
We will need the help of our church along the way in a variety of volunteer opportunities if we are to truly broaden and enrich opportunities for community building through our campus. Perhaps you need a space to hold an event for a group you belong to, perhaps you want to offer welcome to other groups that come into our space, or perhaps you know of a need and have an idea about how our facilities can help meet that need—reach out to Sarah and start a conversation about ways you are ready to help our beautiful spaces be a place of welcome for our neighbors and larger community.
The second shift we are making is that Zach will take on a portion of pastoral care responsibilities alongside me. Zach will take on pastoral visits with those who are in nursing homes or unable to leave their own homes. He will also help me in reaching out to those going through a variety of needs that life may throw at any of us along the way. Yet, whether Zach or I are the one to reach out to you, to visit you in the hospital, or to chat about something while catching up at church, we will be staying in touch with one another about what we learn and how we can be praying for and supporting those who are a part of our church family. I will remain primarily responsible for funerals and bereavement and hospice care, and both Zach and I are open to conversations with folks going through a variety of difficulties who might just need an extra measure of prayer, a listening ear, or some good questions to process and discern God’s wisdom in a given matter.
As we continue to live into our Bold Faithfulness initiatives and see our More Than Sunday efforts continue to bear fruit, we may find other shifts or adjustments that need to be made and will continue to communicate about any of those should they arise.
Grace and Peace,
John
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