As the time draws closer for me to focus all my attention on our ministry together in Bay View I have been trying to imagine exactly what that might look like. For one thing, Pastor Kelly and I will have to settle into some kind of rhythm regarding Sunday worship leadership and the preaching schedule. Sometimes I may be simply sitting down next to you in the pew!
I do know there are a number of things I want to focus on once I get my office put together and get back in the swing of things here at Bay View. I’m well aware of the fact that I am where I am today because of the strong emphasis Pastor Lowell Bartel put on developing lay leadership. It’s my hope to both identify opportunities and then offer encouragement to you the laity of our church to grow in this same manner. This can happen through lay-speaking classes but also in simple small discussion groups a la our recent “Three Simple Rules” class. I believe it is important for us to make time to talk about what it is we believe and to hear what others have to say for that is how we grow.
I also want to help identify and encourage our newer members to step up into leadership roles here at church. When I first returned here two years ago I noted at my first Administrative Council meeting that with the exception of one person, everyone else in leadership had been there when I had left seven years earlier! Some were in different roles but basically it was the same cast of characters. Now having been a pastor in a small church, I realize how easy it is to always fall back on the same people but in a church our size we should hopefully be seeing some new faces in leadership every year. This sort of “changeover” also allows those who have been around for a while to assume mentoring roles which is another way we learn.
I’m not sure that I want to organize “a men’s group” per se but I do want to find some ways to bring our men together in meaningful ways. Several of our members recently helped with some clean-up work at South Shore Park so we might possibly develop some kind of relationship that provides opportunities for all of us, both men and women, to do some service work right here in our neighborhood. Our Wisconsin United Methodist camps are always in need of work crews so don’t be surprised if we put together a team this fall!
I also know that much of my time will be spent “making connections.” As I mentioned last month, there are people new to our community that I don’t really know and I want to make their acquaintance but I also want to provide opportunities for all of us to get to know one another. It’s hard on a Sunday morning to go much deeper than “Hi, how are you?” but if we can sit down for a few minutes and learn one another’s story I know we will be blessed.
So there, at least, are some of my thoughts but I’d also like to hear from you. What would you like to see happen here at Bay View that you think I might be able to help bring about? As for discussion groups…what sort of subjects would bring you out? What do you want to talk about? What do you want to do? Think about those questions and then give me a call (744-3927)!
Pastor Andy