By Ed Thompson
We had a draft at the presbytery office this past Monday. No, we didn’t find a way to crack open the windows, which seem to be hermetically sealed. Nor did we prop open the doors to let the breeze in and the new carpet odors out. Instead, the staff got to choose or “draft” which churches within the presbytery they will each contact. The plan is that we will be calling the clerk of session of each of our churches once a quarter to let them know about some upcoming presbytery events and to see if they have any concerns we might be able to help them with.
We are not just going to be calling small churches; we’re going to be calling all churches. We are not just going to be calling churches without a pastoral leader; we’re going to be calling all churches. We’re all in this together. We want all our churches to have the same information, so we can stay connected. That’s an ongoing process, and maybe it’s an ongoing struggle.
Maybe some people think we communicate too much. They feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and the number of e-mails filling their inbox. Maybe some people think we don’t communicate enough. They prefer hard copies of everything, and they feel left in the dark, out of touch with what’s going on. Or maybe they have questions and don’t know who to talk to. We’re not going to please everybody. We know that. That’s not our goal.
The goal is to have personal contact, one-on-one conversations, and to strengthen the ties that bind us together while passing on information about some of the good things we’re doing. The reality is we are doing a lot of good things. Just in the next few months, in addition to our presbytery meeting on August 18, there will be a Playology workshop on August 25 as well as a number of Boundary Training events for our pastoral leaders. If the way be clear with an affirmative vote at the presbytery meeting, we’ll be offering seven regional events to provide training for ruling elders, so they can celebrate the Lord’s Supper in their own congregations. Starting in September, there will be a new round of Presby Prep, which is the first part of the training for Commissioned Ruling Elders and Authorized Lay Preachers. If you have ever considered that this might be something you want to do or God might be calling you to do, this is a chance to kind of dip your toe in the water and check it out. At the very least, it’s an opportunity to learn more and grow in your own faith. These Presby Prep courses, which will last for nine months, are going to be offered in three different places in the presbytery.
In addition, on Saturday, September 8, there’s a Ministry Toolbox course on Biblical Storytelling. On Saturday, September 15, we’ll have the Small Church Conference in Summersville. On October 5-7, there’s the Fall Gathering at Bluestone, and on October 13, there is the Friends of Bluestone Fall Benefit Golf Outing at Little Creek Golf Course in South Charleston. On October 15-17, there’s the Annual Assembly of the West Virginia Council of Churches. On October 27, there’s another Ministry Toolbox course on Preaching.
We’ll only emphasize three of those things in our initial phone call and encourage people to check out the presbytery newsletter and our website for more information about everything else. Really, the calls are meant to be an encouragement. They’re also an opportunity for us to listen and discover how we can support the ministry of our churches. That’s an ongoing process and maybe an ongoing struggle, but that’s why we’re here and why we have staff. We look forward to talking with you and discovering ways we can strengthen the work we do together.