Bo’s Blog

Being a life-long fan of the Minnesota Twins baseball team has taught me a lot about life.  There have been some great years—1965, 1987, and 1991—and there have been many good years—most of the 2000’s, for example.  But there have also been many years that would qualify as “stinkers.”  Those were the times when it was difficult to listen to, or watch, the games.  Those were the times my Auntie Bert would shake her head and say, “Those poor boys.”  But as a life-long fan, you stay with your team when they stink, as well as when they’re great and good.

There are some great and wonderful moments in life.  There are many good ones too.  But there are also days, months, or even years that are real stinkers.  Times when we feel like we’re going through things we would never wish on our worst enemy.  It sometimes feels like it would be better just to give up, and some do.  But it’s important to remember that as life-long fans we need to work, or strive, or fight, or endure, or grow through those bad times in life.  Doing so makes the good and great times yet to come even better.

Sometimes Christians think that they can avoid the bad times in life, if only they are good enough Christians.  We’ve been working through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome this summer, and chapter 8, verse 28 is often quoted for just this purpose—“All things work for good for those who love God.”  But what Paul meant by good in that phrase is what your mother meant when she said, “Eat your lima beans.  They’re good for you.”  God knows that what’s good for us is not necessarily what we enjoy, but what helps us to grow in our faith and as human beings.  And that growth, like adolescence, can sometimes be painful.

So really, as we go through the ups and downs of our faith and of life, it’s much more helpful for the Christian to look at verses 38 and 39 of chapter 8—“For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Now there’s a life-long fan.

Shalom,

Bo

July 2011

This month I begin my fourth year here at Prosser UMC.  Those who study such things say that it takes about four years for a pastor and congregation to get to know each other well, and to really feel comfortable with each other.  Once the pastor gets the “lay of the land,” and the congregation gets the measure of the pastor, they begin to know what ministry they can do together.

I have to say that Alison and I have felt welcomed here from the beginning.  It has been nothing but a delight to get to know the members of this congregation, and the communities of Prosser and Grandview.  You all have been very gracious with us, especially in allowing me to commute during the first two years so that our kids could remain in the area in which they grew up.  Since moving here full-time last September, we have both noticed that traffic in the Tri-Cities is much worse than it used to be.

So, now that we are feeling comfortable with each other, I want to share with you a question that I asked the Ad Council members in June—“Why are you here?”  This question has two meanings.  The first is “How did you come to be here, in this place where you are now?”  What were the events, and who were the people, that led you to this point in your life?  How did you come to be connected to Prosser UMC?  I have heard some of your stories over the years, and look forward to hearing more of them.  It’s important for each of us to know our story, because that story has made us who we are.  It’s important for us as a church to know each other’s story, because that shapes our identity as a church.  Think about your story, and think of someone with whom to share it.

The other meaning of the question “Why are you here?” is “What are you here to do?”  What is it that you are being called by God to do in this place?  We are all called by God to do something.  What is your calling?  (If you want some hints, read Micah 6:8, or Matthew 28:18-20, or listen to God’s nudging.)  Sometimes how we got here can be a clue or help to what it is we need to do.  Again, think about what you are feeling called to, and share that with someone.  Explore the possibilities.  It doesn’t take much looking around to see that there’s plenty to do, but we don’t have to do it all.  Just our part.

I look forward to our year ahead together.

Shalom,

Bo

June 2011

Bo’s Blog

There was a letter to the editor of the Prosser Record-Bulletin in April that raised the question,”Is it appropriate for a pastor to be involved in a school bond campaign?”  I think that question raises an interesting topic for reflection.

As I noted in last month’s blog, all Christians are called to the duty of Christian behavior, or moral action.  We must live out our faith.  Based on Jesus’ teachings to “do to others what we would have them do to us,” and to “love your neighbor as yourself,” sometimes that duty calls us, as Christians, to become involved in the political process, because the political process is one of the tools we can use to make the changes we need to be a better community.  As Americans, we are encouraged to participate in the political process.  As Christians, we are asked to let that participation-whether it be making speeches, writing letters, giving money or time, and even voting-be informed, as all our other actions should be too, by our faith.

Pastors are generally seen as leaders within their congregations, and sometimes within their communities as well.  They also tend to be seen as moral leaders, although these days we are well aware that they are subject to the same human frailties and misjudgments as others.  And it is perhaps because pastors are seen as moral leaders that they need to be careful and clear about how they participate in the political process.  I cannot, and should not, say from the pulpit, “You must vote this way.”  That would be an abuse of my position as pastor, not to mention an endangerment of our non-profit status with the IRS.

But I can, and should, say, “This is what I believe our faith says about this issue.”  Many pastors did just that during the Vietnam War.  Not telling people what to think, but raising the issue and the questions up for people to think about for themselves-“How does my faith relate to this issue?”  I can march on Washington, as did Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other pastors, did.  I can run for office, as other pastors, like the Rev. Al Sharpton, have already done.  And it is appropriate for a pastor like me to work on a school bond committee, as Rev. Paul Fredricks and Rev. Gary Wolfer have already done.  Because pastors, like all Christians, have been called to both faith and action.

Shalom,

Bo

May 2011 

Formatted PDF Here: March 2011

February 2011

February is the month we celebrate love. St. Valentine’s Day is the 14th, but well before that we see the heart shaped

pink and red balloons in the stores, and we start thinking about who we’re going to give cards and/or candy.

That thinking reminds us, yet again, of who the important people in our life are, and why we feel they are important to

us. It is a good thing to take that time out of our “regular” schedule, to pause and think about the people who mean

so much to us--the people who form us and shape our life.

Love is an important part of our faith too. If you looked up how many times the word “love” appears in the Bible, it

would be in the hundreds. Think of the phrases you know from the Bible with “love” in it: “For God so loved the

world. . . “; “No greater love. . .”; “Love your neighbor. . .”; and “God is love. . .” are some that come to my mind.

Throughout the Bible there is the constant theme of God’s love for Israel, and for all humanity. And it was because of

God’s love that Jesus came to live among us, to be a sacrifice for us, and to establish a new relationship between us

and God.

Jesus spoke a lot about loving one another. In fact, as the quote at the bottom of the page suggests, loving one

another is the identifying mark of being a Christian—a follower of Jesus. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”

is more than just a song. It is to be the thing about Christians that identifies for the world who they are, just as a

Scout shirt identifies the youth who wears it as being a member of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

It is not always easy to love each other. Some people can give love, but feel uncomfortable receiving love. Some

people have been so shaped by their life experiences that they have a hard time giving or receiving love. And, being

human, it’s often easy to get so focused on getting our needs met that we forget about the needs of others. Love can

sometimes languish on the sidelines.

But God’s love is always there, to fill us, to support us, and to be a source for us. It is there to remind us that this is

the badge we wear for the world, to let them know whose we are. It is there to form us and to shape us. It is good to

remember love and to celebrate it.

Shalom,

January 2011

January in the church is always an interesting time—a combination of the secular and the sacred. As participants in our culture, January is a time to start anew, to make fresh resolutions about how we can become healthier in our activities, our diet, our relationships, and/or our spirituality. We are well versed and rehearsed in our traditions of the new year. As participants in our Christian faith, January is when we focus on the season of Epiphany.

On what?

Epiphany is not so well known as Easter or Christmas, or even Lent or Advent. But it is important to us as Christians because it contains our job description. An epiphany is a moment of understanding or revelation—the “aha!” moment. Epiphany in the church is when Jesus, the light of the nations as the Old Testament prophets put it, was “revealed” to the world, in the persons of the wise men, who followed the light of the star to the place where Jesus was born. And this same Jesus told his followers, “you are the light of the world,” making us, his followers that same light for others. It’s our job to be that light, to reveal Jesus to the world through the things that we say and do.

There are plenty of people who feel they are living in darkness, and could use a little light. People in Sri Lanka recovering from the mudslides of the past year. People in Haiti still struggling from last year’s earthquake. People in
the lower Yakima valley who are without a job or without a home. People anywhere in the world who are feeling spiritually lost or abandoned. They are looking for the light.

Perhaps our New Year’s resolution could be to be more “light-like.” We have a good history of sharing the light and being the light. Just this past year we gave over $1,600 to help people in Haiti, our youth raised over $750 to buy presents for our Christmas family, and our Christmas Eve offering brought in almost $400 for ministry in Nepal, and for Jubilee Ministries. We are a light simply by opening up our building to the outside groups who use it. But there is
still more Epiphany that is needed in our world, and we can resolve to seek more ways to shed that light. It is our job.

Happy New Light-Year!

Shalom,
Bo

October 2010

Bo’s Blog
Being archivist for the east side of our annual conference, I get to look at all kinds of old committee  minutes, and conference journals. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Actually, it is, because one thing I've  noticed in reading through those minutes and journals from 100 years ago is how much energy and  excitement there was in the church then. They had more teachers than they had Sunday school classes. They didn't  have enough rooms for the classes they had. They had more clergy than they had churches to which they could  send them. They were always adding more classrooms, starting new classes, founding new churches. You can  sense in those pages this strong desire to share the good news they had with others.  The opportunity is still there for this kind of energy. Those who do research on such things tell us that well over half  the people around us don't have a church. But somewhere along the way our attitude about our faith has changed.  Somewhere in the 1940's, 50's, or 60's, mainline churches shifted from being evangelistic (which is this urgent desire  to share their good news), to being conservationists (maintaining their buildings and programs). That's quite a shift,  when you think about it. It's not just being less pushy about "sharing your witness." It's about a shift from being  proactive and active, to being reactive. Jesus spoke about it as hiding a light under a bushel. Or we might think  about it as putting our light away for a rainy day, or putting it in a protective case so nobody can disturb it.  The purpose of the light is to guide us and others through life. It does no good if it is hidden, or protected, or saved  for later. There are people around us – neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family – who need it now to help them  through a dark time. We worry a lot about imposing our beliefs on others, but we don't have to. Just by letting them  know you go to church, or that you are a Methodist (or Presbyterian, or Catholic, or simply a Christian) opens up a  new realm of discussion between you. I've found that many who are “un-churched” or who have left the church in  which they grew up have questions about faith, religion, theology, and God. I've learned a lot from their questions.  And if you feel out of your depth, you have permission to say to them, "I don't know the answer to that question, but my pastor loves to explore these questions and ideas. Let's ask him!"  It's not about making ourselves uncomfortable, or making others uncomfortable with us. It's about deepening our relationships with others, being available for each other in time of need, and deepening our relationship with God at  the same time. It's about recapturing the idea that the "Good News" is supposed to feel like it is something good for us, which will make it something we will think of as good for others too. So this is an invitation to get excited. Invite someone new into this part of your life. We have a lot of things going on  here in the coming months – John Nilsen on the 17th, Paul Jeffrey next month, worship services, the Country Fair, Advent events. Let God's light shine.
Shalom,
Bo
 

September 2010

Bo’s Blog
When I was in college, I was still living at the house in which I had grown up. It was next to the
elementary school I had attended, and one day I went for a walk through that school. No students or
teachers were there that day, and as I looked into the window of my 5th Grade classroom I saw something that
looked both familiar and different. The classroom looked pretty much the same as when I had been there years
before, and yet it looked strange, because everything—the student desks, the counter tops, the teacher’s desk, even
the blackboard—looked smaller than I remembered. It surprised me that being older, and taller, made such a
difference.
As we get older, that difference in perspective becomes less surprising to us, but usually only with things that stand
out like that. We tend to forget that such a difference also applies to less tangible things. Our understandings about
life and the world and the way things work grow and mature, and things we thought we already knew instead become
new again, or gain a richness and depth we had not recognized before.
I particularly notice this when I teach a class, or prepare a sermon, or simply read the scriptures. Stories in the Bible
that I thought I knew turn out to have another character in them I hadn’t paid much attention to before, but who
seems to stand out this time. The meaning of a sentence, or a word, may seem more complex or multi-faceted, or
just simply different this time I read it. Or I might be reading it in the context of a new commentary or book which
provides a different view of a familiar verse.
In a way, this is exciting, because it’s like having something new to learn even when I work with something I’ve read
before. As we celebrate Christian Education Sunday this month, think about the ways you are still learning,
particularly from scripture. In the sermons you hear, or your reading at home, or your participation in classes, do you
sense that feeling of familiarity and newness? Each time we come back to a familiar passage, we have the
opportunity to learn something new because we come to it from a different perspective. Our Christian education is a
lifelong journey, full of surprises, and new insights, and God’s Spirit working within us.
Shalom,
Bo
 

August 2010
A few months ago, at one of our meetings, it struck me that this church has had a significant impact in the city of Prosser. We helped start a food bank many years ago, and even housed it in the basement of the church for a while. Now it is Jubilee Ministries, with the Red Door thrift store and Jubilee Food Bank on Stacey St., serving thousands of people each year. Someone thought seniors needed a place to gather. Again, something that started in this church is now the Senior Center at 7th and Dudley. We currently have a computer lab in two classrooms that offers time and technology for students to do schoolwork in the lab, and also refurbishes older,
donated computers to give away to families that don't have a computer for their students at home.
In Grandview, United Methodists frequently reached out to their community. They hosted a number of groups and events for the people and organizations of Grandview, including an annual SMILE event so that low-income children  could be seen by a dentist, the annual Chamber of Commerce volunteer recognition dinner, the PEO yardsale, a  neighborhood after-school program, and even a preschool. They had Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sundays in the  summer, took pies to people in the neighborhood, and had a food booth at the Fair. Their quilters group offered to  help community members finish or fix their old quilts and quilt projects. They had a significant, positive, impact on the  city of Grandview.
So. . . . . .
What do we do next?
All of the things we have done in the past are good. We should be proud of the impact we have had on our  communities. It's not enough, though, to bask in the light of past glories. Our communities still have needs, and still  need us. What issue do we see as needing to be addressed? When we look around our neighborhood, what is it  that we can provide for the enrichment of those around us?
Talk to people. Share ideas. We know our communities. Bring your ideas to church and share them during coffee  hour, and at meetings. Help us to be the church, the servants of Christ, in the places in which we live.
Shalom,
Bo
 

Bo’s Blog for July 2010
I am enjoying preaching from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Now, I know some people have problems  with Paul, especially when he writes about things that reflect the customs of his times (although some of  those writings were pretty progressive for his time). But the early church thought that what he had written  about the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was so important, that they included those writings in the  New Testament so that generations of followers could read them.
 

In this letter, Paul is dealing with a very basic question—How do we define who is a Christian and who isn’t? Some  Jewish followers of the time believed that anyone who wanted to be a part of the church had to be Jewish, which  meant that Gentiles had to convert to Judaism, follow the Law and dietary restrictions, and be circumcised. Paul’s  insight, even though he was a Pharisee (a religious lawyer), was that being a part of God’s covenant community no  longer depended on what we did, but rather on what we believed. If we believe that God has acted, in Jesus’ death and resurrection, to create a new covenant relationship with us, then we are a Christian.  To be sure, Paul had no problem with Jewish Christians who wanted to continue to obey the Law and dietary  restrictions which were a part of the old covenant, and to have their children circumcised, as long as they realized  those traditions were no longer necessary for their relationship with God, and as long as they didn’t require others to  do them. But we human beings seem to have this natural tendency to want to be in control of things, including our  relationship with God. Time and again, over the last 2000 years, people have turned to Galatians as a corrective to  this behavior, and still do so today.  What this ends up meaning for us is that all of our traditions, doctrines, rituals, and theology aren’t what make us  Christians. It is simply our faith that does that. And so we can say with Paul that we are no longer Jew nor Gentile,  male nor female, slave nor free—or to put it modern terms we are not liberal or conservative, Catholic or Protestant  (or Orthodox), praise service or traditional—but are one in Christ Jesus. We may experience God working in us in  different ways. We may bear different fruits as a result of God’s Spirit at work in us. We may find that different  rituals, ways of praying, or styles of worship are better at helping us to open ourselves up to God’s Spirit. But we are  still one in that Spirit; one in that Lord.
Shalom,
Bo
 

What is worship?

 This is the question that occurred to me at the District Academy in April.  Bishop Grant Hagiya was speaking to us about various aspects of church life, particularly on Sunday mornings, and how they fit (or don't fit) the needs/culture of the community, and world, around us.  One of the items he mentioned was an analysis of the worship experience put forth over 100 years ago by the Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard.  Kierkegaard said that the Sunday morning church experience is a lot like a play, with the congregation as the audience, the pastor as the actor/actress up on stage, and God as the off-stage prompter.  Kierkegaard went on to say that the roles should be changed, so that the congregation becomes the actors and actresses, the pastor becomes the off-stage prompter, and God becomes the audience.

This led me to thinking about the question, "What is worship?”  What is the purpose of our gathering together on Sunday mornings in the church sanctuary?

 If it's to be entertained, then we don't have to do anything.  We sit in the audience and watch the show.  We remain passive.  We let others sing our songs and say our lines.  But is that worship?  Does that experience fulfill our spiritual needs?  Does it help us to grow in our relationship with God?  Probably not.  It may entertain us, but it probably won't lead us into the deeper waters of faith.  That journey calls for interaction.

We do a lot of things in our worship service that keeps the congregation actively participating.  One of the first things I noticed about worship here at PUMC is that there is a lot of music in it, which I like.  Singing hymns brings us together in community.  It's not just me singing a song, but all of us together, and that reinforces our feeling of being a church family.  It is a time in the service when we are the actors and actresses, and God is our audience.  We sing these songs in praise to God.  And many of the hymns have some great theology in their lines that can get us thinking about our faith.

Singing is one way we move from Kierkegaard's first set of roles in a worship service to his second. 

This summer I'm going to be experimenting with other ways of doing that.  I will be out of the pulpit and off the "stage," in an effort to move that stage more toward the pews.  I'll be a little less formally dressed than past summers (no shorts though--that would not be good).  And I'm planning on experimenting occasionally with making even the homilies interactive.  And I want to know what you think about these changes, whether good or bad.  Please tell me what you

think, or talk to someone from the Staff-Parish Relations committee (Peggy Edom, Diane Fortune, Carolyn Hart, Linda Key, Camille Klingele, Sierra Klingele, and Jim Raney). 

What is worship for you?  What are the things that we do on Sunday mornings that are helpful for you in worshipping God?  Whether old or new, whether you've done them in other churches or here.  Let us join together in being active in our worship of God.

Shalom,

Bo

The Good Samaritan died in New York the other day.

Perhaps you heard about it. A 31-year-old Guatemalan immigrant was walking down the street early one Sunday morning. Ahead of him were a man and a woman. The couple started arguing. When the argument turned physical, the Good Samaritan rushed forward to intervene. He was stabbed for his trouble. The man and woman ran off in separate directions. The Good Samaritan tried to follow the man, but soon succumbed to his injury, and fell to the pavement.

Once, the Good Samaritan had been well-off enough to pay for the medical care, lodging, and food of a beaten Israelite he didn’t know. Now, he was poor and bleeding on the streets of New York. Who would help him?

The priests and the Levites came by. . .and went on by. During the course of the next hour seven people walked past the injured man. Some just glanced at him and hurried on. Some stopped and stared for a while before moving on. One actually went over and tried to lift him up, exposing the pool of blood collecting underneath him, before giving up and going on. (This was all recorded on a video surveillance system.) After more than an hour, someone called 911. When the paramedics arrived, the Good Samaritan was dead.

Why didn’t they stop and help the man? Or at least call 911? Demographic statistics would say that the majority of those seven people would call themselves Christians, and that six of them would say they believed in God. Yet they didn’t help the Good Samaritan.

We can probably understand why. In a large city; a poor-looking man, lying on the sidewalk. Probably a homeless drunk. Better to not disturb him — let him sleep it off. Or maybe there’s the “I don’t want to get involved” factor. But I think if we’re honest, at the root of it all is fear. Fear of getting hurt ourselves. Fear of getting drawn into something long and involved that might take up our day, ruin our plans, or cost us money. Fear that we might have to change something about ourselves.

I originally wrote a blog for this month’s newsletter about how we are still in the Easter season, celebrating God’s resurrection of Jesus. But I didn’t think we should be so busy celebrating God’s redeeming love for us that we forget about our neighbors. God’s redeeming love is for all. Jesus called his disciples to “love one another.” Jesus said that the most important thing was to love God and to love neighbor. And Jesus said we may have to lose our life (or our agenda, or our security) to be his disciple. One man just did.

We recently sang a song in worship with these words: “Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. God alone fills us.” Easter is not only about celebrating God’s redeeming love for all. Resurrection also means an end to fear. If “God alone fills us,” then we have nothing to fear.

There is an opening for the position of Good Samaritan.

Shalom,
Bo

April 2010

Happy Easter! April 2010

(PDF print version)

One of the fun things about Easter is that it matches what’s happening in the world around us this time of year.  Trees are blossoming and new green leaves are busting out of their buds.  Daffodils and tulips are in bloom.  The air is warming up enough to have windows open some days, and the smell of the fresh air wafting through the house breaks into that months-of-closed-winter-house air.  We start to get outside more, work in our yards more, and bring the outside scents of blossoms and flowers in.  Sprinklers get cleaned out and tested.  Lawn mowers come out of the garage, and the first mowing of the year occurs.  It stays light later, and you see more people, and sometimes their dogs, out for walks.  Life feels fresh and new.

New life is stirring in Grandview, as the Rev. Lyda Pierce begins work at the lower valley ministry site for the Annual Conference.  It’s not yet clear what that life will look like, but there is definite need for United Methodist ministry with life in it for the people of the lower valley.  Lyda will spend some time looking at the information that the conference has already gathered, and discerning what ministry is needed.  She’ll sniff the air.  Look for the green shoots.  Listen for the sounds of the community.  Get a feel for what God is doing in Grandview.

Easter is about new life.  New life is exciting!  And new life can be a little hard to figure out at times.  The disciples experienced that.  They had trouble figuring out what happened to Jesus’ body at the tomb, and what it meant that he was gone.  One had trouble believing the others that Jesus was raised from the dead.  New life challenges what we think is going on.  It contrasts with our comfort in the status quo.  Yet we deal with it all the time—and not just in spring.  It happens when we are born into our family of origin.  It happens when we move out on our own.  It happens when we have kids of our own.  It happens when we care for an aging parent.  Easter hits us again and again throughout our lives.  New life begins again and again, right under our noses, and we deal with it, we enjoy it, we thrive on it.

Because it is in new life that we grow.  It is through new life in Christ that God works in our lives.  And it is with the new life of the resurrection that new ministry will begin in Grandview.

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

Shalom,

Bo

March 2010

Bo's March Blog

February 2010

Looking forward this month, we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, February 17th. Lent has a reputation that’s kind of on the negative, or down, side. For one thing, we often talk about giving something up for Lent, usually something we like that’s bad for our health like chocolate or ice cream. But there’s also another way of looking at Lent. Lent is based on the story of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness. That’s why Lent begins 40 days (not including Sundays) before Easter. We often refer to this story as the temptation of Jesus. But what Jesus talks about in his responses to the temptations, is the importance of God in our lives. He takes the negatives of his situation—his hunger and the temptations offered him—and instead responds with the positive of the importance of God in his life. Perhaps this year, instead of giving something up for Lent, we might consider the positive response of adding some to our life, something that helps remind us more of God’s presence in our life. The Upper Room is one way to do that. Reading the brief scripture passage, story, and prayer brings our relationship to God to the forefront of our daily routine for a moment more each day than we may usually experience it. Or if you’re already doing that, try adding a brief prayer or scripture reading to your morning or evening routine each day. The idea is to add something that brings God more to the forefront of your life and your thoughts. Choosing the positive. Looking forward. The daffodils will be coming up soon.

November 2009 Blog

October 2009

I have written that fall feels to me like a time of beginning. School has started. People are back from their summer travels and re-creation. Meetings and events at church become more frequent. The activity level seems to grow each week.

But it is also a time for reflecting; for looking back at where we have been and what we have done, as well as looking forward to what we will be doing and where. Fall is the time when I am evaluated by the Staff-Parish Relations committee. Together the members of the committee and I look back on what I have done well and what I could do better. We look at what has been my focus this past year, and what I might focus on for the coming year. It is important work that they do with me--important for me obviously, but also for the congregation because it affects where we, as a family, go from here. The members of the committee have their own experiences of my work here, and have heard some of the experiences of others. If you would like to contribute some of your own feedback/praise/criticism with them, please contact one of them. The committee's members are Peggy Edom, Chairperson, Scott Cromar, Carolyn Hart, Sierra Klingele, Jim Raney, Bob White, and Dean Smith. We also take time to evaluate the work of the church during this season. We do that mostly through the annual charge conference. We look at what we have been doing this past year--where has our focus been as a congregation? If I were to answer that now, I would say our focus has been on transitions. We have still been working with the pastoral transition, getting used to each other and getting through all the first times of things that happen throughout a year. Transition has continued in our music department as well, going from one staff person to two paid and one volunteer staff. We've transitioned from a water damaged kitchen to a remodeled one. We've gone through transitions with our sanctuary piano and organ. And the biggest transition of the year--going from two congregations to one new congregation. All transitions bring stress and strain. Each of us, and all of us together, must determine how well we have done handling the transitions we have gone through in the past year. And all of us together must decide where we go from here. There are still the tremors and aftershocks of the great upheavals to go through, still the adjustments to be made to our new family and surroundings. What has worked well for us so far, in getting us through this year? What are the things we need to change in order to a better job of being and making disciples of Jesus? You can share your feedback, praise, or criticism with me or with others in our church family, but do engage in the process of helping us evaluate where we are, and where we need to be going in the future. The effective ministry of this church depends on it.

Shalom,

Bo