Minister's Column

December 2011

What makes a church a place you want to return to?

The expressed theology probably matters. And the quality of the religious education classes. And the overall vibe of the place. Do people seem happy to be there? Is the congregation welcoming, interested in newcomers, and willing to make space for new faces? What happens in the services from week to week surely matters a lot, too. Do the sermons, and the rituals, and the music speak to you? Do you feel more enriched leaving church than you did entering it? Are you challenged to think and invited to discover new perspectives, or be reminded of those you want to remember?

All of these things are important. However, I’m thinking none of them is more important than whether or not you are able to build relationships with people in the congregation. Real relationships. The kind of relationships in which you get to know others well enough that their presence in your lives helps you learn, and grow, and become more than you could on your own. I’ve heard it said that if you don’t have five relationships in a congregation, you probably won’t stay. Or was it more than five? Probably wasn’t less. The bottom line is that in order to make a church your home, you have to know some people in it. And that’s why I want to be sure you know about “church chats”.

A group of members will be reaching out in the weeks ahead, inviting members and friends of our congregation to schedule one-to-one visits with them, opportunities to get to know each other with no agenda other than to simply become better acquainted. These sixty-minute visits have been named “church chats” and I strongly encourage you to join in the fun. If you’d like to participate, contact our Director of Congregational Life, Lori Emison Clair (dcl@ucdsm.org). The more relationships we build with one another, the more connected our congregation will become, and the more at home we will all feel.

Speaking of “overall vibe”…
The same November Sunday in which 16 new members joined the church (Welcome new members!), the morning concluded with about 100 of us sticking around to film a video, inspired by our youth choir (The Flames) and their volunteer director extraordinaire, Karen Cecil B. De Mille Kraemer. I doubt I have ever experienced such a joy-filled event at our church and I’m certain the results will showcase what a blast we all had! We expect to see the results of all this effort sometime soon, maybe even this month. Thanks to everyone who has helped put this project together. How could we ever “stop believing” after that?

And finally…
December offers many opportunities to enjoy the season at church. Our annual holiday party is Saturday December 3 and offers fun for all ages. The December all-music service (December 11) is a yearly highlight, for sure. And of course we’ll have our Christmas Eve services (5 & 7 pm), a time of tradition, carol-singing and candlelight. If you’d like to have your child dedicated at the 5pm family service, let me know by December 18. Your religious services committee is hosting a service on Christmas Day, which this year falls on a Sunday, but be aware, just one service at 10am. The same single-service schedule will occur on New Year’s Day as well.

On behalf of your dedicated staff, I wish everyone the very best of this holiday season.

See you in church!
 

Visit the Rev. Mark Stringer on his Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/RevMark.Stringer