Pastor's Annual Report of 2015
6For it is the God who said, "Let light shine
out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - 2
Corinthians 4:6
Dear Beloved Bethlehem,
Two things. The first is: you
are amazing. And I love you. I have been honored to rejoice with you this
year as this congregation grows by leaps and bounds. We grow with love for one another, especially
in our prayer requests. We grow in our
understanding of scripture and our faith, especially in our adult study
groups. We grow in evangelism as we
baptized one adult in 2015, and two more in Jan 2016. We grow in community as we learn and
celebrate our 30 years of history. We
grow in our outreach to young families who just keep showing up! I experience a tiny glimpse of God’s delight
over you, and I am overwhelmed.
Next, I want to acknowledge that I am riding a very thin line in the
rest of this conversation. Let me be
clear: I do not want to sway the vote for either budget in any way. This vote is not about me, it is about
Bethlehem’s future. Therefore, I have
written the rest of this report to “you” as a congregation, with me in the most
neutral place possible. Hopefully it is
clear that as your pastor, I am doing my best to guide you spiritually at this
difficult time, but not on the specifics of your financial decisions.
The second thing is: I have a tough question for you to consider. Whether you have a half-time pastor or a full
time pastor matters, of course. But this question matters more. Do you, as a congregation, have as your top
goal being a stable congregation? Or
rather, is your top goal being a congregation that exists to do God’s work in
this world? Yes, this matters. It matters a lot. Because no matter what the outcome of this
meeting (part-time pastor or
full-time pastor), if it is simply a better strategy for stability, then we are
setting ourselves up to fail. Let me be
clear, seeking stability alone, is not trusting God. It is pretending that we can control the
long-term future of this place, and is dangerous to our spiritual health if we
do so only to serve our own needs.
Rather, we live faithful to God’s will and live out that will as
Christ’s body. Seeking stability must be
only for the purpose of stewarding well God’s gifts to us so that we can live
in faith, giving ourselves away.
We have talked a lot for the last few years about what God’s purpose
is for our existence, and I am sorry to say that “stability,” in itself, is not
God’s purpose for us. We have done our
best to name what we do understand about God’s purpose is for us in the Vision,
Mission and Values of this congregation:
Vision:
To shine the light
of Christ so brightly that everyone is
drawn in to God’s love through this
community.
Mission:
Welcoming all
through the light of Christ by
feeding the
hungry, clothing the naked and being a place of shelter.
(Inspired by the Holy Spirit through
Matthew 25:35-36)
Values:
The Illuminating Word of God
Seeing all People and Perspectives
Serving our Communities with Delight
Opening the Eyes of Faith at Every Age
Seeing all People and Perspectives
Serving our Communities with Delight
Opening the Eyes of Faith at Every Age
Now it is time that I, as your shepherd, ask this tough question, once
again: Why does Bethlehem Lutheran
Church – Sturbridge exist?
Let me give you examples. These are answers that I have heard from you
over the past three years. One good
reason to exist is to be a place of shelter and solace for those who need it. This reason is reflected in the tail end of
the Mission Statement as well as the first value, the illuminating Word of
God. Because it is God alone, and God’s
Word for us that supplies the only real solace we have in this sin-bound
life. God’s Word shines a light on us
and through us to the world to say: “You. Are. Loved. By a God who created the whole world. You matter that much. Every broken thing about you, that you have
done or has been done to you, every broken thing, is made whole in Jesus
Christ.” Is this why you exist
Bethlehem? Is this work the work that
lights you up inside? And if so, how do you throw your whole selves into the
ministry of this place? Do you offer
more healing services? Do you create a
care team that brings this Word to the members and friends among us who do not
hear it in worship, through cards or phone calls?
Another good reason to exist is to be a community. An honest, authentic,
community that trusts God and one another.
How will you build community for each other? One on one conversations? Monthly Dinner Clubs? Do you build the kind of trust that can hold
difficult conversations about the issues that impact people’s lives in our
congregation: racism, caring for aging parents, caring for the foster children
in our state or caring for immigrants?
Will you build a community that can respect each other even when we
completely disagree (because we will, the CAT taught us that, and that’s ok!)
and be open and loving about it? Is this
a purpose for which it is worth existing – a kingdom of God purpose?
When we ask why do we exist,
we ask: What lights you up inside? Many people in this congregation have named
and claimed the mission to feed, clothe and shelter from Matthew 25. And there is no question that you are doing
this in a major way at Bethlehem’s Closet.
And this ministry is beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful. This
ministry is a way for us to provide clothing with compassion and dignity to
those who are struggling to make ends meet.
But again, is this why you
exist, Bethlehem? And if so,
what are you doing as a member of this congregation to make this mission
happen? Are you lit up about it to the
point that you will support it with your time, talent and treasure? You may
want to ask the same questions about the new garden. What lights you up with God’s joy and love?
You see, Bethlehem, I am a very poor reflection of our God’s love for
you, and I love you a lot. And it pains
me to see that your future is uncertain right now. And the certainty of that future is not about
which budget you pass. The only
certainty we have, as individuals and as a community, is simply our certainty
in God’s love for us. If you want this
congregation to survive, to be stable, and that is all you are hoping for, you
hope for far, far too little. God wants
more for his church. God wants Christ’s
body in the world to thrive, to be healthy, alive and kicking! God is seen through you! Christ’s body in the world! And God is showing up here, every week, to
nourish this little piece of the body with generous, abundant bread and wine
and Word. Trust it. Fall into that underserved grace. Grip tightly to the Promise. You are God’s children, and God has a future
for you.
God holds a future
where we show this darkened world what a community looks like when we live
together and love each other, even when we have incredibly different ideas
about society and faith – to live as Christ’s community inside and outside this
building. God holds a future where our light shines so brightly that everyone
in our community is drawn in to God.
Drawn to God by the Bethlehem star that shines beyond and through
everything that might get in the way. We
are the shining light of Christ… because only in God is our future, our
existence, our very life. – Modified from the Vision, Mission, Values
presentation.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Kirsten
The Rev. Kirsten Nelson Roenfeldt
774.318.9306 (mobile)
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