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Pastor's State of the Church Address 2021
State of the Church Address, by Pastor Sommer for 2021
As we move along in our understanding of how we are sowing for a great awakening, the need for organization is coming upon us. Here is how this has all worked out in the mind of your pastor:
First the seeds are found out of a need for a new harvest. This happened in the spring of 2020 when we first started asking, “What are we DOING church to sow for a Great Awakening?” The pandemic has offered challenges in who will be sowing and how. Our attendance is down due to Covid concerns and some who are out of the habit of attending church. With this comes a lack of volunteers and also complicating the ways of doing church. We have encountered many changes over the last eighteen months. Yet, change has given us blessings as well.
Second, we started to sow the seeds. Even in the face of these challenges, we knew that we had to start somewhere. The changes caused by the pandemic have not stopped us. Instead, they have given us ways of doing things that we would have never done before. We are reaching out in ways that still seem complicated, yet we are getting used to them (yes, I am talking about technology.) We are seeing different people become a part of our congregation than in previous years. We are also doing different kinds of ministry and doing ministry in different ways.
Third, these seeds are growing wild! I have personally seen many different people become passionate about doing ministry. People are starting to share ideas that God has laid on their hearts. Some people are waking up. Is this the Great Awakening? Not yet. This is only the beginning. More and more of God’s people will fill ministry needs in the coming years. Then we will begin to see ripples of revival. There is a line in the Sower’s Creed written by JD Walt that states, “The tiniest seeds become the tallest trees.” That line resonates with me because of where we are in this process of sowing. Thinking about tree seeds, it takes years for a seed to become a tree. I think we all know that not every seed becomes a tree. It takes many seeds together, growth of the twings, then the branches that grow slowly year after year before we see the tree looming over us.
So now we are in the fourth stage. We must keep sowing; and we need Sowers. The seeds, or ministries and ideas, need some maintenance. Therefore, we need more leaders in our field. Just a little organization will help the ideas find the right people to make dreams, desires, and God-callings a reality. Over the next year, I hope to develop leaders over the different ministry areas of the church. These leaders will be in communication with the me, the pastor, and have knowledge of the church calendar to assess what ministries need to be done and when. Then they will lead their team in doing the various ministries and incorporating the whole church in ministry and with communications. Many of these teams are already in formation and are working within the life of the church.
Other goals for 2022 are the development of the Invite/Nurture and the Outreach/Hospitality Teams. The I/N Team will focus on all in-house hospitality including welcoming visitors, befriending newcomers, and maintaining connection among our church family. This team includes our Prayer Team and Visitation Team (for home-bounds, nursing home, and hospital visitation when able). The O/H Team will focus on our outreach endeavors (donations and community service) as well as events of the church where we strive to bring people closer to Christ.
The Strategic Team is now called the Discipleship Team. Everything we do centers on the discipleship efforts of this church. Therefore, everything that our Ministry Teams need to focus on will come from this team. Therefore, a lead member of each team will need to be represented on the Discipleship Team. Also, we will want to remember our past and think seriously about the future. Therefore, a separate historian will be on this team, as well as someone who will help us focus on our technological needs. I also would like a Finance Committee member to be a part of this team for Stewardship Purposes. This team will work to pray, dream and plan for the future needs of the church. This team will be responsible to know the different places a disciple of Christ can be on in the journey towards Holiness. Therefore, the main task of this team in the coming year is to develop a Discipleship Pathway.
There are two areas of our church that I will put a lot of my focus on in the coming year. With the help of our Discipleship Team and the NextGen Team (which is also in the process of development) we will focus on furthering our Hybrid ministry model as well as growing in resources and programs for our children, youth, and young adults. We need to maintain our online presence and ensure that those who cannot be with us physically can still participate. Yet, we also need to look at what we are offering in-person and see how we can encourage participation through fellowship and relationship building.
As for me personally I realize that these past few years, although they have been filled with many blessings, have taken a toll on me. I am learning to abide in Christ. That is my big word now, Abide! I am focusing more on my health, both physically and mentally. I am doing a time management overhaul. So, if I cut out of some small group meetings, give me grace. I am balancing what I must do for the sake of God’s will and what needs to be delegated to others. That is another reason for the development of these teams. We are able to do more when WE work as a TEAM! We must work together to prevent burnout. Keep each other accountable and watch for burnout in one another and in ourselves. The more we rely on one another, the simpler the tasks become. There are people willing to serve, and many more who can serve that needs to be reached. Please keep me accountable as well. I will be doing more in terms of personal health care like walking more, praying more, and learning more. I hope to encourage you to do the same for yourself and for the sake of God’s will through us.
In the Name of Christ, Amen