Issues: open and frank discussion

is our

3/8

Last night we celebrated Pastor Heidi’s 60^th birthday at her church. Plenty of good sixties music. And fun to see her members, clergy colleagues and anti-sweat shop people all together.  

Today our focus is a session meeting to deal with serious issues:

* What do we do now that the partner we thought we had we no longer do?

* What is our relationship with the surrounding community? It seems that their willingness to contribute was connected to a stable partner. What now?

* What are the most pressing physical needs?

* What are my plans? What do I want as a legacy? That’s relatively easy..to assure that there will be a church….and a pastor …after me…

* How do we strengthen the spiritual resiliency of the congregation?

* Do we have a drop dead date? Hate asking that question again.
Our backs are not against the wall right now. But we've spent so much time there it feels normal. And people's spirits get sapped trying to sustain a demanding and fragile old building. We wear out, like the building we keep propping up. 

We do make some decisions. Hugo will call several companies to finish the bids that we need. Marsha will contact a project management company to discuss fee for service assistance. And I am to contact Louisville to get a consultation on church growth. The diagnosis is always easy, prescription/execution,not so much.

Feels like it’s been a good day. Open and frank discussion. I’ll stick around to work on the service before my evening obligations, to see Junia in the chorus of the International Brazilian Opera Company (http://brazilianopera.com/) in their first performance and then down to the East Village to catch Jeremy’s CD release party. (http://jeremymage.com/) Tough on the night we turn the clocks ahead.