A Life-giving Insight from Connect
Hidden within the simple framework of Invite, Welcome, Connect is an insight into lasting connection with a congregation. Certainly, to make a home for oneself in a church community one moves from connecting with the clergy to making connections with other parishioners. These relationships usually gets firmed up outside of worship with the smaller groups within a church. This is the initial connection which will change and deepen over time as you bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s joys.
Yet we should not think the cycle is complete as someone has been invited and then welcomed to your church and finally connected in coming each week to a Bible Study or serving as a Reader or joining the Altar Guild. The truth is that sometimes a person can get connected to a church and then their life changes and they find it difficult to move in their roles. For example, a faithful parishioner can make the flower arrangements week after week, but then have trouble speaking up when she needs to start taking care of her aging mother. Or the Acolyte Master enjoys many years of organizing worship, but can’t find anyone to take on the task so he can sit in the pews and just worship.
Wonder why it is impossible to find a treasurer? It may be because other members see that the person who takes on that job will be stuck for decades. Connections should change over time and this takes intentionality on the part of the clergy and lay leadership.
A helpful task for the priest and wardens is to look across the congregation’s faithful to consider who the church relies on for their volunteer time. Map out one-on-one check ins to see
- Is the person finding the work fulfilling or a chore?
- Could the person use assistance, or some other support, such as new tools or a space to store needed items at the church?
- Is it time to start training someone new to take on the tasks?
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In any case, the main goal should be to make sure the people serving faithfully know that they are appreciated and that a given role is not a life sentence. The cost of not tending to this part of Connect is that a person who has selflessly given to his or her church can start to resent the congregation they love. A yearly check in can be life-giving as an opportunity for a change.
Peace,
Frank
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue, Canon to the Ordinary
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