New Outlook Time - Again!
Last January, I wrote that we here at High Street UMC were at the point where we were going to need a new outlook, a fresh perspective, and change for many of the things we were used to. I wrote that change can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. We just need to remember that God is with us through it all. Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year, with even more changes ahead – most of which we didn’t anticipate!
As we all know, Pastor Daryl discerned a need to resign and re-retire to care for his health. I want to reiterate that we all fully support his decision to prioritize his health. No one can pour from an empty cup, and we all know how very important it is to take care of ourselves. We wish Pastor Daryl all the best now, and in the future; and hope to continue to see him around. As he reminded us, he still lives here in Muncie so it’s not like he’s going anywhere.
The Finance and SPRC committees recommended, and the Church Council approved, a budget to keep things “as is,” which included support for a half-time associate pastor. While our DS, Rev. Russ Abel, is aware of our need, part-time associate pastors are not easily found. They are not itinerate the way full-time elders are, so we would need to find someone already living in the area. We are brainstorming on creative solutions to our need.
In the meantime, we – as a congregation – must move to a more volunteer-oriented (and less staff-focused) model of doing things. We already have a great start on this. We have amazing leadership capability within our congregation, and so many outstanding members who have taken charge of our missions, ministries, and committees. We’ll also now need to embrace lay leadership in worship even more than ever.
We also need to remember that when tasks and items need to be done (labels, minutes, copies, forms, binders, and so forth), that we no longer have the staff to do that without plenty of notice. We want to help you, but our very few staff members are juggling a lot of balls now, and need your help in making things happen. As much as possible, committees should do these things for themselves (we can show you how to operate the copier if you don’t already know how).
Jesus tells us we are the church. That means each one of us. High Street doesn’t belong to the staff; it belongs to everyone who attends it. We all love it. We’d love to see everyone get involved in keeping it vital. Let’s all join in.