State of the Church Report

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you,

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me.”

from “The King and I”

That’s what this first year has been all about – getting to know one another. From my first Sunday as your pastor, when I sang this song to you in worship, we have been building relationships and trust between us. We’ve worked and played, worshiped and prayed, thrown confetti and shed painful tears. We’ve questioned and studied, planned and dreamed, and shared so many meals together that the number of them only shows up on my bathroom scale. We have spent precious time together, and you have welcomed me into your lives and hearts. I am thankful and greatly blessed to serve with and among you. I continue to be impressed by you! You are generous, faithful, and hospitable people. You respond with enthusiasm to ongoing or mission or special giving requests, and you are an amazing group of volunteers and staff. You have a true love for the community, reaching out to touch the hearts and lives of the children, youth, adults, and elders of Clio. You proclaim your faith in word, song, prayer and action, and live your faith with courage and hope. The sadness and wounding I sensed among you when I first arrived has begun to heal, and your spirit has grown more confident and joyful. You have opened yourselves to the power of God’s renewing grace, and the Holy Spirit dwells and moves here in a mighty way. As we prepared for this Church Conference, the Ad Board reviewed the overall statistics of the last 10 years. We noted a slow but steady decline in attendance and membership, while our financial base remains strong. Although we are not at crisis levels yet, we agreed to actively and intentionally address this reality before it becomes a more serious problem. You can see the numbers and read more of our ideas in the Church Profile in the packet. I am eager to see where God will lead us, and I believe we are ready to discern and take our next steps. With the resources, spiritual gifts, faith and energy that God has already planted here, and the healing that God has already given, it is time for us to look boldly to the future. In the coming year, we will pray expectantly, listen deeply, and dream wildly. We will welcome new leaders and encourage those who have served for many years. We will watch for God to open new doors, and we will hold hands and walk through them together. With God’s guidance and grace, we will be the church, so that others will come to know and love the God who has redeemed us. May it be so. Shalom, Pastor Cathi P.S. This report was given as part of our Church Conference on September 23, 2018. It is included in the Conference packet along with several pieces of helpful information. You may pick up a packet at the back of the church or in the church office.    

  Dear Friends, Our Sermon Series this August encouraged us to be Wise, Real, Different, and Brave. With children’s books and Scripture, we tried to see God and ourselves in a new way. In our Vacation Bible School, we were assured that when we feel Lonely / Lost, Worried, or Powerless, Jesus always rescues. He may not change the circumstances we face, but Jesus is always with us, and Jesus changes us. What powerful lessons to fill the last month of summer! As I write, we are in the last few days before the rush of a new school year begins. The Sabbath Study class is nearly over, summer CORE is winding down, and the Garage Sale has been packed away. We have just completed our primary voting, and the campaigns for November have begun. Church plans for Fall are underway, with early prep for Sunday School, CORE, Wednesday Night Live, two Emmaus Walks at Bethany, and Fall Festival. And, in only a few more weeks (Sept. 19, to be precise) the first puck will drop for Red Wing preseason hockey. Time moves on. Sometimes, it seems to fly by. Other times, the minutes feel like hours. But, it moves on nonetheless, giving us daily opportunities to learn and grow. What will you be seeking to learn next? The beginning of another school year just naturally poses the question. Will you commit yourself to a Sunday morning Bible Study? Or, perhaps, connect with the Tuesday morning Women’s study, or the Tuesday evening men’s group, or the late afternoon study when Wednesday Night Live begins again in October? Perhaps you would enjoy the download of FaithLinks from Cokesbury – you can receive it online and study at home or with friends. (FaithLinks takes current news from the headlines and pairs it with Scripture and discussion questions to help us apply our faith.) Maybe you will take an Emmaus Walk, or go on a retreat, or be intentional about taking Sabbath time. Perhaps you will choose to increase your prayer time (especially the listening part!). Challenge yourself to question and wonder, to consider another point of view, or walk in someone else’s shoes. Look for new evidence of God in the people and environment around you. Write, sing, paint, or walk. Read a book of Scripture that you’ve never read, or haven’t read for a long time, and imagine yourself in the story. Whatever means you choose, may you learn something new about God, and about yourself. The options are endless, and the blessings even more so. I would love to hear your stories as we continue to share this journey of faith together. Shalom, Pastor Cathi  

Dear friends, My recent trip to Beaver Island was delightful! We rented a house on the western side of the island, right on the beach of Lake Michigan. The ground level of the home was nearly all windows, and we had a stunning view of the water and breathtaking sunsets. Beautiful weather, good company, and lazy days made for a full week of renewing Sabbath time for me. This was our first experience of Beaver Island, and we enjoyed discovering its history and community. We drove around the entire island in an hour, appreciating the thick woods filled with deer and turkeys, and the surrounding beaches opening to the Lake. We explored local shops and restaurants, took note of the schools and health clinic, admired lovely homes with a view, and wondered what the roads were like in the winter. We found a few churches, three museums, the lighthouse, and several references to King Strang – from the days of a Mormon colony on the Island. Beaver Island is about 32 miles west of Charlevoix. You can reach the Island by plane (a 15 min. flight) or take the ferry (a 2 hr. ride). Since we wanted to have our car on the Island, we chose the ferry.  It was a smooth and pleasant ride over to the Island, and as the blue-green waters of Lake Michigan pulled us away from the mainland, I could feel myself begin to relax. Everything was perfect, and I gave thanks for all that awaited us. The ride back home, however, was not quite as calm. The Lake was filled with gently rolling swells, just enough to roll the boat from side to side. While many settled into the lower, enclosed level of the ship to sleep or relax, I headed up and out! As I sat outside on the middle deck, breathing in the fresh air and looking out over the water, I felt much better. And then I experienced an incurable malady unique to preachers – this, I thought, will preach! Here are my thoughts:  

1. It occurred to me that once I was out on deck where I had a broader view of my surroundings, I felt less susceptible to each rock and roll of the boat. Getting out of the enclosed center of the ship helped me to see that the swells were not really as large as they felt, and the wide expanse of the lake was less threatening when I could see it. Sometimes, when we are deeply entrenched in what is familiar or comfortable, anything that “rocks the boat” can feel scary. Changes, new ideas, or unexpected movement can leave us feeling queasy – in body, mind, or heart. When I could see the swells coming, they were much easier to ride. Change can be less frightening when we step back and gain the perspective of the bigger picture.
2. The captain of the ship maintained his course in spite of the swells. He didn’t turn back, but continued to make his way to Charlevoix. He evaluated the threat as minimal, and stayed the course. He knew we, and the ship, were not in danger even though we experienced some discomfort. When we are moving forward, we can’t allow minor challenges to divert us from our goal. If we do, we will never reach our destination.
3. When the ship first began to roll, ever so gently, I admit to some irrational moments of fear. I envisioned the cars parked in the hold of the ship, and wondered if they would begin to roll, throwing their weight to one side or the other, and tipping it too far to be righted again. Now, you need to know that I do not know how to swim, beyond a few minutes of dog-paddling, and I’ve seen The Poseidon Adventure and Titanic. In no time at all, my very active imagination was adding us to the exhibits in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Mackinaw City! Sometimes, change can feel like that – it can generate irrational fears that threaten to overwhelm us. We imagine the worst, and it is tempting to pull back and refuse to change. But, if we “ride it out” we will discover that we are safer, and stronger, and braver than we think. If we “stay the course”, we will discover that God is leading us and we are going to be ok. If we pause and breathe deeply, we will discover that God has brought us to a new and wondrous place.

  So, fellow travelers on this journey of faith, I am thankful that we are on the same ship for a while. I am eager to see how God will guide our sailing, and where God will take us. I know one thing – it will be an exciting adventure! Shalom, Pastor Cathi   * * * THANK YOU! I want to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful celebration of my 25 years of pastoral ministry, including my first year of serving among you. It was such a surprise, and I loved every minute of it! Special thanks go to the SPRC for planning and plotting that delightful day. Pastor Cathi  

  Dear friends, In the span of 7 days in late March, I found myself in two very different settings, in the midst of two conversations that seemed to be diametrically opposed to one another. I struggled in each of them, and reality requires that I treat them both as having truth, rather than seeing either one as fully right or wrong. They were settings and conversations related to safety. [Read more…]