Dear Church:

The season is changing. Summer is giving way to Autumn. Soft rains. Cloudy skies. Leaves falling. Squirrels grabbing all the acorns they can carry. Talk of the Eagles overtaking talk of the Phillies (even though the Phillies enter the Major League Baseball playoffs with the second-best record in the National League).

The season is also changing at Blooming Glen. We are moving into the Church Together effort. Over the next two years, we are going to be working at four broad-based goals:

1. Spiritual renewal at Blooming Glen as a centered-set church with core ministries focused on family and neighborhood engagement through curating worship, caring formation, and cooperative mission.

2. Spiritual renewal at Blooming Glen as a community of disciples on a journey centered together with Jesus through the values of increased reliance on the scriptures pointing us to Jesus, a deeper practice of compassionate candor with one another, and a more vibrant generosity with our neighbors.

3. Organizational renewal at Blooming Glen as a Christ-centered institution, aligned by clear policy governance from the CLB supported by the Foundations, focused spiritual guidance from the Elders, collaborative coaching from our church staff, and an overall strong partnership with and commitment to Mosaic Mennonite Conference.

4. Succession planning for the future of Blooming Glen through deeply anchoring our efforts of renewal and alignment, and talent scouting for capable future leadership to navigate the Church Together over the next 10-15 years.

Working at these goals will require change. But change is not what we resist. We resist loss. What might we lose in the Church Together effort? I hope we lose the idea that church staff do ministry to the congregation, in exchange for the idea that church staff recruit, equip, deploy, and support the congregation in worshipping God, loving one another, and reaching out to our neighbors. I hope we lose the idea that being Mennonite is about genetics, in exchange for the idea that being Mennonite is a commitment to Jesus through the narrative of the scriptures, through caring deeply for one another and challenging each other directly, and through service and generosity to all. I hope we lose the idea that our CLB must approve every decision we make, in exchange for leadership and action by many. I hope we lose the idea that what we are doing right now is a two-year experiment that will flame out, in exchange for a generational reimagining of who Blooming Glen will be as Christ’s Church.

There’s a lot to do right now. We need to add some more staff to add to the team. We need to start launching experiments in worship, community, and mission, without fear of failure. We need to step up to change in a changing world without fear of loss…for the gains God has for us far outweigh the losses we might fear.

Let’s go, church (and not be afraid of what’s next…)

Pastor Jeff

jeff@bgmc.net

P.S. I’m game for Friday afternoon coffee at the Broad Street Grind (3:30pm-4:45pm), and/or a Monday morning breakfast at the A&N Diner (7:30am-8:45am). I’ll be there to listen to whatever is on your mind!