For the past two to three weeks my thinking and time has been dominated by analyzing Epiphany’s financial situation. Some may question why a “spiritual” leader is so involved in the “business” side of the church. Shouldn’t a spiritual leader be involved in Bible study, sermon preparation, and the chaplaincy care of members? This is a good question, so let me answer it.
Jacob Needleman in his book MONEY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE states that money is how we deal with the challenges of this world. When he leads seminars, he asks the CEOs in front of him to write on a 3x5 card their biggest challenge. The challenge can be business related or personal. On the other side of the card, he asks the CEOs to write how much money it would take to solve their challenge. Nearly every CEO has a dollar figure that would solve his or her problem. It may be money to buy new equipment or a new building for the business. Or, it may be money to get a family member needed health care or a child into the the best school. It is just amazing how the problems of life are dealt with through money.
I think Needleman is right. Money is a key issue in solving the challenges of the church in general and Epiphany in particular. Epiphany has had a decline in giving since 2006 with the biggest decline at the end of 2010. In January 2011, 500 disciples at Epiphany left the congregation. These 500 disciples contributed annually $415,000 dollars. It hurts when disciples leave a congregation and it hurts the ability to deliver ministry when financial receipts decline by $415,000 in a single month. The question that has dominated my praying and thinking is, How do we manage such a loss in both members and revenue?
First of all, there is some good news to report; namely, over 200 households have raised their giving levels by over $100,000 since January without being asked to do so. I believe this indicates the new spirit that is at Epiphany. Therefore, I have reason to rejoice and hope in Epiphany’s future. The Holy Spirit is moving among us.
Second, our debt load is very large, $284,000 annually to be exact. We are very fortunate to have funds in the Capital Campaign to help defray this cost in 2011. If Epiphany is to continue to grow, the Capital Campaign must be strengthen. This means that those who have made pledges to the Campaign need to meet those pledges. It also means that those who did not originally pledge need to consider at least a two year pledge to the campaign. Strengthening the Capital Campaign is a key to calling a new senior pastor and continuing ministry programs.
Third, there needs to be a very positive response to the fall Stewardship Campaign. The campaign will ask for at least a 5% increase in giving for 2012. For at least two-thirds of the congregation, this increase is $1.00 per week.
I should add to this blog that Needleman is spiritual. He does not deny the presence of God. He maintains that the downside of money is that it diverts our attention from spiritual realities. In like manner, dealing with money in the church does not deny the reality that God is a vital part of Epiphany and its ministry. Praying, thinking, and dealing with money is, in my opinion, an indication that we take our faith seriously and turn it into action in the world God created. Dealing with money is an affirmation that God has placed us in “the real world” to love Jesus by serving others.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Epiphany is better than expected
I have been asked many times in the last couple of weeks the following question, “So, how is Epiphany doing?” My answer, stated in a variety of ways, is “Better than expected!” I believed that Epiphany has bottomed out and is moving forward into a positive future. Following are two reasons for my answer.
First, the time frame used by an individual indicates what is happening inside of him or her. For example, when I was in a counseling session, I listened very carefully to the time frame used by the individual sitting in front of me. If that individual continually said, “I should have ....” I knew that individual was living in the past. That individual was not ready to move away from the anger and hurt caused by some past event. On the other hand, if the individual in front of me continually said, “The next time I will ...” I knew that that individual was looking to the future. The anger and frustration of the past were being replaced by hope and a strategy to make the future bright.
If you want to know how things are going, listen to the language of the disciples at Epiphany. In February and March, almost all conversations were about what happened in the past. There was a lot of speculation about what should have been done. In these conversations, all that I heard was, “I should have ...”
Today, the language of the disciples at Epiphany has changed. I hear more and more speculation about the future. I hear questions about the revitalization of ministries and concern about how Epiphany’s ministries will be delivered in the future. In my words, I am now hearing “The next time I will ...” This means that a corner has been turned. I should also add that I am hearing laughter and joking which reflect the change in language at Epiphany.
Another way of assessing what is happening at Epiphany is to see 2011 as a time of birth in reverse. In the birth process, a woman has her first labor pain followed by a long period without pain. As the time for the delivery of the child approaches, the labor pains increase in intensity and frequency. Eventually, the pain is constant until the child is born. If we reverse the birth process, at the time of loss (a schism is a great loss in the lives of those who live through it) the labor pain is constant. You cannot help but look around a worship service, a Bible study, or a fellowship event and not feel the loss of friends and acquaintances. As time goes on, there are gaps between the pains of loss. At first, a day may pass without pain. After the day passes, the pain returns. Then a week passes without the pain. Then it is a month. I see the time between painful comments increasing as the disciples at Epiphany talk about what they are going to do next. To be sure, a misguided word, a statement without thought can instantly bring back the labor pain of loss but those misguided words and statements are getting further apart. It may be a month, or six months, or a year before the next pain occurs. But, the longer the time between the pain, the more healing is occurring.
I am not so naive as to believe that the disciples at Epiphany are only going to live in the future from this time forward or that there will never be a labor pain caused by a misspoken word. But as I listen to the language of Epiphany being changed and the gaps between labor pains increasing in length, I can only be positive about the years ahead.
Pastor Pete
First, the time frame used by an individual indicates what is happening inside of him or her. For example, when I was in a counseling session, I listened very carefully to the time frame used by the individual sitting in front of me. If that individual continually said, “I should have ....” I knew that individual was living in the past. That individual was not ready to move away from the anger and hurt caused by some past event. On the other hand, if the individual in front of me continually said, “The next time I will ...” I knew that that individual was looking to the future. The anger and frustration of the past were being replaced by hope and a strategy to make the future bright.
If you want to know how things are going, listen to the language of the disciples at Epiphany. In February and March, almost all conversations were about what happened in the past. There was a lot of speculation about what should have been done. In these conversations, all that I heard was, “I should have ...”
Today, the language of the disciples at Epiphany has changed. I hear more and more speculation about the future. I hear questions about the revitalization of ministries and concern about how Epiphany’s ministries will be delivered in the future. In my words, I am now hearing “The next time I will ...” This means that a corner has been turned. I should also add that I am hearing laughter and joking which reflect the change in language at Epiphany.
Another way of assessing what is happening at Epiphany is to see 2011 as a time of birth in reverse. In the birth process, a woman has her first labor pain followed by a long period without pain. As the time for the delivery of the child approaches, the labor pains increase in intensity and frequency. Eventually, the pain is constant until the child is born. If we reverse the birth process, at the time of loss (a schism is a great loss in the lives of those who live through it) the labor pain is constant. You cannot help but look around a worship service, a Bible study, or a fellowship event and not feel the loss of friends and acquaintances. As time goes on, there are gaps between the pains of loss. At first, a day may pass without pain. After the day passes, the pain returns. Then a week passes without the pain. Then it is a month. I see the time between painful comments increasing as the disciples at Epiphany talk about what they are going to do next. To be sure, a misguided word, a statement without thought can instantly bring back the labor pain of loss but those misguided words and statements are getting further apart. It may be a month, or six months, or a year before the next pain occurs. But, the longer the time between the pain, the more healing is occurring.
I am not so naive as to believe that the disciples at Epiphany are only going to live in the future from this time forward or that there will never be a labor pain caused by a misspoken word. But as I listen to the language of Epiphany being changed and the gaps between labor pains increasing in length, I can only be positive about the years ahead.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A moving experience
For twelve days, my wife and our two children plus their spouses traveled to Italy. My son-in-law, who grew up in the Catholic Church, requested that we visit St. Peter’s Basilica. This was a given and we added Sunday Mass to his request. The Mass we attended was held behind the main altar and directly in front of Bernini’s Dove Window. Later that afternoon, we visited San Giovanni in Laterano. This is the Pope’s church. Across the street from San Giovanni are the Scala Santa (sacred stairs) which tradition says Jesus climbed at the time of his trial before Pilate. Pilgrims that come to these stairs must climb them on their knees. Sandwiched between these two churches was a visit to San Clemente, a 12th church build upon the ruins of a 4th century church. Both the “new church” and the old church’s ruins are open to the public. It was quite a Sunday.
It is our tradition that after sightseeing we gather before dinner and debrief the day. The question always is, “What was the most memorable experience for you?” All four of my children answered in similar fashion. They were caught by the passion and sincerity of those receiving Holy Communion at St. Peter’s, and the tears of pilgrims as they climbed the Scala Santa on their knees.
I have thought a great deal about my children’s responses to that Sunday. I watch the disciples at Epiphany as they come to the Lord’s Table. I look them in the eye as I hold up the bread and wine and say, “The body and blood of Christ given and shed FOR YOU.” I watch as they return to their seats, bow their heads, and pray. I see the same depth, passion, and sincerity weekly at Epiphany as was present in Rome. So what was different in Rome that made Holy Communion and climbing stairs so special?
One answer is the setting. St. Peter’s is a radically different setting than the sanctuaries at Austin or Far Hills. Another answer is a change in schedule. Another answer is that the Mass was in Italian, which none of us knew, so we were much more aware of those around us and their response to God’s love experienced through worship and Holy Communion. The common theme in these answers is that the normal routine of Sunday morning at home was changed.
While writing this blog, I wondered if experiencing Holy Communion in a different light each week would help my children, as well as me, capture what was experienced in Rome. For example, Holy Communion is the assurance of forgiveness of sin; therefore, the first week of the month I will concentrate on God’s assurance of forgiveness. Holy Communion is also about strengthening relationships with the ones that receive the bread and wine before and after me; therefore, the second week of the month I will concentrate on how Holy Communion builds relationships. Holy Communion is the glue that holds a congregation together; therefore, the third week of the month I will concentrate on how Holy Communion glues the disciples at Epiphany together as we collectively witness God’s love to the world. Finally, the worship service has two high points towards which all the other parts of the service point; namely, the reading of the Gospel lesson and the celebration of Holy Communion; therefore, the fourth week of the month I will concentrate on how God comes to me in the Word and then with physical assurance of God’s presence in the bread and wine.
It was a good visit to Italy. It was one that created a lot of thoughts and reflections.
Pastor Pete
It is our tradition that after sightseeing we gather before dinner and debrief the day. The question always is, “What was the most memorable experience for you?” All four of my children answered in similar fashion. They were caught by the passion and sincerity of those receiving Holy Communion at St. Peter’s, and the tears of pilgrims as they climbed the Scala Santa on their knees.
I have thought a great deal about my children’s responses to that Sunday. I watch the disciples at Epiphany as they come to the Lord’s Table. I look them in the eye as I hold up the bread and wine and say, “The body and blood of Christ given and shed FOR YOU.” I watch as they return to their seats, bow their heads, and pray. I see the same depth, passion, and sincerity weekly at Epiphany as was present in Rome. So what was different in Rome that made Holy Communion and climbing stairs so special?
One answer is the setting. St. Peter’s is a radically different setting than the sanctuaries at Austin or Far Hills. Another answer is a change in schedule. Another answer is that the Mass was in Italian, which none of us knew, so we were much more aware of those around us and their response to God’s love experienced through worship and Holy Communion. The common theme in these answers is that the normal routine of Sunday morning at home was changed.
While writing this blog, I wondered if experiencing Holy Communion in a different light each week would help my children, as well as me, capture what was experienced in Rome. For example, Holy Communion is the assurance of forgiveness of sin; therefore, the first week of the month I will concentrate on God’s assurance of forgiveness. Holy Communion is also about strengthening relationships with the ones that receive the bread and wine before and after me; therefore, the second week of the month I will concentrate on how Holy Communion builds relationships. Holy Communion is the glue that holds a congregation together; therefore, the third week of the month I will concentrate on how Holy Communion glues the disciples at Epiphany together as we collectively witness God’s love to the world. Finally, the worship service has two high points towards which all the other parts of the service point; namely, the reading of the Gospel lesson and the celebration of Holy Communion; therefore, the fourth week of the month I will concentrate on how God comes to me in the Word and then with physical assurance of God’s presence in the bread and wine.
It was a good visit to Italy. It was one that created a lot of thoughts and reflections.
Pastor Pete
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