Overview of Open Congregational Meeting 11/18

The Emerging Unified Church of Carlisle

Overview of Open Congregational Meeting

November 18, 2012

The third of three scheduled Open Congregational Meetings this fall was conducted on Sunday, November 18, 2012, at Allison U.M.C.  The meeting was attended by thirty-nine members.

Pastor Jim stated that some of the Focus Groups are beginning to wind down as others are just starting their work.  His biggest joy has been working together with so many good folks from our three churches.  His greatest fear is that he will be unable to get us excited about the vision of our new church.  Likening the situation to Moses, he asked, “How do you get people excited about a land that they have never seen?” 

Listed below are some of the questions and comments raised during the meeting.

1.      Comment:  “I was amazed and dismayed that I could have voted several times.”  Response: “We have to trust people.  This is all about trust.”  No one indicated that they had seen any voting irregularities.

2.      Question:  “What kind of administrative structure?”  Response:  Randy Noaker explained the recommendation to create a Leadership Council which is like a board of directors.  The details of the “LC” are covered in the 11/8/12 Transition Team Overview.

3.      Question: “Is this form of organization OK with the Discipline?” Response: Yes, our Conference is encouraging this structure.

4.      Question: “Will the LC hire the staff or will it be the personnel person on the LC?” Response: the Leadership Council will do the hiring.

5.      Question: “Will the LC be appointed or elected?” Response: elected by each church’s charge conference. (A later questioner asked how each church will be sure to get its three members on the initial LC.  These three members will be determined at each church’s charge conference.)

6.      Question: “How often will the LC meet?” Response: monthly year-round.

7.      Question: “Will each church actually have two charge conferences.” Response: yes.  One to approve the Plan of Union which gives our new church the authority to establish the LC.  The second will be each church’s charge conference to elect its three members to the LC.

8.      Question: “Will we get the Plan of Union in advance.” Response: no, initially.  However, Pastor Jim promised to take the request to have the Plan of Union in advance to the Transition Team. 

9.      Request: an update from the Site Location Focus Group.  Response:  Earl Keller, SLFC chair, explained that they will be meeting with four realtors to explore available properties. They have developed criteria and will rate all potential sites.  In response to the query about possible donated land, Earl informed us that that offer has been withdrawn by the owner. 

10.  Note:  Any decision on a new site must be made by the new church.  The new church doesn’t exist yet.  That’s why it is so important that we organize and that starts with the approval of the Plan of Union.  We cannot make a decision before the new church has been incorporated.

11.  Question: “What is the date for the decision on a new site?”  Response: Imagine listed the date as 2015-16.  The Plan of Union uses the language “by” so that there is flexibility to approve a new site if one becomes available between the time of incorporation and the deadline for deciding on a permanent site.

12.  Question: “Is there a Plan B in case the Plan of Union is not approved.” Response: no, because those who have studied it think it is best.

13.  Question: “Can members of the Transition Team be on the Leadership Council.” Response: yes.

14.  Question: “Could the site of a new church building be outside the borough of Carlisle?” Response: yes, but it would have a Carlisle address.  There are few sites, if any, of 12-15 acres of land available in the borough.

15.  Question: “What about finances for 2013 and contributing to a new church site?” Responses: Jeff Harpel and Jay Layman.  The three churches have been asked to budget like they have done in the past.  2013 will be our baseline.  The legal details about contributing to a new church site have to include language in case a new building would not be erected within a specified amount of time.  These monies are regulated by the Stewardship Foundation operated by our Conference.  It was expressed that we must have a legal out stipulated for these monies.

16.  Question: “Is there to be a vote to build a new building.”  Response: yes.

Before ending this meeting with prayer at 6:11 pm Pastor Jim said, “If I offended anyone, I apologize. I’ll be glad when the anxiousness is over.  Once we can see what we are planning, we will get excited.”

Our churches’ charge conferences will be on Sunday, December 9, 2012.

Further details will be announced.

Transition Meditation 11/25

Pioneering:  Meditations for Our Transformation

Number 12                                                      November 25, 2012

Team Loyalty

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:4-6

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  1 Corinthians 12:24b-26

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  Ephesians 4:3

For those of you who are not very interested in sports, particularly football, please excuse the front part of this meditation.

A number of us are deep into football season.  We follow teams carefully and sometimes FAN-atically.  We buy and wear the garb.  We talk up our team as if it was a favorite child who has all the positive traits in our genes.  And we’re quick to defend its performance, as long as we believe it was trying its best, and we bad-mouth the opponent.

I remember this from high school in the late 50’s.  Lewistown and Chief Logan were rivals long before Joanne (LHS ’60) and I (CLHS ’60) ever went to these schools.  Trash talk is not something TV invented.

In the course of time these two rivals became one team – not out of love, but out of convenience and necessity.  The kids on the new team didn’t find this as disturbing as the parents who seemed to want to keep alive the territorial rivalry, even though these families worshiped at the same churches, worked side-by-side, shopped at the same grocery store, and voted for the same political candidates. 

The Transition Team that was formed to work out the many practical and earthly details of our unification has grown into a true team.  It has combined talents and gifts, and has grown in dedication to the one vision.  The team’s spiritual strength is the result of the catalytic reaction of individual talents willing to commit to a vision of the future, growing loyalty that puts the team goals over personal goals, and excellent coaching.  It is a tried and tested team.  The Transition Team has earned the title Transformation Team.  It continues to handle many challenges of this wilderness journey we’re on.

And we are part of this same team.  Whether you are a player (and we have got an increasing number of them), or a fan, or just a spectator flipping channels for now, there is a job for every one of you on this journey.

This team has a long history, going back to an inspired collection of “losers” who gathered in a second story room in Jerusalem to wait for a sign from Heaven.  Millions, perhaps billions have played under its symbol -- a cross and sometimes a fish -- across twenty centuries.  Saints and martyrs gave their lives for this team.  Probably our older family members were on the field or in the locker room.  This team is in our blood.

Although there are hundreds of us on the team, we have only one star.  He’s our quarterback, our coach, our trainer, our team physician, and our biggest fan.  And in just about five weeks we’re going to celebrate the anniversary of his arrival in our locker room.

Stay United, Play as One Team, Be One.  One of the toughest places for us to be a Christian is in the church.  Yet we worship the same God, are saved by the love Jesus teaches us, and follow His call to love one another no matter what.

If we want to join in the final victory – for surely there will be one, whether we are on the team or not -- we must play together as a team and keep focused on the mission.  We must sacrifice our personal desires, our self-image.  We are in a battle against evil every day.  The best strategy of our adversary is to mask itself with those things that appeal to us and are proven to take our minds out of the game and off the team.  (Do you really want to be traded?)

We always need to keep our heads in the game, even if we’re on the bench or the in the stands.  Too often we can become distracted by things that just don’t matter.  Those distractions, fueled by our own opinions and desires, hijack our loyalty for the team and bog it down.  If we want to win, we must keep focused on our common goal and love for each other.

For teammates and fans alike, loyalty to the team is vital for any success.  Any coach can tell you that – ask Dick Ocker or anyone involved with Upward.  And loyalty is more than great locker room speeches.  It’s the steadfastness that pulls

the team through when things look bleak and the scoreboard is practically screaming “Toss in the towel, losers!”  It’s that moment when team loyalty muscles itself to the head of the line and calmly says, “Follow me!”

Will we be inducted into the Christian Church Hall of Fame?  Time will tell.  But as long as we are part of the team and remain loyal to it and keep on top of our personal spiritual discipline, we can beat anything that tries to hold us back.  

On the field, on the bench, in the stands: Always in the game!  Let’s take a knee.

Common Prayer.  O Captain of our team, you picked us, not for special talents or outstanding performance, but because You love us and want us to be one in You for the glory of Your kingdom.  Make us bolder. Teach us the essentials of teamwork, both on the playing field and the practice field.  Fill us with the assurance that wherever you lead us, we will be loyal to you and to one another above our own desires.  For the sake of your final victory, we pray.  AMEN.

To think about: Have I become attached to things and attitudes that are more important than the Body of Christ?

Transformation Team emphasis for the next two weeks:

Our church’s new name; Our pastoral care responsibilities; Child Care recommendations; Administrative Structure and Staffing Plan recommendations; the Plan of Union.

Please address your feedback and comments to Charles L. Reynolds at papoo99@comcast.net. I’d really like to hear from you!

Thoughts on transition from Pastor Jim

How do I build a vision without anything visual? That’s the question that keeps rolling around in my head these days as we continue our work of unification. I really wonder about this. I want folks to get excited about what is not yet, and would love to have something tangible to point toward – something we could all see  so that our collective vision would inspire us and hold us together against all the forces that threaten to fragment us. When you don’t have some forward vision to focus on, it’s human nature to backward at what was – and worse, feel the emotions of what is being lost, and not the positive anticipation of what is to come.

 If you have any suggestions, I sure could use them!

Pastor Jim

Overview of Transition Team Meeting 11/8

The Emerging Unified Church of Carlisle

Overview of Transition Team Meeting

November 8, 2012

On Thursday, November 8, 2012, the Transition Team met for the eleventh time.  This was, by far, our longest meeting to date as we deliberated almost three hours.  It was also, undoubtedly, one of our most important meetings.

Our first item of business was the presentation of the Child Care Focus Group’s recommendations.  The short-term recommendation is that both the Little Angels Preschool and Childcare Center at First and God’s Little Ones at Grace Preschool continue in their current locations until an appropriate, unified site is determined.  It is also recommended that the programs begin to communicate with each other formally and coordinate services.  Eventually, the ambitious recommendation sees a Children’s Director overseeing these programs under the auspices of a unified board. 

The Administrative Structure Focus Group presented three recommendations to the Transition Team.  It recommended a Leadership Council to replace the former administrative structure.  Put succinctly, less structure will be more efficient and less cumbersome. Initially, the nine members will be selected by each church’s current administrative council – three from each church with one serving a three year term; one serving a four year term and one serving a five year term.  This will bring the Leadership Council some continuity.  Henceforward, all new terms will be for three years.  A member will able to serve two terms before going off the Council for at least one year. Pastor Jim will chair the Council for the first year after which the chair will be elected from within the Council.

The second recommendation is a proposed initial staffing plan for our congregation of 600 to 800 members.  It is based on the book, Inside the Large Congregation, which had been highly advised for them to use.  Once the Leadership Council has been organized and is operating, one of its first orders of business will be to announce the staffing needs for our new church and its hiring process for these positions.

Finally, the third recommendation is the Plan of Union which must be submitted to the Conference after it has been approved by our congregations.  It covers the very basics about our new church and gives our new church the authority to establish the Leadership Council.  It will be voted on December 9 at the individual church conferences.  

Time did not permit us to review the ten-page Interim Communications Plans which has been prepared by the Communications Focus Group. Finally, Pastor Jim announced that he had regretfully accepted Dennis Downey’s resignation from the Transition Team due to health reasons.               

                      

Transition Team

Pastoral Team                     Allison                                   First                                                       Grace

Jim VanZandt, Chair            Ron Axsom                          Tracy Horgan                                       Colleen Kulp

Mira Hewlett                        Ann Cook                             Debra Washinger                                 Kerm Leitner, Sec.

Susan Stewart                      Jeff Harpel                            Lois Weibley                                         Randy Noaker

Dennis Keller, DS                Joanne Reynolds                                                                                 Dianne Otto

Our next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, November 27, at 9:30 am in the Grace Library.