United Church of Warsaw

When Less Creates Spaces for More-December 2007

“Tis the season to be jolly” – no, scratch that – the reality for most of us is: “Tis the season to be frantic!” This is absolutely the busiest time of the year. There are parties and special activities to enjoy (concerts, plays, etc. etc. etc.). Family gatherings to plan and attend (and sometimes referee)…the Christmas cards to write…the presents to buy and wrap… food to prepare…and services to attend at church and in the community. All these things can be very enjoyable. So why is it that so many of us enter the month of December feeling overwhelmed and exhausted just thinking about what awaits us? Why does something that is meant to bring us peace and joy leave us feeling so frantic and overextended? Perhaps the reason is that we are so busy celebrating Christmas from one end of December ‘til the other that we miss the opportunity to observe the special season that takes place before December 25^th – Advent.Advent provides a remarkable opportunity for people to do what we really need to do – dial down the drama, slow down and wake up to what really matters – to step back from the hustle and bustle of life and quietly prepare a place in our hearts and lives for the Christ Child. It is a time to engage in things that have true and lasting meaning, not just things that glitter because of tinsel and blinking lights. It is the heart and soul of our journey as Christians – God loving us so much that God chooses a human birth into poverty so that Jesus would be Lord of all, not just Lord of a privileged few. This kind of awesome good news requires peace and time to soak deeply into our souls. Unless we stop and allow our hearts to pay attention to this joyous good news, we can miss the true blessings of this special time by being distracted by the lovely, lesser joys the holiday brings – tinsel instead of true treasure.This good news also requires a response, and until we slow down enough to fully grasp the gift God offers each one of us at Christmas, our hearts will not be truly touched, and our response will be superficial. The miracle of Christmas is its capacity to change and transform us- if we allow that to happen. From that place of transformation we can then respond to the world around us with hearts on fire with love, compassion and mercy.My challenge to us all this December is to do less of what we normally do, so there is space and time to do more of what really matters. Spend less time racing around attending many activities, and instead pick just a few that are meaningful and truly enjoy them. Send fewer cards (giving the environment a break), and instead, have meaningful contact with people. Spend less money on gifts that people do not need, and instead, give gifts that can make a difference in the lives of those who truly are in need. For example, instead of getting your favorite Uncle yet another tie, go to resources like http://www.churchworldservice.org/ or http://www.seva.org/ or http://www.worldvisiongifts.org/ and give a gift of compassion in honor of the people you love- like safe drinking water, or a school kit for children, or sight-saving surgery for someone who is blind. This type of gift would make the Christ child smile. And as you live out Christ’s call to be loving and compassionate, pay attention to those around you who may be experiencing isolation, loneliness and depression during the long nights of December and January, and remember to include them in your circle of care.By taking steps this Advent to do less, you will have the opportunity to have and do so much more this holiday season – more time to spend in meaningful activities with those you love, a more compassionate response to those who are in need (and to the environment), and more opportunities to prepare your heart to receive the Christ child and to be transformed by the miracle of Christmas…which is what this season is all about.May you and your loved ones have a blessed, miraculous Advent and Christmastide.

With love and prayers,
Kim

Early September brings that hint of change as the relaxed pace of summer gives way to the more structured time of fall. School is back in session, and here at the church, the buildings burst into life as Head Start and Starburst resume their activities, and the glorious sound of children fills every nook and cranny. Regrettably, the Food Pantry didn’t have any ?down-time? this summer, as demand for its services was at an all-time high. It faithfully continues with its ministry of compassionate care season after season. The WIC program brought a steady stream of families through our doors throughout the summer, which will surely continue into the fall. What a blessing to see these buildings utilized for the glory of God through our ministry of education, care and hospitality!

The coming of fall also heralds the start of some new activities for our Church Family activities which will help us build our sense of identity, and strengthen us for the ministry God calls us to here in Warsaw. The first change involves one of the priorities you set when you searched for your new pastor: Welcome new families into the church, and increase the involvement of children and youth in the life of the church. We will do this in two ways, both of which build on those beautiful words in the book of Proverbs: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” (Proverbs 22: 6). Or, in the words of the oft-quoted African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
The fourth Sunday of each month is now designated “Family Sunday.” On that Sunday, the worship service will specifically be designed so that all-ages will be included in the service, with children and youth actively participating in the worship experience. Consequently there is no Sunday School on that Sunday, as we will instead worship together as a church family. The children will learn to be part of the worshipping community (instead of only having an allegiance to Sunday School), their teachers will have the Sunday to be in worship, and the adults will be blessed with presence of the children, who are often our greatest teachers. I hope to involve the youth in the leadership of these services so that they have a meaningful role in planning and leading worship here in the church.

The second change is a simple one. Once Sunday School begins on September 9th, the entire church family will join together for fellowship after worship and Sunday School. The current pattern of the children and young people remaining in the Sunday School area until after fellowship time will cease. Instead, once Sunday School reaches its natural conclusion, the children and young people will proceed to the East Room so the church family can share fellowship and refreshment together. This will allow our children and young people to be part of the family and learn from all the adults in the church, and also allow the Sunday School teachers to participate in the fellowship that is such an important part of church life. Since we are a “village” working together to raise our children, the parents of the children will still be able to enjoy fellowship, knowing that there are many other adults here to help watch the children! We can all work together, for the glory of God, and the well-being of everyone the family here at the United Church.

I hope these changes help with one other challenge that is facing the Sunday School this year the recruitment of teachers. We already have a strong “team” of four men who will be teaching our older children (and because they are a team, they will be sharing the responsibilities and thus be able to be in church more often, etc). But we still need teachers for our younger ones perhaps another team to share the joy of working with our children. When 2-4 people come together as a team, the teaching responsibility becomes a joy shared among friends, and our children gain the gift of excellent role models and an inspired Sunday School experience that always feels fresh. Can you respond to this opportunity and challenge?

You will read of many other opportunities for our church family to come together in a variety of different ways Bible Study and prayer, fellowship through games and activities including dancing, and service. All of these different opportunities strengthens our bonds as a family, and encourages us in our ministry.

After all, that is what it is all about. We are not here just to take up space in the middle of Warsaw. We are not here to just keep these beautiful buildings in good repair and keep our cherished history and traditions in tact much like one keeps a museum or art gallery in perfect order, free from change or alteration. We are the Body of Christ, living and breathing, and called to ministry NOW. Respectful of our past and with our eye on the horizon, we do all that we can to live and grow NOW in the way God is calling us to grow. And we are blessed to be able to do that here as a family the United Church family.

What an exciting time to be part of the church. NOW!

With love and prayer,
Kim

We are trying to update the records we have for our college students and our military personnel. If you know of anyone who is related to our church who is either in college (either at home or away from home) or serving in the military, please provide the church office with their contact details. We want to make sure we can keep them in our prayers, and keep in touch with them.