Dear Blooming Glen Friends,
Twenty-three months ago, Debbie and I arrived in Southeast Pennsylvania to snow on the ground and snowballs hurled in my direction (yes, Michael Bishop, I still remember …). In these twenty-three months, you have asked me as an intentional interim to focus on three challenges: to preach the best sermons I can, to bring cohesion and direction to our church staff, and to align our leadership systems for greater transparency, effectiveness, and faithfulness. I’m sure I haven’t done those things perfectly, but to the best of my ability, I’ve been attentive to those concerns. Thank you for the privilege you have given me in working at those issues with you.
Deb and I will return to California on January 9 for 2.5 weeks of grandsons, warmer weather, home repairs, scoping out possible service projects for our MYF, and retooling for the next six months of interim ministry. Over the period from February 1 to July 31, I’ll be working to accomplish five core tasks.
First, we are adding preaching capacity at Blooming Glen. Josh Meyer, from Everence, will be engaged in a preaching experiment at Blooming Glen. He will be preaching at Blooming Glen once a month for the next seven months. His first Sunday will be January 14. Please welcome him warmly and receive his ministry with the same grace you have received my ministry among you. On January 21, Nathan and Kate Grieser will lead worship and speak. Lord willing, I’ll be back for Sunday, January 28.
Second, we are going to be on-boarding new staff at Blooming Glen. I don’t know who that new staff is, just yet, but whether the new staff is serving as a called pastor or as program coordinators, they will still need some on-boarding. We have some new nomenclature, and new clarity in leadership systems and core ministries. With the added preaching capacity at Blooming Glen, I’ll be able to be more active with staff coaching and on-boarding than I have been over the last twelve months.
Third, we are going to establish some yardsticks to measure how transparent, effective, and faithful we are at living into our values as disciples of Jesus. How are we doing at inviting people into the transforming grace of Jesus? How are we doing at genuinely and radically loving one another in the way of Jesus? How are we doing at serving our neighbors near and far as the hands and feet of Jesus? These discipleship behaviors invite us to find ways to measure our improvement and plan accordingly.
Fourth, we want to keep working at renewing the joy of being church. Coming out of a long season of stress, and continuing to confront a world of post-Christendom, chronic COVID and digital Babylon, we need the church to be a focal point of celebration. Church is designed by God to be the place where we find joy in a Jesus-centered identity, in a Jesus-led community, and in a Jesus-shaped mission.
Fifth, we want to continue to pivot to the neighborhood. We’ve begun the process of reaching out again post-pandemic. Now we need to begin to figure out how to hold events that invite and welcome new people into the congregation. Watch this space for information later in January about a membership class during Lent, to draw us into closer fellowship and increased membership.
There is still much to do in my time as Intentional Interim Pastor at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church. There are, as the poet Robert Frost said, “miles to go before I sleep.” Debbie and I are off to California, not for vacation, but for a season of remote working and retooling for the next push. Pray for us!
It’s a joy to be a part of the Blooming Glen Household of Faith,
Pastor Jeff
jeff@bgmc.net
PS - Friends, I’ll be at the Broad Street Grind on Friday, January 5, 3:30-4:45 pm. I’ll be at the A&N Diner on Monday, January 7, 7:30-8:45 am (weather permitting!), and then Debbie and I will be back in Riverside, California, January 9-27. I’ll be back at the A&N on Monday, January 28. And I’ll miss y’all where we are back in California.