Annual Conference - Monday Report

Good day church!  As we go through Annual Conference, I hope to keep you in the loop about the days events.  Please note- many of the worship sessions can be streamed live.  Worship is the best part of conference so I encourage you to tune in.

The theme of this year’s annual conference is 

Planted in the Past, Rooted in the Future

This theme comes to us from Psalm 1:3-

“They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.”

This year marks the 200th anniversery of the first Annual Conference of Methodists held in Chillicothe in 1812.  The meeting was poorly attended due to the raging 1812 War, but indeed Methodists gathered to organize themselves for ministry.

Each year, we begin our annual conference by joining together in communion and remembering those clergy, clergy spouses and conference lay leaders who have entered into the life eternal in the past year.  We celebrated our connection to saints who have served the church for well over 90 years.  I’m humbled to know that one day I too will be read amongst this list of names.

Bishop Hopkins sermon was entitled “Being Strong in our Broken Places.”  It highlighted the way in which we are called to "become strong at the broken places by turning to god for healing so that his love may shine through in your brokenness.”  Too often we are lured into believing that it is through our strength that God works.  We think we have to pretend all is perfect and project that strength.  We have to aggressively pursue our dreams and our wants and desires.  But ultimately, Christianity is about “losing the life we dream of for the life Christ intends for us"

He shared with us our Max Cleland declared that his life truly started the day a grenade took both of his legs and one of his arms.  He was forced to confront his weakness and it led him to a life of service.  Former BW president Mark Collier shared his own struggle with stuttering.  He said that he discovered that his stuttering became his teacher- forcing him to learn to be patient and to be open toward others.

Engaging in ministry through our weakness rather than our strengths can be a difficult concept to grasp.  Bishop Hopkins used an analogy of healing to describe how this works.  When a bone is broken, all that doctors can do is line up the pieces and allow healing to happen.  If you try to force the process, you only make it worse.  Ministry is the same way-  you cannot force people to change or force transformation on their lives.  You instead have to line people up in the right direction and then let go.  Allow transformation to happen.  But that can’t happen until we admit and acknowledge our own brokenness.

Our first business session was for the clergy only.  In it, we approved the commissioning of 17 provisional elders and 3 provisional deacons.  We need to lift these 20 individuals up in prayer as they begin their first steps into ministry.  We also approved 4 people to be ordained as elders and 1 as a deacon.  These individuals have served in ministry for a minimum of 3 years.  Ordination means they have taken on a life long sacrament in which they will serve God in this special calling.  I hope to join them next year as I first become eligible for ordination.

One difficult moment came when one pastor was placed on involuntary leave due to administrative charges.  While the nature of the issue is confidential, we want to lift this pastor and his family up in our prayers as they seek new direction.

After the clergy session, we had a series of reports about the state of the church.  Our jurisdiction (which stretches from Ohio to North Dakota) will have one less bishop during the next four years.  This reduction was made to help fund the placement of new bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo- our fastest growing area of Methodism.

The Youth Annual Conference reported that their theme this year was “In Christ we are set free”   They showed a video of all of the fun they had over the previous three days and announced they had passed 2 resolutions.  The first was to encourage every church to hold a youth night for ages 5-18.  In addition, they voted to require that all events sponsored by CCYM must have gluten free bread for communion.

In the treasurer’s report, Jessica Vargo indicated that in every major statistical area regarding participation, we declined.  This means that we had less people in worship, less members, less baptisms and fewer people in Sunday School.  However, the financial state of the conference is strong.  Apportionment payments are up, our Emergency and Health Care reserves are solid, our Pension and Health care obligations are funded and we have paid our full general church apportionments for the 6th year in a row.  Together, this means we have an opportunity to grow, but we need to seize it now by focusing on creating vital congregations.

To do this, the conference is focusing on the following 5 areas:

Clergy Leadership

We hired a recruiter and are looking for ways  to help pay for their education of new young clergy.

Lay Leaders

We tend to recycle lay leaders, but we are not grooming lay leaders and creating a new generation.

We need to leverage technology to allow for better access to meetings for laity.

Church growth

We need to better track our numbers so we know where we stand

New church starts

Vital Mergers (2 or more churches come together and start something new) have been successful.

Shift Resources

We need to shift away from propping up dying congregations and toward investing in  areas of growth.  For example, when a church doesn’t pay apportionment in full, we are essentially supplementing their ministry.  Thus, non-payment of shared ministry will be taken into the equation when churches apply for grants

We concluded the day by celebrating several bright spots.  In the Tuscarawas district, the celebrated the charting of Crosspoint UMC, first church chartered in 20 years. This means that this new church has moved from infancy to fully mature and active status within the conference.  They were planted in 2005 by Church of the Lakes UMC and continue to grow and bloom.

In the Three Rivers district, 20+ churches teamed together to build a house in less then a year.   By the end of the summer, one family will have a new home and can celebrate the work of God.  

It was a busy day!  May God watch over us tomorrow and in the days to come as we continue to invest in the future of the church.

Update:  Of Special Note- Sade Davis-Reynolds, pastor of Seven Hills UMC, celebrated her retirement last night!  However, her work will continue on a part-time basis as she returns to Seven Hills on a part time basis.

Take me to your leader

Scriptures for Sunday, June 10th

1 Samuel 8:1-11, 16-20

Mark 3:20-35

Sermon

If you have been reading the paper, particularly the business session, you may be aware the Greece is the center of a European financial crisis that dwarfs anything we are experiencing in the US.  Greece is currently experiencing massive unemployment, bank runs and unserviceable debt.   The government has been forced to massively cut back on public services and the economy has only gotten worse.  In the midst of this crisis, the Greeks held a national election.  The results showed that the people had lost faith in the two main political parties and were looking for anyone, and I mean, anyone else to lead the countries.  

So they turned from the main centrist parties to those of the extreme right and the extreme left.

In the midst of crisis, needing rapid action to unify the country and make important decisions, the people elected both communists and neo-Nazi’s, central planners and anarchists, and said go fix this.  There was a video going around last week of one of the neo-Nazi’s slapping several of the communist party members.  How do you think that’s work out for them?

You see- in the midst of crisis, the temptation is to do anything, try anything, follow anyone who comes along in the hope that someway, somehow, you’ll get through.

This is not a new phenomenon.  The tendency to panic in the midst of chaos may be one of our most ingrained responses-

Fight or Flight

This can be helpful when trying to dodge a lion in the wilderness, but less so when it comes to discerning new leadership, new direction, the new movement of the spirit.

Back in the time before the first Kings of Israel, we find the people in the midst of chaos and concern.  Their long time leader, Samuel, is beginning to get up there in years.  He has led the people well and has helped them to prosper.  However, he feels it is time to step down and appoints his sons to rule in his place.

Up until now, the people have been governed by a series of Judges.  Not judges in the way we might think of it, no, these judges were often Holy people, sometimes warriors, sometimes political leaders, who would be elevated to lead the people.  The Bible tells us that these judges were like people-  some of the time they followed God and did good, some of the times they did evil and the nation suffered for it.

So, the Israelite people have a real crisis moment-  Samuel has handed over the reigns of leadership to his sons.  And, unfortunately, his sons are corrupt.  They take bribes, they pervert justice, all in all- a terrible choice for leaders.  It seems like everyone knows it but Samuel.  

So the people panic-  and they look to their neighbors.  “Everyone else has a king.  Why can’t we just get one?  Surely, that would solve all our problems, wouldn’t it?”

Samuel’s response?  He gets angry.  He declares that not only have they rejected him, but they have rejected God.  He proceeds to warn them of all of the dangers of having a King, and yet, the people don’t listen.  They respond-  “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, 20so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

They panic.  And, as panic often does- it creates blind spots all over.  Samuel can’t see his own culpability in installing his corrupt sons into a position of power.  But that leaves us with the people.  There is no doubt that they have a legitimate grievance.  They are afraid of the injustice that Samuel’s sons will inflict on society.  But- if they think the real problem is injustice from above, calling their leader a king hardly seems like a solution.  As the people switch from a judges-based system to a king-based one- they have good kings and bad.  Just kings and corrupt kings.  War and peace.  Order and chaos.

The leadership has changed- the condition?  Not so much.

This is an ancient problem folks- and one very much alive today.  Chaos happens.  We face turmoil and distress in the world.  the real issue is- what do we do next?

The ancient Israelites panicked.  The modern Greeks panicked.

So what all does this mean to us?  My friends, I think the church in the US in general, and our church in particular, has realized that we have a problem.  Membership is declining across the country and here at IUMC.  Worship attendance is down.  Somehow, the church has failed to be compelling to the next generation.  As we who are inside the doors, we who have been helped in so many ways by the church, see the decline around us, we rightly see a problem.  And- having fully realized the extent of the problem-  we panic!  I think the church as a whole has been in panic mode for almost a full generation.  We have alternatively blamed theologies, structure, the terribleness of current generations, and a myriad of other scapegoats.

We rightly recognize the problem.  And like our ancestors before us, we don’t quite know what do to.

Let’s look at where the ancient Israelites go wrong?  After all, they rightly saw that there was a problem!  After Samuel explained all the problem with Kings- lets recall again the response of the people- “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

They want a king.  Why?  Because everyone else is doing it!!!

Is this a nation of teenagers?  These are supposed to be God’s people.  Special!  Holy!  A city on a hill.  The shining light that will bring salvation to all peoples.  And they just want to be like everyone else.  Ordinary.  Normal.  Just give us the day to day corruption- at least we know that.

My friends- the Israelites-  the church today-  we aren’t called to be normal!  We aren’t called to be ordinary.  We have had a heavy task laid on us-  we are supposed to be God followers.  We are supposed to be the medium through which God works to bring salvation to all!

Thats a heavy task.  And its a task we are not going to accomplish if we keep turning to corporate business models, more modern marketing technics, or even, and you know this hurts my heart, Facebook as the answer to all our problems.  We are called to be more than ordinary.  

We need to look to Jesus, to scripture, and to the Holy Spirit as it moves through each other, to see who and what we are to become.  One way we are going to do this this summer is spending a lot of time on the figure of David- the great and flawed King of Israel.  He, like us, was a somewhat ordinary person called to be extraordinary.  And he, like us, had many flaws.  And yet, seeming without miracles or direct divine intervention, God used David to do amazing things.  Perhaps in David we will find a bit of ourselves and find God’s will for our own lives.

Other than wanting to be ordinary, I think there is one other big problem with the Israelite’s response-   “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

They want the king to go fight their battles for them.

We see a problem.  Now you- go fix it for us.  The church is struggling- hey you-pastor, get on that.  Our community is crumbling- hey you, Mayor, do something, will you?  When the community has a problem- no individual leader is likely to solve it.  It is the community itself that will need to do some soul searching, organize to fix the problem, and go forward and make change.

My friends, when faced with a crisis of corruption, of having lost their way, the Israelites thought they could solve the problem by being ordinary and changing leaders.  They were right- the particular leaders they were faced with were corrupt.  But- good and bad leaders come and go.  When you look closely at scripture, what was consistent was the peoples desire to follow anyone but God.  They ignored that the core issue was themselves- so they never solved the problem.

As we the church, both universal and particular, struggle with losing relevance, we have to stop pointing the fingers outside of ourselves.  We have to discern what the core issue is.  I’m not claiming its our own corruption and lack of faithfulness (though we have to consider that too), but I am saying before jumping to solutions we have to discern the real core issue-  Why are we here?  If we believe God is going to transform the world, our community through us- what is the issue that needs transformation?  

God is calling us to do some extraordinary things.  But first, I think God call us to answer a question- 

“What do you experience in the world and the church that calls for urgent action?”  

As you pray over that question- look around at your community through God’s eyes.  Talk to some other people.  And come back and talk to me, to your lay leader Judy Perry or any of the other church leaders as we seek to find together the will of God for our church.  As we begin to discern the answer to that key question- as we really articulate the problem- it is only than that we can find our way forward.

Church News: Hospitality

The youth Sunday school classes enjoyed the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday, April 1. There were approximately 10-12 youth who participated in and helped with the festivities.  Special Thanks go out to Kaye Broadbent, Shawna Melnykowski, Bret and Dee Nemeth, and Katrina Yeigh for hosting this activity.

Independence Home Days is around the corner! Mark your calendars for Friday, August 3 & Saturday, August 4 for the 96th annual home days event. The theme this year is all about CARS!


The Hospitality committee made and entered a float in last year’s home days and are looking for volunteers to help again this year. Please let us know if you are interested in helping either by donating supplies or money, your time, or walking in the parade. For all interested, there will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board outside Pastor Jared’s office. 

General Conference Preview

Once every four years, delegates representing the entirety of the world-wide United Methodist Church gather to worship, discuss the myriad issues facing the church, and to set policy to govern how the church as a whole will operate during the following four years.  Because it is a top to bottom look at the church, this is an exciting time.  However, the vast number of issues that have to be addressed during the 10 day conference is almost overwhelming.  Here is a summary of the biggest issues facing the church:

• Being more Worldwide:  United Methodist Churches in the US have declined in membership and attendance for the last forty years while the church in Africa and the Philippines have grown.  Thus, 40% of all the delegates at this year's conference will come from outside the states.  As we consider how to organize ourselves, increased emphasis is being placed on giving leaders from outside the US a proportional place at the decision making table.

• Restructuring:  Driven by the continued decline in the US church, a major restructuring has been proposed.  We currently have 13 different agencies  that help to conduct ministry throughout the world.  The most prominent restructuring plan would combine most of the agencies into one body and then appoint 15 individuals to oversee their work.  Considerable concern has been raised as to whether that is shrinking the church too far and whether we will still have a diverse range of voices giving input into the direction of the church if power is invested in the hands of so few.

• Clergy Effectiveness:   One of the most controversial proposals is a major change to the relationship between clergy and the conference.  Currently, clergy agree to be appointed wherever in the conference the bishop deems they are best needed.  In return, upon ordination, clergy have been guaranteed that they would receive a full-time appointment if they remained in good standing.  Some have expressed concern that this allows clergy who are no longer effective to remain in pulpits and that as the church continues to shrink, we may not have places to put all clergy.  Many clergy have protested to say that the growth of a church has far more to do with the attitudes and openness of the people in the church and that removing the guarantee without giving the clergy a choice of where to serve is fundamentally unfair.

• Social Issues:  The UMC is a living organism that constantly tries to sense where God is calling us to be on social issues.  As such, at General Conference we adopt both policy and position statements that reflect where we are as a church.   This year, the most prominent issue regards working toward inclusivity in the church (with sexuality and sexual identity being the most debated).  Furthermore, issues of immigration, abortion, health care, economic justice and Peace in the Middle East will receive prominent discussion.

I will be attending the conference as a legislative monitor on behalf of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition and have been tasked specifically to work on the restructuring issue.   The hours will be long, but I look forward to being part of the discussion about how we can be church for many years to come.  I will appreciate your prayers and support.  You can follow all the action at General Conference at gc2012.umc.org.  

Church News: Trustee Corner

The Trustees would like to announce the results of our Pork and Kraut dinner on March 24th. We raised $690 from the dinner. We would like to thank Mike Naso, Pam Blair and Sue Kotabish
or helping with the cooking. The Boy Scouts from Troop #297 and their adult leader Pam Young were extremely helpful at our event. Jeanne Veverka, Tess Foltz, and Sue Kertianis were among the volunteer dessert bakers who helped us. Bret Nemeth and his friend Paris were a wonderful help in the clean up process. Thank you for the help from congregation members who supported this event!


Your trustees have selected a local contractor to waterproof and install new drain tile on the south and west sides of the church house on Hemoga. A new drain will be installed to keep the water from flowing up against the back wall, too. 


We have been working in the sanctuary's south wall fixing water damage by scraping, priming and repainting the wall. We hope to get a few volunteers to assist with painting the north wall, too. 


You will soon see the light at night as we have purchased materials to relight the bell tower. Church yard clean-up was begun before Palm Sunday. 


Beverly Veverka responded to our call for help in weeding. She has been busy weeding the numerous beds around the church. 


We would like to remind members that our building has numerous exits which are fire exits. Please keep that in mind as we have recently been inspected by the fire department and we need to keep the doors clear of tables and other items. Also as you enter the sanctuary in the area where the choir gathers on Sunday morning look up at the hidden fire gate. It is designed to drop down in case of a fire to keep a fire isolated. Please keep the area under the fire curtain clear of tables and chairs. 


Before the end of the Sunday school year, we will be having a fire drill. 


We appreciate all the help members have provided to help keep our facility in the best condition.
In an attempt to straighten up and clear up clutter, after the next coffee hour we will be making available the mismatched cups and saucers to the congregation for a donation. After that we will sell the mismatched cups and saucers on E-bay. 

Praying with the News: Educational cuts in Cleveland

The Cleveland School board announced massive layoffs and big cuts to the music, art, library and gym classes in Cleveland city schools.  Though our church is located in Independence, we do need to care deeply about the condition of the hub community just a few miles north.  We care because Jesus calls us to care for all children (especially the poor).  We care because we know that children raised without adequate education will be ill prepared to earn a living wage later in life.

In 2008, we as Methodist's declared that our founder "John Wesley was a “unique and remarkable educator (who) gave to the whole Methodist movement . . . a permanent passion for education.  Wesley believed that persons develop their full God-given potential when they educate their mind as well as nurture their spirit;"  Read the full resolution.

Lord- help us find a way to educate all of the children in our midst.  Help us to make decisions that allow them to grow into the people you created them to be.  Forgive us when we place our priorities elsewhere.  Amen.

Church News: Sunday Morning Adult Group

Great discussions about heaven followed our reading the adult written copy of HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. Recall it’s about a boy’s trip to heaven and back. This prompted further study of heaven and we started on March 25th the book SURPRISED BY HOPE, Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright. We study on Sunday mornings in the parlor at 9:15 a.m. with the use of a DVD and study guide loaned to us through the East Ohio Conference UMC Media Center. We have copies of the book available.


Shawna Melnykowski invited anyone to join the youth study group on the weeks they would be viewing/discussing the video SOUL SURFER, about a teenage surfer girl who summons the courage to go back into the ocean after losing an arm in a shark attack. Our study group joined them for three weeks and were glad to hear from, share faith and be enriched by the youth of IUMC. Thank you, Shawna!