Just some thoughts

When I first arrived at Del Rosa UMC I had a conversation with our church treasurer over ice cream sundaes for our Fourth of July celebration. He was telling me about the track record of financial giving for Del Rosa and their commitment to apportionments. He offered these words on his way out the gate, "If you can kick it I can sell it."
Those words have stuck with me for some time. The statement affirms the commitment of the people of Del Rosa to a cost they can make tangible, and be given purpose.
One of the secondary statements I have heard this year is, "People do not give to a cause, but they give to people with a passion for a cause." Profound, and ever so true in its simplicity, this assertion helps me to take some stock with what is to come.
Much of what Del Rosa has been doing was started by people with a passion for a project or an idea here or there.For some time we have been looking for a centering thought. We have a mission statement which was formed some years ago and was reviewed when I arrived two years ago and change (July of 04). This year our Conference is requiring all of the churches to begin a visioning process, and it assumes a certain level of "alreadyness". That is to say the expectation is that our churches already have a vision statement or a mission statement, or that they are even in a place emotionally that they could begin to look forward with such things. That can make it hard.
I have been taking time recently to lay out my own vision for Del Rosa and for the community we serve, both our congregation and those in the Del Rosa area. I am trying to stay out of the process of creating a vision for the church, allowing one of our lay persons who is well equipped to help form a vision and draw out the hopes, and expectations of the congregation, along with several other members of the church who are now set aside as the Vision Team, per the new Conference process.
But, the real truth of these visions is going to be whether or not there are people who are passionate about the various suggestions such that "people will give to a passionate person." Because those people will make the projects and proposals tangible, thereby making it something my treasurer can "kick and sell."
Now for the hard work to get the group together and make sure we hear from everyone in the congregation, including those who have a vision for "no change at all", so that we can be certain that the direction we take is one for the whole church. The kicker will come in creating an atmosphere that allows each person to express his or her view without condemnation.
Peace,