Transition - waiting

Over the past few months I have occasionally shared some reflections on the ministry transition that I am currently going through. One week from today I will begin my new position as the Area Administrator for the Pacific Northwest Association of the Church of God. Yet, for another seven days at least, I remain the pastor of Central Community Church in Hanford, California.

 

This "in-between" phase is an interesting time. For almost three months since my announced resignation I have been winding down my time in my current congregation and occasionally looking forward to the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 

 

Ninety days is not the norm for a pastor to leave. One month is much more common. While the PNA was anxious for me to come as soon as possible, after prayerful consideration I decided that in this particular case a three month transition was not only appropriate but would be in the best interest of the church that I have served for the last four and one-half years. Since we have a healthy relationship there was no need for me to exit quickly, and if anything the extra time would allow me to ensure that there was a greater sense of continuity and preparation for new pastoral leadership.

 

The greatest danger in a protracted resignation is that the church has a "lame duck" pastor. That is, one who does not have the authority or impetus to lead, or who has lost the conviction and passion to minister in this location.

 

This has not been my experience. I have had many opportunities in the last few months to do some things that needed to be done, and it has been exciting to see some individuals experience significant spiritual growth during the time. The congregation has openly allowed me to continue pastoring them, and has even sought my advice and counsel in the search process (although in this last regard I have been very careful not to unduly influence the process). We have been able to have some very honest discussions about where the church is at and where it needs to head.

 

Yes, there have been times of frustration and impatience. At times the prospect of the new position is dangling out in front of me, and I eagerly anticipate getting started. There is also the stress of making preparations to move, including the packing of all my 2000+ books. And, while this time with my congregation has been overall very positive, there have been a few individuals who have had great trouble dealing with all the changes brought about by my resignation and have made life a little more difficult for themselves and others.

 

One of the questions that other pastors have asked me is: "So, what do you preach for three months once you've announced your resignation?" For the most part, not much different than before. Perhaps I have sensed a little more freedom to speak more frankly on some matters, but basically I have stuck to my preaching plan that I had established for this year. Of course, this coming Sunday (i.e. my final sermon) will be much more specific to my leaving.

 

Very soon the waiting will be over, and a whole new phase in my life will begin. That will require another post in a few weeks.

 

ONEvoice! promotion

I've been relatively quiet on the blogosphere in the last couple of weeks. Focusing on transition issues has been demanding. Nevertheless, I have a number of items to discuss, and hope to do so in coming days. This will include my continuing transition series. But for now ...

 

Late last week our church received a packet from ONEvoice! magazine for promoting our official publication. The "Bring it Home!" campaign is intended to increase awareness of the magazine and, more importantly, to increase subscriptions.

 

I think this campaign will work, and should easily increase the subscriber base by several multiples. Why am I so optimistic? They've finally made it easy to subscribe. Congregation members just have to fill out the card and leave it at the church. Billing will occur later. So, no need to write a check or fill out credit card information.

 

In the past it has been extremely difficult for me to get our congregation to respond to ONEvoice! promotions. Yesterday's brief mention generated a number of new subscribers. (One could argue that their interest was piqued because I am now a regular contributor to the magazine, but even so the ease of subscription seemed to facilitate the process better than before).

 

In case you haven't seen the latest issue (October/November 2006) a number of changes have been implemented to make the periodical more attractive, accessible and meaningful to our constituents. In my opinion, there is still much more that could be done to enhance the publication, but with a dramatic increase in subscriptions the possibility for expansion is more likely.

 

ONEvoice! cannot be considered the only vehicle for communication and dissemination within the Church of God, but it has the potential to be an even more important one than it is now. I will be interested to hear how this latest campaign is received across the church.

 

Seeing the Story - discussion

Beginning with the latest issue (October/November 2006) of ONEvoice! magazine I am a regular columnist. This is a big leap for me, and I'm sure that it will take a few articles before I get into the "groove" of this type of writing. I certainly do not want to presume that my column will exude any great profundities, nevertheless I want to provide an opportunity for feedback and discussion on what I write for our North American publication. I want to encourage a conversation.

 

In my first article, "Seeing the Story", I make the case for a more deliberate reading of Scripture from the perspective of the larger, over-arching Story that provides context for the many smaller fragments. We tend to read the Bible in small bites and chunks, and often fail to see the bigger picture of God's work and plan throughout.

 

My concern for writing this is that I observe many Christians who have little or no awareness of the grand narrative in which Scripture was written and of which we continue to be part. Much of this is a result of our modern epistemology:

Adopting the scientific worldview around us, we have tended to pull out our microscopes to analyze the Bible as an abstract object, all the while failing to see the larger, living drama of God's interaction with his people. We have systematized our beliefs into doctrines and theologies, but when we fail to understand these within the larger Story, our teachings can become sterile and inert. (EXTRAvoice! page 2)

I also tried to provide some initial ideas as to how we can reverse this trend. Admittedly, however, this is difficult. It's one thing to acknowledge the larger picture of salvation history, but quite another to shape our individual and corporate lives around it. Nevertheless, I believe that we must pay greater attention to this emphasis. At a theological level it likely means seeing ourselves as people of the Story. On a practical level it will require a shift in how we do Bible study, corporate worship, and preaching.

 

I would be interested to hear your reflections on this topic, and to learn how you are working to make this happen in your life and congregation.