By Dan Hester

When the crepe myrtles start to bloom, I know that the end of summer is approaching. As I start to turn towards fall planning, I thought that an overview of the ministry of St. Andrew's was worthwhile to write.

Almost a year ago our long range planning committee, the Joel Committee, submitted to the Administrative Council its report concerning where God was leading St. Andrew's UMC. The Council has since then been considering, prioritizing, and acting on that report. In short, the Council prioritized 8 items on which to focus its attention. Some of the items are visionary. Some are very practical. Here they are in order of priority as set by the Council with my own commentary.

1. Disciple Development. This emphasis calls each person and each group within the church to consider how they are offering Christ to people, and deepening the Christian walk of existing disciples. I often think of this with the baseball analogy of advancing base runners.

2. Hospitality. This goal asks St. Andrew's to model the welcome of Christ. Hospitality is also welcoming the stranger and recognizing that the stranger brings blessings and gifts. In true biblical hospitality the roles of guest and host often switch.

3. Be a Light to the Neighborhood. This visionary goal is biblically rooted in the call of Israel to be a light to the nations, and the teaching of Jesus to not hide your light under a bushel. This goal is also rooted in St. Andrew's origin and history in this neighborhood.

As a matter of priority, the Council drew a line in pencil here. The top three goals are the most substantial, challenging, and promising avenues for ministry. Rather than try to accomplish everything at once, the Council chose to focus on the top three. The following five goals are still before the council. These get discussed and prayed for. They are not on a back burner, but they do get viewed through the lens of the top three.

4. Emphasize Seniors. Our elders continue to grow in faith and have gifts to offer for the ministry of the Church. Multi-generational ministry, health and wellness, transportation, and the homebound are all areas of interest for St. Andrew's and its seniors.

5. Missions. Our local and international outreach has been and will continue to be a strength and pillar of St. Andrew's. Missions are not only a means to fulfill the will of Christ, but missions are also a way of proving faithful witness to an unbelieving world.

6. Emphasize Youth. Our aim here is not to keep youth ministry in a silo unto itself, but to integrate our future leaders now. Our youth are also in the position to combine several of our overall goals such as mission, neighborhood involvement, and disciple development.

7. Multi-generational Ministry. Discipleship has always involved mentoring relationships. Plus, nothing keeps one young like working with children and youth. This item highlights the mutual benefits available to all age-groups when we plan and conduct ministries together.

8. Emphasizing Family Through Baptism. Baptism joins us in Christ and helps us know the best sense of what it means to be family, both through biology and through faith. In an age of broken, abusive, and atypical family structures, the Church can provide a holy sense of belonging, nurture, and growth for everyone, no matter what the biological family background. 

I invite you and whatever groups you may be a part of in the church to consider how you might direct your efforts with these goals and intentions of St. Andrew's. 

Here are some excerpts from thank you notes sent to St. Andrew's from students at Montclaire Elementary School. Montclaire used our FLC this Spring for their choir concert. 

—…if it wasn't for you we would have been really squished up… I am so grateful and I was wondering if our class can come and visit again. 
—Thank you …for letting us use all your equipment for free. 
—…thank you for all that work that you did
—One of our opportunities was that a lot more people got to see our play. I am so grateful for your kindness because we all got to have a great time. 
—Thank you for letting us practice in your church which is way better than doing it on the stage in the cafeteria. 
—Thanks for the lights, chairs, and mikes. 
—God bless you guys. 
—I am really happy that you let us sing and even more you let us bring parents. Thank you. 
—Thank you very much for letting us rock on your stage. 
—I will always remember what you did for us. 
—…you are full of generosity. 
—…thank you for taking your time out to set up the chairs and making sure that the microphone worked. 
—You were very generous and kind. 

In no particular order, here are four good books on the Christian life. I'm using them in my current sermon series on Christian practices. Any one of these would make for a great personal or group study. 

Marjorie J. Thompson. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. 

Thompson's book is best if you need to start from scratch with your spiritual life, or are looking to overhaul things for a fresh start. She's accessible, draws from a wide range of sources, and comprehensive. 

Richard Foster. Celebration of Discipline. 

A classic work. Foster's work has a little harder edge to it and is not for the faint of heart. He's like a really tough personal trainer who gets in your face. But for those who persevere it will reap rewards. 

Diana Butler Bass. Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. 

This work points to how these traditional practices can renew a congregation. With a bit more political point of view, she integrates well the inner and outer aspects of Christian practice. 

Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. A Way of Life in the World: Spiritual Practices for United Methodists. 

Carter is the former pastor down the road at Providence UMC, and now the bishop of the Florida Conference. Carter has a talent for making things clear. This book is the best at articulating a specifically Wesleyan approach to spirituality. 

Introducing the Care Team

In the late summer/early fall of this year a group of people stepped forward for a new experiment. These were people feeling a call to provide pastoral care to others, to visit, pray, encourage and support people. After an introductory meeting, and an initial 10 hours of training, we now have an active Care Team.

The Care Team's mission is to provide a ministry of lay Christian caring. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NRSV) The ministry is designed to provide one-on-one supportive care for persons going through a crisis, the homebound, those healing from injury or illness, and to maintain relationships within the congregation.

How does it work?

The Care Team works in cooperation with the pastor. As different pastoral care needs arise, the pastor calls on different members of the Care Team. For instance, the pastor would call on a Care Team member to visit in the hospital when he cannot be there. Or if someone endures a life-changing event, or an intense period of stress, after consulting with that person, the pastor would send a member of the Care Team to meet regularly with that person and to walk with them through the crisis.

What can I expect from a Care Team member?

A Care Team member will

·      meet with you at a mutually convenient time and place
·      hold all conversations in confidence
·      pray with and for you
·      listen carefully
·      help you reflect
·      walk with you in difficult times
·      talk with you one-on-one

A Care Team member will NOT:

·      have all the answers
·      betray your confidence
·      diagnose you
·      provide therapy
·      talk you into anything
·      work on your personal chores or tasks
·      meet with couples or families

I think I might like to meet with a Care Team member. What do I do?

If you're interested in visiting with a member of the Care Team for any reason, get in touch with the pastor. He can answer any questions about the program, listen to your needs, then pair you with the best match from the Care Team.

The Care Team members are: Allison Bickett, Margeri Brown, Nancy Crosby, Norma Dowless, Martha Ann Harris, Jean Hunter, Susan Johnson, Ruth Mauldin, Shawn Penny, and Pat Smathers.

Please keep the Care Team in your prayers. Welcome them if they visit you in the hospital. And if you think someone else might benefit from the Care Team, have them call the pastor.

By Dan Hester

Montclaire Elementary School uses the Family Life Center from time to time to hold school programs. Their school building does not have the capacity to hold a large group of students and their families. Most recently, MES held their graduation in our facility.

A few months ago the music program held a concert here. The picture shown here was taken at a rehearsal. I asked Montclaire's music teacher, Jessica Dawalt, to share some of her thoughts on what using our building means to their program. The show was for two grade levels and involved 150 students. Without the space our FLC provided, the program would have been limited in the number of performers, the number of people who could attend, as well as simple visibility and enjoyment.

Ms. Dawalt wrote:

"Our students loved being at the church. Comments came forth about the size of the room, the beautiful stage lighting, having side rooms to enter the stage from, and they loved having a sound system. The head set mics for our 3 actors were a hit. What a blessing for them to see and use the latest technology. This certainly aligns with the 21st century skills the state of NC desires for our students" Ms. Dawalt finished her letter by saying, "Not only impacting their education, Montclaire students have received the message from their community that they are valuable, loved, and celebrated for their hard work and achievements."

I wanted to share this experience with the congregation. This kind of ministry happens as a result of the generosity of St. Andrew's members. The next time you think that our budget merely keeps the lights on, remember the pride these elementary students felt, and how it was facilitated by the body of Christ at St. Andrew's UMC.  

By Dan Hester

A couple of Wednesdays ago we had our open Halloween party for the community. If you weren’t there you can see pictures from the event now posted in the hallway outside the sanctuary and opposite the history wall. Looking at those pictures again reminds me of what a miracle that event was.

Through experience and through contact with colleagues I know that most United Methodist Churches are largely culturally homogenous. Most of the ministers I know would fall over backwards in happy disbelief if they opened their gym for Halloween and saw the variety of people that showed up in our FLC.

Just in terms of establishing rapport with people, our Halloween party was a howling success. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) People hear our actions louder than our words. I think the message was loud and clear: You are welcome here. We like having you here.

I want people to know that our welcome is a reflection of God’s welcome of us in Jesus Christ. To that end we gave away free Bibles. We gave Bibles away to whites, to Asian Indians, to African Americans, and to Latinos. Not many churches can say that on any day of the year, much less Halloween.

I also want the people who visited to know God’s grace and love for them in Jesus Christ. I hope that they profess faith in Christ, join our congregation and grow in their discipleship. I know that the Church does not have the instant trust of our society in general that it once had. So building relationships from scratch is the order of the day.

I think of open community events such as the Halloween party and the upcoming Christmas Tree Lighting on December 2nd in two ways. One way I see them is in creating a kingdom moment; a moment where we see a gathering of people that reflects the way heaven will look. (Isa. 40:5) I think creating such a moment is an end in and of itself. It expands our imagination, our understanding of God, and the appreciation of our mission. One other way I see such events is scattering seed. Some won’t sprout at all. But other seeds will fall on good soil and bring forth a hundredfold. (Matthew 13:8)

Thanks to all who helped make the party happen. Let’s do it again!

Last Sunday, October 21st, at our State of the Church meeting, the Joel Committee made a report about how they've been spending their time and the learnings that they have made. Below is the written version of what was presented orally. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas, the members of the Joel Committee would be glad to hear from you. 

State of the Church Joel Committee Report

Introduction

In the Spring of this year, the Administrative Council called the Joel Committee into being, asking us to study the future course of St. Andrew’s. The name of the Cmte. comes from Joel 2:28 (NRSV)

28   Then afterward
  I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
  your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
  your old men shall dream dreams,
  and your young men shall see visions.

The Council looked for people who were faithful Christians, who were open to new ideas, who could hold the interests of the church above personal agendas, and who could work well with others. Keith Brown, Sue Bullock, Larry Carella, Gina Collard, David Lewyn, Tom Patton, and Melanie Tita were selected.

Our Beginning

We began meeting and reading a book entitled Stepping In The Stream, by Beth Crissman and published by Plowpoint. Plowpoint is an organization founded by United Methodist ministers from our Annual Conference that seeks to assist local churches in developing fruitful ministry. Stepping In The Stream takes its name from the idea of stepping in the stream of God’s will. The book outlines a biblical approach by which we can seek and follow God’s will, not our own.

Plowpoint’s approach centers around the idea that churches, and most any organization, go through four stages on a never-ending cycle: forming, storming, norming, and performing. Forming is when a group discovers who they are and whose they are. Storming is when we begin to articulate our views, opinions, wishes, needs, and desires. Inevitably these thoughts will rub up against each other in conflict. Conflict is natural, and necessary to the growth of an individual and to a church. Conflict itself is neutral. How a group handles conflict makes the difference between whether stress is experienced as eustress (a positive force for growth) or distress (a negative force that tears down). Norming is the development of mission, vision, and core values. And performing is taking action steps and implementing strategies to live the vision.

History

As an early step in our process, the Joel cmte. researched the church’s history. We interviewed former staff and long-time members as well as looked at statistical reports and remembered our own stories. We found much in our 50 year heritage to celebrate.

From our very founding St. Andrew’s has remarkable stories of God’s work. Our collective belly button rests in the 1957 land purchase by the District Mission Society. In 1959 we worshipped for the first time as St. Andrew’s UMC on Easter Sunday. By the late 60’s we were 700 strong and sponsoring a church in India. The neighborhoods of Starmount and Montclaire were the Ballantyne of their day and St. Andrew’s served these new neighborhoods.

The early neighborhood was fluid. George Robinson remembers needing to bring in 100 new members a year just to break even with the number of members who were moving away.  Several long-standing ministries started in the 1970’s including our annual trip to Camp Tekoa, and the Harvesters. During this time and into the 80’s the church was strong in family ministries, lay driven, and with a strong arts department. In the late 1990’s and early 2K, the FLC was built, blended and contemporary music began to be played in worship. By the time Dan arrived our preschool was thriving, and we began to include a changing neighborhood into our ministry and outreach.

Demographics

The Joel Cmte looked deeply into the neighborhood. We looked at how the 1969 membership of the church was tightly packed around the church, and how by 2011 the membership had become spread out throughout south Charlotte and parts of South Carolina. We looked at demographics at several different levels and how the composition of the neighborhood has changed. The demographics available to us show that our neighborhood, measured at various levels, and with various geographies, is projected to be fairly stable for the next 5 years with no large movement in cultural or socio-economic levels. Currently our neighbors tend to be 20% African American, 20% Latino, 58% Anglo, and 2% other. 

Intangible Discoveries

We began to hear some stories more than others. We also began to detect some patterns from our history.

a) We have always been a family oriented church and many of the successful ministries we recount from our past serve people of all ages.

b) We have long valued quality music and arts as part of meaningful worship.

c) As we tell the stories of our history, a pastor’s name is almost always attached to the story. This aspect of our storytelling can tend to over-identify the responsibility for success and the blame for shortcomings onto the pastor, leaving the congregation’s role out of the story.

d) Using the language of Plowpoint’s cycle, we don’t tend to storm skillfully. Situations can get unnecessarily heated, and specific people can end up bearing blame instead of everyone accepting their own share of a particular conflict.

e) Fellowship has usually been highly valued.

f) The Joel Cmte.’s inquiry into demographics appears to have given old and unresolved conversations new life. Are we to be internally or externally focused? Are we to be a neighborhood church? If we focus on the natural network of people geographically close to us, are we forgetting the people who live further away? Are we to win new people to Christ with words or deeds? Who is our neighbor? Anxiety about being a potentially multi-cultural congregation has surfaced. Worries have been expressed about getting new members who don’t or can’t contribute to the budget. Worries have been expressed about having too many minority members.

Next Steps

The Joel Cmte. has rediscovered much of the strength of St. Andrew’s UMC. We have a proud 50-year history with much to celebrate and in which to take pride. Our study of Stepping Into the Stream, our prayers for the church and for our own guidance, our look at our history and the trends that have brought us to where we are lead us to a suggestion for next steps.

We will recommend to the Administrative Council two basic steps. Step one is that an open and large scale discussion take place so that some light, air, and understanding might come to the concerns and anxieties that have recently been expressed. Even though the Joel Cmte is still early in our work, our preliminary inquiries to basic questions such as “Who Is Our Neighbor” seems to have tapped into some chronic anxiety and questions that need to be digested before we can move forward with our work.  But before this step can take place, we recommend the preliminary step to be taken that as many people as possible receive training in “Skills for Healthy Storming.” By learning some better skills in how to conflict well with each other, and take some of the electric charge out of the conversation, we think St. Andrew’s can come to a closer understanding of God’s will for our congregation, and be better equipped to step into the stream of God’s will.

By Dan Hester
Our Finance Committee has wisely asked the staff to try to express what we do for outreach beyond the walls of the church as a percentage of our time. Here is my account. 

One national study suggests that full-time protestant pastors spend 6% of their time on denominational matters outside the local church and in the community. I would say this figure is accurate for the way I spend my time, plus or minus 2%.

Some of my denominational time is spent at district events, district committee meetings, and meeting with other pastors to exchange ideas and support. Some of my time is offered beyond the local church as a trained member of a Church Transformation Team. I am part of a cadre of lay and clergy persons in our Conference trained by Plowpoint. Plowpoint is an organization, contracted by districts, whose mission is to heal, restore, and equip local churches so that they may move through conflict, lack of vision, and engage a broken and hurting world as instruments of the Gospel. I receive no payment other than mileage reimbursement for this service to the wider church.

Other portions of my time spent in outreach have included, taking persons to the hospital for emergency treatment, administering the Helping Hands Fund for people in need, and presiding over funerals for families in the neighborhood who have turned to the church in their time of grief. 

The Sunday offering plate, even when it pays for salaries and office space, quite often travels outside our walls. Thanks as always for your generous giving that helps spread the love of Christ in to our world.