![]() This is an abbreviated version of my remarks from the annual meeting on January 26, 2025 In 2025, I wish to encourage intentional action in two areas: be a good steward of what we are responsible for, and be a good neighbor - which includes knowing who our neighbors are, what their needs are, and our own willingness and ability to help. To this end, let’s connect with partners in our community. Here are three “good neighbor” examples from 2024.
This is my reflection on good stewardship, at the end of 2024: I see All Saints adjusting to being a small church - in the beautiful way that small communities come together to make things happen quickly, efficiently, and with loving care. To function as a small church is to prioritize and simplify our tasks and goals. This is not a bad thing! Consider Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6. “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away.” Moving forward, I encourage us to consider change as an opportunity to seek and keep what is working well. It’s ok to lose and throw away the things or patterns that don’t work as well today and instead do something else that makes more sense for these times. That means trying new things, like these 2024 efforts: hosted chalkboard prayers on Farmer’s Market Saturdays | tried out vestry liaison roles with ministry teams | launched the Living Christianity formation series | trialed a single 9:30 a.m. Sunday summer service | Outreach team selected three charities to support | mah-jongg night | fiber art night | open mic night | winter and spring movie nights | hosted Music at All Saints series | leased parking spaces | supply clergy budget line item removed and replaced with a month of lay-led services in July | new music on Sundays | assembled a congregational care team to organize outreach to the homebound and the ill In 2025, I think the phrases of practice, try it, test it, experiment, etc. will be the things we talk about often, and act on regularly. What are the hopes and dreams we have for being a good neighbor in downtown Appleton, and a good steward of the assets we can share in the next 2, 5, or 10 years? What exciting new things can we do with our building? And with whom? How soon can we start? I ask you to please listen to the needs of our Fox Valley community, in whatever social and service circles you are part of. Please consider how our assets - namely our location, our space, and our talented members - can meet the needs around us. There are physical needs like hunger and homelessness, education needs for children and adults, and cultural needs for safe spaces and artistic expression and performance. What can we do to live out our baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ in all persons? How will we love our neighbor as ourselves? We will listen and we will act. We will continue to be a non-profit member of Appleton Downtown, Inc. We will join the ecumenical advocacy group Esther. Esther has several committees…maybe you can attend to listen and share what you’ve learned with All Saints. We will host parish-wide meetings, repeating the ministry fair planning session, and discussion on topics that will be announced later, but related to visioning our future and discipleship action. We’re going to be a small church for a while, so we need to keep things manageable, not complicated. Being a part of a small church is about realistically evaluating the things that are possible with the time, talent, and treasure we pool together. We’ll need to prioritize, simplify, ask for help, and keep in touch. I’m looking forward to seeing where our momentum takes us and how we will share our assets, broadly speaking. It’s good to remember that with God, all things are possible! Please pray for wisdom, inspiration, motivation, and love to guide us. Comments are closed.
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