Hope, Focus and Getting it Done

Yesterday morning was our time to hear about the state of the Church and where God is leading us. It was a reality check and a time to reclaim our vision. Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher identified our struggles in this way:

"Our United Methodist soul is fractured by [declining membership, divisive issues and the glitziness of modern culture]. We are plagued with deep fear and anxiety, resulting in symptoms that mimic the reactivity of the world rather than life, ministry, death and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

I think she nailed it! But then the message moved on to "so what do we do now?" The answer offered was to concentrate our energies on 4 areas of ministry: leadership development, congregational renewal and growth, ministry with the poor and stamping out killer diseases.

I was struck by how these four issues coordinated with a couple LUMC's 4 critical issues we identified as crucial to our life together: living out a lifelong spiritual journey, reaching 20 and 30 year olds, engaging in vital worship, and retooling the building for ministry/mission.

It seemed to me LUMC's issues of Lifelong Spiritual Journey and Reaching 20 & 30 Year Olds link with both Leadership Development and Renewing Congregations. I also noted none of our issues link up with poverty or disease relief. We do this in many ways (and perhaps that's why we didn't identify these issues), but I wondered if we need to think about how we can grow in these area. I was moved almost to tears by a little 7 year old girl named Katherine from the Pittsburgh who stood before 1000 delegates and told us how she had raised $40,000 to buy nets to protect children in Africa. I could see our kids doing this.

After the presentation around the 4 areas of focus, the first ever "Young People's Address" was given by 6 young adults: Kira, 24, from Russia; Becca, 17, from Michigan; Rev. Annie Arnoldy, 29, from Colorado; Andrew, 16, from Colorado; Matt, 20, from Washington; and Jason, 24, from Nebraska.

This was a powerful presentation. Each young adult shared how important the UMC was to them and what their hopes and dreams were for the future. The four areas of focus were named in concret ways as vital to these young adults. Matt summed up the presentation in this way:

"We have shared stories of persecution, homelessness, and what it means to be a young person in a world desperately in need of Jesus." Then he paused and looked everyone one of us in the eye (amazing, since that's 2000 eyes!). "What you do with what you have heard is really up to you."

I've been thinking a lot about that challenge. Words are great, but actions speak.