There is something about the start of a new year that makes people want to turn over a new leaf in life. While the sentiment is admirable, the follow-through isn’t always the best. People who study human behavior say that it takes at least three weeks of repetition before a new way of doing things becomes a habit. A good number of us drop those good intention long before the three weeks is up.
The start of a new year does, however, become a symbol for the fact that life moves forward and that things in life change, whether we’re in favor of the changes,or not. It is a reminder that life does not stay fixed and unchangeable. Circumstances in every part of our life change, even in the world of the church. The church is not sheltered from the winds of change in the world around us. So much is different than it was 50years ago, or even 30 years ago. Birth rates and populations shifts, the church’s position in society, peoples’ attitudes towards the churches, and the expectations that people have of groups and organizations all have changed over the years. It is a far different world for the churches than it was when I first came into ordained ministry.
The world around us has changed. Accordingly, some of our ways of doing things may have to change, too. I know that we’ve talked about that sort of thing in the past, but then, for one reason or another, we didn’t follow through on it. We kicked the can down the road and hoped that things could continue on as they had. Pushing the problem off for a future date never solves the problems,however. Eventually, the concerns have to be faced.
Over the past few months, the leadership at Salem has come to the realization that the way we govern ourselves and the way that we view how the ministries of the church get done will have to change, and that the old, established way of doing things no longer serves us as well as it used to. Pastoral staff and lay leaders have given much prayer, study, and thought to the issue. I sense a resolve to deal with the challenges that I haven’t felt before and that gives me a great deal of optimism.
This front page article will be the first in a series of efforts to draw as many people in, as possible, to the process of moving forward on a different approach to how we do ministry. We will be spending considerable time in the next weeks and months talking about this. We will want as much input as possible from persons in our church community. We recognize that any new direction taken in how we organize our ministries will require everyone to be a part of that effort.
There will be much more said in the weeks to come: this is just a start. I ask for your prayers and for a willingness to see what God’s Spirit may be leading us.
Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Jim Hoppert
