Dear “Virtual” Southminster Members,
Just a year ago we were lamenting the fact that our stewardship campaign was not reaping the results we had hoped for due to pastoral transition issues. The Elders were becoming increasingly concerned that the number of people in worship was declining, especially among younger families. Anxiety about our future as a community ran rampant throughout the halls of the church.
But today, one year later, we are in a very different place. Life has settled down a bit in some ways, at least the anxiety part, but in other ways we continue to face a pandemic world filled with an unknown future. In these times, I am reminded of the words of Socrates: “The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
Stewardship, the cornerstone of every faith tradition, calls us to vision forward—to build the new. We find ourselves in a new place today than even one week ago, not alone a year ago. Now is the time for us to pause, look around and decide what to make of it. It is okay to be scared or apprehensive about the future, but longing for the old won’t change where we are and besides, even if we could go back to a pre-pandemic world, we would lose the powerful energy available to build something new.
The fact is that across church communities all over the US, we are seeing more people getting involved than ever before. We are reaching out and touching hearts not limited by time or geography and we have no idea how that might transform the world in years to come. Communities that said “never” to technology are finding that technology can bring us together and create new opportunities. We are on a new shore. Something different is being asked of us. What will our response be?
Will we fight the old or build the new? On Sunday, Nov. 15, we continue our Stewardship 2021 “All In!” Campaign as we build a new tomorrow. Vicki Lukich will share a testimony about what brought her and what keeps her at Southminster, Jenn Winquist will provide special music and my sermon will be entitled: “Blessings and Woes” from Luke 6:17-26. So far this year, our stewardship campaign is yielding excellent results. We are over half way there! Yet, we still need more pledges to come in. If you haven’t submitted your pledge for 2021, please consider doing so. Truly, our stewardship today is critical in building a new tomorrow.
Friends, as we journey through this new place, let us not spend our time longing for the good ole days. Let us not try to know exactly what the future holds either. Instead, let us journey together, one day at a time, focusing on where we are, what we can do with what we have, right here, right now. Let us be open to the gifts that God provides each and every day so that we may continue to share that divine light in all that we say and do, wherever we are.
Pastor Don
