PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Each year, and my staff and probably some others of you know this, I struggle to find the right words to share at this point in our Conference schedule. By this time, of course, I’ve written my Fall Letter, which I hope you’ve had a chance to read, and my written report (on pgs 31-35 of your bulletin, which I also hope you’ve had a chance to read) so I’m typically finding myself about a week or 2 before today pondering what else there is to say. And if you know me, you know that I seem to ALWAYS have something to say, so that’s a sort of remarkable occurrence really. And yet, I think back to the comments of previous years, even back to the reports Kathy Sharp and Mike Bessonette shared when they served as your Mission Center Presidents, and am reminded that this is really my ONE opportunity each year to address the entire mission center at once.
Typically, in years past, I would share some of the significant events held in the mission center over the past year, with lots of pictures and memories included. This has been a little different year, though. We had to cancel our planned “Building Community” workshops last spring, which was disappointing. I’m hoping that our Leadership and Staff retreat in April of next year will incorporate much of the material we had hoped to share there. Also, as Donald shared earlier, the collapse of the Bend property sale was disappointing. Don’t panic! It was a good decision, and there’s every reason to believe that another buyer will come forward with a better offer, but patience, as they say, is a virtue. We also saw the closing of the Neilton community this past spring. And while it’s always sad to see a congregation have to close, we recognize that for decades, the Saints in Neilton offered a sanctuary and a ministry to their broader community that impacted and changed lives and we celebrate what a blessing they were to that region. As I’ve said before, no gathered community, or “congregation,” is expected to live forever. Just like us, our organized communities have a life span, and when the time comes to say goodbye, we should celebrate the wonderful ministries and opportunities that that community offered to its friends and members and neighborhood. Closing a congregation is not failure; it is simply the natural course of a lifetime of service.
Now, don’t be discouraged! I share these 3 stories simply as examples that a mission center’s “life” isn’t all that different than our own lives. There are celebrations, joys, sorrows and disappointments. It is all part of that “spiritual spectrum” of discipleship, calling, and ministry.
There are things to celebrate as well! Many of our gathered communities are experimenting with different formats and activities that invite people to Christ, that exemplify “actions speaking louder than words” and that offer opportunities to meet people where they are on their respective journeys. I invite you to read the 3 Cluster Reports for some of those stories. Gathered Communities are evolving, deepening and emerging – while recognizing that “worship” is not a thing that just happens on Sunday morning in a designated building and a specific time. We are experiencing, throughout the church, a new understanding of what “worship” really is. Many of you have heard me say this, but perhaps I’ve never said it to a couple hundred of you at once . . . . that Jesus never called us to set aside a specific time on a specific day of the week to sing and pray to him, and listen to someone tell us how to be like him. He called us to go out in the world, our neighborhoods, and welcome the stranger. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Shelter the unhoused. Free the oppressed. Bring good news to the poor. Release the captive. And many of you are engaged in those efforts. That brings excitement, joy and hope.
We spent our Reunions this past summer gathered in community learning and exploring the Sacredness of Creation and our responsibility to do our part in healing the earth. THAT brings joy and hope!
The generosity of so many in our mission center is amazing and humbling. Fundraisers with individuals and families offering matching donations to double and even triple the dollars raised gives me hope!
Volunteers working at our campgrounds and staffing our youth camps and Reunions is a visible, tangible reminder of our shared vision, the value we place in building our community, and growing discipleship in our young people. This past year I spent a weekend Christmas-themed retreat with young adults and had a blast; I was able to attend 3 Reunions and see our youth playing, learning and engaging with little ones and us old folk; I spent a week on the Graceland Univ campus watching 600 youth find community and sanctuary and playfulness and so many other amazing opportunities; and I spent 5 days at a senior high camp where a few of those same kids took the tools they brought with them from Spec and intentionally created a welcoming, inviting space and built a beautiful little community of 11 teenagers. These experiences made my heart happy and my hope for the future expand.
So . . . speaking of our youth and young people, it’s surely no secret to anyone hearing my voice right now that while we still have a thriving and meaningful camping program, including Spec and Caravan, we are losing our young adults in droves. Now let me clarify – I’m talking about the post-high-school grads up to about age 40. And when I say “losing them” – I mean specifically, we are no longer seeing them in significant numbers on Sunday mornings at 11:00. We’re still seeing them at special events, at Reunions and camps, but for weekly gatherings for worship? Not so much. Now, I know we DO have a handful of young adults joining us today and who ARE engaged in their gathered communities, and I am thrilled to see you all!
But this is not a new situation – it’s been happening for years, and we’ve done very little to change that trajectory. I’ve been talking about this in perhaps too subtle language for almost 8 years. We can’t afford to be subtle or indirect about this phenomenon anymore. As I said in my written report, we have about 5 years to turn this around or we’re looking at a very uncertain future for this faith community. If we know that Sunday mornings maybe aren’t the ideal gathering time for most of our young adults and families, let’s get busy finding out when that “better” time is; if sitting in a pew listening to a sermon doesn’t feel invitational or isn’t feeding people spiritually, let’s ask them what will. And I would say to the young adults out there: if you want “the church” to change or be more relevant to you, or engage you in different ways, you have to speak up and let us know! Guess what? Many of us “over 50’s” also want to do things differently, explore new formats for gathering and expressing our discipleship, and be more engaged in our neighborhoods, and we need you to show us the way sometimes.
But there’s hope on the horizon! You may have heard that the Western Field is now in a position to hire a Young Adult Minister who will work exclusively in our field reaching out to our young adults, planning events, and talking with them about what’s most important for their faith experience. 3 of the 5 mission centers in the Western Field have each shared generously from the proceeds of sales of properties in order to initially fund this position, and we here in GPNW need to consider how we can do our part to support this new position. Donald and I are happy to talk with anyone interested with some ideas as to how to make that happen. We’re hoping to have the position advertised by December and I feel confident that in early 2025 we’ll have someone onboarded and ready to launch.
Secondly, we feel it is imperative that our young adults understand how vital their voices are in shaping the future of the church. As we’re preparing to elect delegates to world conference, we’ve been encouraging our younger generations, youth and young adults alike, to consider serving as a delegate to that conference. We know that school, getting time off of work, and travel expenses can all be pretty prohibitive for younger travelers. So last year, I asked Donald to add additional funds to our Young adult ministries account that would assist potential younger delegates in offsetting some of those expenses. It’s been exciting to see inquiries coming in and I’m hopeful that we see some new faces in our delegation come next May! You can find the link to the application in NewsBriefs and of course contacting anyone on the Mission Center Leadership Team if you’re interested.
This is the 8th time I’ve stood before you delivering this report, but the first time that I’ve felt compelled to be so brutally honest with you about the future of the church. If you’ve read my written report, then I hope you felt the urgency with which I shared the need for all of us to take a really hard look at what matters most for our journey ahead. I share with our church leaders the belief that Community of Christ is uniquely called to shine a light on the injustices of this world, and to share a message of peace, inclusion, justice and hope wherever we are able. And I believe there is a path forward to do so, but it will take making some difficult decisions in the months and years ahead. I am confident that together we can get there.