Ruth A. Tucker, Left Behind in a Megachurch World (Baker), is quoted in the June 26 issue of the Christian Century magazine. Her list includes, "#4 Do you mind if I bring all the ladies in my garden club to church next Sunday?".
Heres my list:
1. Mrs. White and I want to come to your house this week and do some yardwork. Do you mind if I bring Uncle Peter who taught Norm Abrams everything Norm knows about carpentry with us? He'd love to do some fix-it projects.
2. We're concerned about all this talk about other denominations. Let's have a festival celebrating the great mission work of the P.C. (U.S.A.) Our committee wants to organize it. You just show up, ok?
3. I've scheduled the music until next March for worship services. Do you mind if we have guests from the Met Opera, Allison Kraus's people and some others as special guests? They want to come worship with us.
4. I hope you don't mind but I sent several of your sermons to John Knox Press and they say they want to publish them along with your essays.
5. I think we need to schedule new member classes more often. We've got a long backlog of people wanting to join the church. Same with baptisms.
6. I want to help you with your vestments. Could you give me a list of things you might enjoy? Could I donate liturgical pieces for the sanctuary too?
7. Your sermons make me think. Could you make your sermons longer?
8. Have you lost weight?
Readers, do you mind finishing my list?
Lovingly,
St. Casserole
11 comments:
We've been thinking that 14 years without a sabbatical is outrageous. How about you start tomorrow?
There are some sad looking folks in the neighborhood around church. Instead of Sunday School one morning, could we just go out and visit with them. Maybe see if they need anything?
"Your hair looks fabulous!"
Okay, just kidding, how about:
"We've been thinking that we just don't give enough to the church. We're upping our pledge to 20% and challenging all of our friends to do the same. And while we're at it, we're going to donate one of our homes for a retreat center. Do you know a group of clergy women who could use a place to meet, for free?"
"I've been worried about the homeless folks who seem to congregate here downtown. It seems like they could use a place to gather indoors where they could get a meal and talk to someone who cares about them. What would you think about opening the Vestry on winter days and turning part of it into a 'family' room for people who have no place else to go? I would like to come and be with them and so would my six friends."
"Four of us have been thinking that we'd like to come and help with the youth program--what if each of us takes one of the four areas and a week each month? We'll plan the study, the program, the fellowship, the meals--we'll come to you if we have questions of need materials, but otherwise if you can just come as you are each week, that'd be great. Of course we'll continue to play human battleship between Bible Study and lunch!"
We've been thinking that when you lead us in worship, maybe you aren't always being fed yourself. Since the elders are the spiritual leaders of the congregation, we've decided that once every other month we are going to do all of the worship planning, the children's sermon, the prayers of the people, the sermon, and all you have to do is come worship with us.
I've been thinking about all the folks in our membership who can't come to church. Several of us would like to visit them on behalf of the church. Can you show us what we should do? oh, and wouldn't that free you up to focus on some of the other areas of ministry?
We'd love it if you could bring your dog to church once a week.
(Okay, that was a joke)
This is serious.
"I have a good idea for a new ministry, AND I'd be willing to head up the team to make it happen."
so late one night while working on our church history book with 2 other pals - we cracked up when in 1940something a pastor reached "beloved status" and was given a new pulpit robe as a sign of appreciation. I told the gals, "forget robes. think Lexus."
"We think you spend too much time with the congregation...why don't you get out and look for Jesus in the community. No need to bring those you meet back to us, we're game for an adventure so we'll come too"
oh and
"You know, worship really wasn't long enough this morning. We could really use some more time to pray together as the people of God"
Diane, that was no joke at my last church! When Molly and Sam came with me on Sundays, they were counted in the attendance figures!! And when I resigned several people broke down not over me but over them.
Post a Comment