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 Surprising Message Of Grace In The Story Of Jonah

Published: November 10, 2024

Beyond the Whale: The Real Story of Jonah We've all heard the story of Jonah and the whale. It's a tale that has captivated imaginations for centuries, often reduced to a simple narrative about a man swallowed by a giant fish. But what if I told you that the whale is not the most incredible part of this story? What if there's a message of grace so profound and unexpected that it challenges our very understanding of God's love? The book of Jonah, though only four chapters long, carries a weight far beyond its size. It's a story set against a backdrop of national tragedy and bitter enmity. Imagine a prophet being sent to the heart of Nazi Germany in 1939 to proclaim God's judgment and call for repentance. That's the emotional equivalent of Jonah's mission to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria – a nation that had destroyed Israel's northern kingdom and taken its people into exile. In this context, Jonah's reluctance to go to Nineveh becomes understandable. Was it fear that drove him to flee in the opposite direction? Or was it something darker – a desire to see his enemies destroyed rather than given a chance at redemption? Whatever his reasons, Jonah boards a ship bound for Tarshish, as far from Nineveh as he could get. “But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” – Jonah 1:17 But here's where the story takes an interesting turn. Even as Jonah flees from God's command, he still identifies himself as a follower of the very God he's disobeying. When a storm threatens to sink the ship, Jonah doesn't hesitate to tell the sailors that his God is responsible. It's a stark reminder of how we often try to compartmentalize our faith, claiming to follow God while actively running from His will. God's Unyielding Grace The sailors, interestingly, show more compassion than the prophet. They try desperately to save the ship without harming Jonah, even after he tells them to throw him overboard. It's a poignant moment that challenges our assumptions about who truly demonstrates godly behavior. When Jonah is finally cast into the sea, God's grace makes its first dramatic appearance. Instead of letting His wayward prophet drown, God sends a great fish to swallow Jonah and carry him to safety. It's a miraculous rescue, but more importantly, it's a powerful illustration of God's unwillingness to give up on us, even when we've given up on Him. After this dramatic intervention, Jonah finally goes to Nineveh. His proclamation of impending judgment is brief – perhaps just ten words – yet its impact is nothing short of revolutionary. The entire city, from the common people to the king himself, repents in sackcloth and ashes. It's one of the most successful prophetic missions in the entire Bible, and it happened through the most reluctant of messengers. “Should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?” – Jonah 4:11 But the story doesn't end with this mass conversion. In a twist that reveals the true heart of the narrative, Jonah becomes angry at God's mercy. He sets up a shelter outside the city, seemingly hoping to still see it destroyed. It's a shocking reaction that forces us to confront our own attitudes towards those we consider beyond redemption. Takeaways from Jonah's Story God’s grace is relentless, reaching out even to those we might deem unworthy. We should examine our own hearts for any reluctance or bias that might hinder God’s work through us. God’s mercy challenges our assumptions and invites us to expand our understanding of His love. Every person, regardless of background or past, is within the reach of God's grace. We are called to be bearers of God’s grace, extending compassion even to those we consider "beyond hope." As we go about our lives, may we be mindful of the Ninevehs around us – the people and places that seem too far gone. And may we, unlike Jonah, rejoice when we see God's grace at work, transforming lives and bringing hope where there was none before. The story of Jonah invites us into a grander narrative of redemption. It calls us to turn away from our own limited understanding and step into the boundless grace of God. In doing so, we might just find ourselves part of a story far more amazing than we could ever imagine – a story of grace that changes everything.

Sandwiched!

Published: October 17, 2024

We discuss the challenges faced by the "sandwich generation," who are responsible for caring for their aging parents and raising their own children simultaneously. Navigating these difficulties can be made easier by turning to one's faith for guidance, comfort, and seeking support from the faith community. By trusting in God's plan, practicing self-care, and finding joy in small moments, individuals can overcome the challenges of the sandwich generation and find peace and contentment in their lives.
Top