Dear Edwards Church Community,
Gathering at the crossroads of ancient faith and contemporary culture,
we are a Christian church asking God to show us a new way.
At our annual meeting on January 27th we will consider two matters that have grown out of our shared commitment to be open to new ways of living our faith. One is how we are organized to do the work of the church. The other is how we use the investment assets of the church to live into the vision we have discerned as God’s vision or call for this community.
First, how we are organized. At the annual meeting we will consider a proposal to suspend those parts of our bylaws that specify what boards and committees we should have, what each of them do, how many members they should have, and so forth. The purpose – as I understand it – of suspending this part of the bylaws is simply to allow us to experiment without deliberately violating the rules on the books.
Finding strength in our diversity,
we call on all our talents to worship and serve.
We need to find better ways to make the best use of all the talents we have. This may require smaller groups who organize the work, so that larger groups can do it together. It may require trust and a willingness to try new ways that sometimes work and sometimes don’t, but we cannot improve without being willing to try. Stay tuned for more details as they unfold.
At the annual meeting we will also consider the recommendation of the New Way Committee, described in greater detail in this edition of the Spire and later in the booklet of annual reports. Very few (if any) of us enjoy, as individuals, the level of financial security that our church enjoys as an institution.
Encountering the world’s joys and suffering,
we offer ourselves as instruments of love and justice.
Once we give ourselves the opportunity to step back and consider the possibilities (which we have done by consulting our financial advisor and forming the New Way Committee), we can realize that we have not only the freedom but the responsibility to do more than we already do in terms of caring for the wonderful building we have, caring for the community we have, and caring for our neighbors.
This year, as always, we find ourselves standing at a crossroads. May we choose well and wisely. And may we be guided by God’s vision for us.
Blessings,
Michael