Transparency and Open Communication Are Key

Transparency and Open Communication Are Key

Pastor Kevin Rutledge


This month we held the first of what I hope to be many Town Hall style meetings. At them, we shared a snapshot of the church’s finances, talked about the potential sale of some of our property, and how I approach church ministry. One of the meetings used ZOOM, and we have a recording to share. You can find it at https://berwynumc.org/townhalls. I heard two things from the meetings that I will make a priority to work on moving forward.

The first piece of feedback I heard is that there is a lack of communication about what is going on at the church, the decisions made, and what it means for the broader ministry of the church, and a growing frustration among those who have volunteered to serve. The town halls are our first step toward greater transparency. My goal is to be as transparent as possible in all that we do and all decisions made so that you feel that you can trust what we are doing and our future.

The second piece of feedback I am making a priority is that there are people who want to serve to serve but need to figure out how. They are either on teams that do not meet, teams that do not have leaders, or teams that do not meet regularly, or they are unable to make an ongoing team commitment but are available to be called on for various tasks that need completing. I take this feedback seriously because I have a core belief about the Church that God has gifted everyone so that God can work through them to further His kingdom-building work. To put it more succinctly, if you are still breathing, then God can still use you. However, if the way we are doing church is getting in the way of God unleashing the people to use their gifts, then we need to do church better.

We discussed these two items at our last Leadership Team meeting, and I want to share the conversation results with you. Moving forward, we are making the following changes in how we work to address these concerns

  1. The leadership Team is asking Charge Conference to approve combining the work of SPRT, Finance, and Trustees into the work of the Leadership Team. This change brings us closer to the model of leadership suggested by the simplified leadership program partially implemented this year. Finance and Trustees were intentionally kept separate, but in a review of our work over the last year, we still have a significant overlap of people between these meetings that have caused a duplication of work and reporting. The goal is not to consolidate decision-making but to increase the efficiency of regular work, so there is time for creative work.
  2. We understand how important it is for the leadership team not to get disconnected from the congregation. However, I am concerned that there is no separate nominating team naming people for considering the leadership team and helping me identify and plan leadership development. I am looking for 4-6 people who not only know the people in the congregation but are good at identifying the skills, talents, gifts, and spiritual health of others. The Nominations team's primary task is to find leaders who are growing in their faith and who bring their gifts and talents to help shape the church's future direction.
  3. To address the second concern, I want to create three ministry teams whose primary purpose is to create, plan, evaluate, and guide ministries in nurture, outreach, and witness. I am looking for a small group of people who have a passion for one of these three areas who want to guide the ministry teams that exist in the work they do and provide a place for them to ask for help and to dream of new ways of growing our ministry in each of the three areas.
  4. Finally, I want to create a property management team. The purpose of this team is to evaluate the needs of the building and property, prioritize those needs, and manage a list of tasks and maintenance items that team leaders can submit so that people who are not on a team can find places to help as they have time. More recently, this work has fallen exclusively on the board of trustees and often on the chair of trustees, but historically, that has not been the role of the trustees.

I do not believe the church can fix all of its problems through structural and policy changes. However, we can make incremental improvements in how we function so that we can enable creative ministry-transforming conversations to happen. When we equip and unleash everyone who has volunteered to serve in some way, we will see dramatic changes in our ministry's effectiveness.

While I am still learning about everyone and their gifts, I do not yet have a list of people in mind who would be perfect in each of these areas. Therefore, in addition to reaching out to the members of existing teams, I am relying on you to either help me identify people or let me know if you want to serve in any of the areas above.

Finally, please remember that our Leadership Team meetings, unless dealing with Staff issues, are open meetings, and anyone can attend. The usual schedule for those meetings is the 4th Thursday of the month. Any changes to that schedule are posted in the worship bulletin and on our website.

links

This post was orignally published in the November 2022 of the Lighted Cross. Please use the links below to view the full newsletter.

Download PDF

Other Things You May Be Interested In:

The Purpose Of Worship: Shaping Our Lives Beyond Sunday

Published: September 12, 2024

Why do we gather for worship? In a world where we can connect with God anywhere, anytime, what's the purpose of coming together in a physical space? These are questions that challenge us to reflect on the true meaning and impact of corporate worship in our lives. It's easy to fall into the mindset that God is only present in church, that our spiritual lives are compartmentalized to Sunday mornings. We may give God fleeting thoughts throughout the week, but often fail to recognize His constant presence in every moment. This limited view of worship can lead us to treat it as a duty—something we do for an hour each week before returning to our "real" lives. But what if worship is meant to be so much more? The truth is, we don't come together simply to worship God—though that's certainly part of it. We gather to be shaped by our worship, to be transformed in ways that impact how we live when we leave the building. Our time of corporate worship should change our hearts, broaden our perspectives, and equip us to live differently in the world. Consider how gathering with diverse believers challenges us to expand our view of the global church. When we worship alongside those who may not look like us, believe exactly as we do, or come from our background, we get a glimpse of what the triumphant church in heaven will look like—a multitude from every nation, tribe, and tongue. This experience breaks us out of our tendency to surround ourselves only with those who are similar to us. Our acts of worship also shape us in practical ways: Offering our tithes and gifts teaches us to live generously beyond the walls of the church. Reading Scripture together equips us to encounter God's Word on our own throughout the week. Praying for one another's joys and sorrows reminds us that God is at work in the world and that He hears our prayers. Receiving a benediction and blessing sends us out with strength for the days ahead. The blessing we receive isn't just for our own benefit. Throughout Scripture, we see that God blesses His people so that they can be a blessing to others. From Abraham to the nation of Israel, God's pattern is clear: "I will bless you... so that you will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2). As we leave our time of worship, we should overflow with blessing to everyone we encounter. This leads us to a crucial question: If our lives are no different when we walk out of church than when we walked in, what was the point? If we haven't truly encountered the living God, been challenged by His Word, or been moved to live differently as His disciples, then our time together has missed the mark. As followers of Christ, we believe that our faith journey is incremental. We don't become perfect the moment we decide to follow Jesus. Instead, it's a daily process of growing in our love for God, for His people, and for His creation. Each day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we strive to demonstrate that love more fully in our words and actions. This is the essence of discipleship—a continual journey of becoming more like Christ. While we believe it's possible to be made perfect in love during our earthly lives, it's not something we can achieve on our own or claim for ourselves. As John Wesley wisely noted, those who believed they had attained perfection in love were often the furthest from it. So why do we gather? We come together to be commissioned, to be reminded of Jesus' call to His disciples: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15). This isn't about forcing our faith on others or cornering unwilling listeners. Rather, it's about being prepared to engage with those who are questioning, searching for meaning, or struggling to find hope. Despite what headlines might suggest, the world isn't dominated by militant atheists or those adamantly opposed to faith. Instead, there are countless individuals who are simply unsure, who have genuine questions about life's purpose and meaning. Our call is to live in such a way that our faith stands out—demonstrating joy, peace, and an unshakable assurance grounded in our relationship with God. Your story of faith doesn't have to be a dramatic before-and-after tale. Perhaps you've grown up in the church, gradually deepening your relationship with Christ over time. That journey is just as powerful and worth sharing. The key is to reflect on how your time in worship impacts the other 167 hours of your week. As our worship experience shapes us, it should naturally overflow into a different kind of worship outside the church walls: Giving thanks to God for His blessings Offering hope to the hopeless Praying for those who are hurting Seeking out those who are lost or questioning Our task isn't to have all the answers or to dictate what others should believe. Instead, we're called to listen, to walk alongside those who are searching, and to share how God has worked in our own lives. This is how we can see transformation and healing in our communities. Ultimately, our weekly gathering serves to recharge us spiritually. When the world beats us down and we feel our spiritual batteries draining, we come together again to pray, sing, hear God's Word, and be blessed and sent out anew. We remind each other of who we are in Christ and find the strength, hope, and courage we need for the week ahead. This is why we gather. This is why we worship. Not just as an end in itself, but as a means of becoming who God has called us to be—His hands and feet in a world that desperately needs His love. As we leave our time of worship, may we go with this commission ringing in our ears: to welcome the unwanted, to love the unloved, and if they won't come to us, to go to them. Let our worship be more than a weekly ritual. Let it be the catalyst that transforms our lives and, through us, brings hope and healing to our world.

Living With Purpose: Beyond Fleeting Happiness

Published: July 16, 2024

In a culture that often prioritizes instant gratification and personal happiness, we are challenged to seek a deeper, more purposeful way of living. Our society's focus on immediate pleasure, even within religious circles through the "prosperity gospel," overlooks the true, lasting fulfillment found in aligning with God's will. The story of Lazarus illustrates this principle, demonstrating that temporary delays can reveal greater purposes. As a church community, we are called to make Christ known by prioritizing service, building genuine relationships, and sharing hope. Embracing this purposeful approach leads to deeper satisfaction and a lasting impact.
Top