From the minister:

Gaps and Opportunities

When I went to walk our family dogs this morning, it was light outside, the first morning that I’ve been greeted by the sun in months – it was great! On the other hand, the cold hit my face and reminded me that we’re still in winter. Life is full of these tensions, rejoicing in the bright sun and still offering a lament for the cold. I find myself in such a state when examining the tensions in the structure of the Fellowship. We have innovative opportunities that are enriching people’s lives, as well as gaps that mean some folks aren’t finding a place to connect, and others are frustrated by the seemingly oblique ways of making something happen here.

I’ve often said that if you want something to happen, you can make it so! We, the staff and leadership, serve to help create opportunities and provide resources. The building houses our efforts, and the membership shows up. But there are those things that we might call nuts and bolts. That’s often how we describe the basics that keep a place running. We have a committee that goes by that name that coordinates various aspects of our Sunday mornings, such as making coffee, setting up the chalice table, and other seemingly mundane tasks that are central to us being a community. It’s often difficult to determine just what are the nuts and bolts of the Fellowship; what are the central tasks without which we would cease to be us? Some of them are defined in our bylaws as standing committees: finance, Sunday programs, and religious education. They are obviously central to our fulfilling our mission.

Some are harder to define – social action, adult education, and social opportunities are three that come to mind. These three functions (and there are certainly others) are important ways of helping new members become integrated into our community and helping longer-term folks stay connected. Currently we have events happening in adult education and social, but there isn’t any coordination or oversight. Do we need it? That’s a big question. There are late nights when I worry about the gaps, the people feeling left out, the connections we’re missing. Our Social Justice Council, composed of traditional efforts, environment, and community organizing (AMOS), often runs as a one-person show in each area. Two of these three areas will need new leaders as Alissa Stoehr and Tammi Martin complete very successful terms at the head of their areas. (Thanks to you both for the excellent work!)

How much do our communal efforts in the larger community really matter to the Fellowship? Now is one of those times that we will find out as we appeal for people to step forward and coordinate these important areas.

With a membership that’s passed 300, we need a certain amount of self-defined structure so that we have pegs to hang our hats on. Of course we want that structure to be fluid, dynamic, and self-defined. Structure is really a word for people. It’s through each of you, finding your passion and living it out here at the Fellowship, that we’re able to create a community that embodies our values and fulfills our dreams. So if you’d like to help create opportunities for people to connect, maybe a Social Committee could feed your passion. If you’d like to help spread justice in our community, the Social Justice Council is a place to make those dreams a reality. Spring is coming, so let’s plant some seeds and nurture those young dreams so that they will bear fruit.

See you on Sundays,

-- Brian