Praying and Planning

This Sunday, 3/1, between the services we’ll have one of our periodic “Update” Sundays. I’ll share a bit about what is going on in the congregation generally, and leave time for any questions that any of you might have.

In preparation, Friday night and all day Saturday I’ll be at our annual vestry retreat, during which time we’ll share our stories, pray, study scripture, listen, and plan. It is important that the vestry spend this kind of time together each year, as the new members get a chance to share who they are and get to know the “veteran” members as well.

I’m always thankful for the time of personal sharing, which concludes with us praying for one another, honoring the work that God has done and is doing in each of our lives, and thanking God for bringing each one of us, brothers and sisters, together to serve as stewards of our congregation’s ministry for the coming year.

Next we’ll walk through our Vision, Mission, and Values, which serves as an orientation to the foundation of our life and ministry together. It is our Vision, Mission, and Values that keep us focused on the kind of ministry that we have prayerfully discerned God has called us to within the mission of the broader church, and thus helps to frame our conversation together.

Then we’ll review 2014, noting especially the progress made on the goals we set at last year’s retreat. We’ll also discuss the inevitable “surprises” from the past year, both blessings and challenges (or, in some cases, “blessed challenges”!).

Finally, we’ll talk about the future. We’ll first discuss goals for 2015, and then have a discussion about hopes and dreams for the coming 3-5 years. We do this, however, remembering the Proverb, “The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established” (Proverbs 19:21).

I was struck this week by the text from John 5 in which Jesus comments, “the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise” (John 5:19). Thus, prayer is essential to this process, specifically praying that we, at Christ Church, would know “what the Father is doing”, so that we might, indeed, do that.

So, please pray for us this weekend as we seek to see “what the Father is doing,” so that we can do likewise. I look forward to sharing some highlights from our retreat on Sunday between the services as we seek to be faithful in our calling in this unique time and place.