"PLUM PUDDING"
-THE LATEST NEWS/NOTES FROM PLUM-
MEETING NOTES:
* The most recent meeting of the PLUM board took place Sunday April 25th @ CLC Duquesne. The food was delicious and thanks to CLC for their hospitality are in order. The order of business continued through the afternoon as ominous weather approached fron the west. The meeting adjourned around 4 pm to a thunderous roar of thunder, naturally!
* Vicar Melba reports that her studies continue and that she follows the road to ordination religiously! Vicar also states that she loves our congregations and her work. She shows this in her sunny disposition and her attention to detail. We are blessed to have her with us.
* The financial report for the last 3 months was submitted and accepted. All is well and up to date, and the PLUM financial status is sound.
* Discussion began on the PLUM budget for 2011, with minor changes examined. There will be more substantial discussion at the July meeting.
* Other items talked about included establishing a task force to examine the role PLUM is playing in our congregations and the results of same; The various joint programs PLUM is involved in ie: Vacation Bible School, joint worship events, 1st Communion classes, etc.
* The Synod continues to monitor the progress of PLUM with marked interest but also cautiously. There has been conversation about using PLUM as a training site for pastors interested in cooperative ministry. This is an evolving process and there will be more info as events allow.
* HEY!!! Don't forget about the PLUM Picnic slated for Saturday June 26th 2010 @ Settlers Cabin Park!! Settlers Cabin Park is located just off the Parkway West, or 22/30/60 West, or I-376 West, or whatever Penndot is calling that stretch of road this week!! It will start at noon and be held in the Algonquin Pavilion. Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish. There will be a brief Liturgy @ 2pm led by our good friend The Rev. Blair Morgan. Special thanks to Martha Beamer for all the hard work in putting this together!
PLUM is working on organizing a joint Reformation Sunday Service. The most recent info has this service occuring 10/31/2010 @ 3pm and taking place at Trinity Mt. Oliver. More details to follow.
* The Board also talked about evangelism and outreach as it relates to hospitality in congregations and how visitors are greeted and followed up on. it was suggested that congregational hospitality programs be updated, examined, or implemented. Pastor Morgan has offered his help in this area; it will be most appreciated.
* Trinity Sheraden's congregation has voted to submit a formal application for joining PLUM and calling Pastors Siefert and Gropp. Individual Congregational Councils will vote on the matter at their next meetings and the final steps will occur in July.
* * An updated worship schedule will become available as worship times and pastoral availability become clearer. Check for this schedule on the services page by clicking here: http://plumofpa.com/Services.dsp
Be sure to read your congregations' newsletter concerning items not listed here. Also remember to continue supporting your church...your offering is needed even though you may not attend church regularly.
* PLUM LOOK FOR NEWS UPDATES FOLLOWING THE NEXT PLUM MEETING, SUNDAY JULY 25TH 2010 2:00 PM @ EAST LIBERTY LUTHERAN CHURCH
SOME DATES TO REMEMBER:
St. Andrew Lutheran-
Christ Lutheran-
East Liberty-
Bethlehem Lutheran-
Trinity Mt. Oliver-
Trinity Sheraden-
Welcome one another, therefore,
just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Romans 15:7
P.L.U.M. is a cooperative ministry model that supports, celebrates and promotes the ministry of small congregations. One of the great strengths of small congregations is that they operate much like an extended family where, “Everyone Knows Your Name!”
A small congregation is intimate. A small congregation is personal. A small congregation is attractive to people who are looking for a Christian community that is warm and friendly, where their participation is welcome, and where they can be supported in their faith journey.
And yet all of those strengths can become detriments if we’re not careful.
“Everyone Knowing Your Name” can be experienced as gossip. The intimacy of the gathering can be seen as cliquishness. The personal touch can be misunderstood as being nosey instead of friendly. The eagerness to include can be viewed as desperation for additional bodies.
So what’s a congregation to do? How can we share our resurrection hope and joy with those who are seeking God and a faith community at our doorstep?
We can begin by revisiting our Lord’s call to hospitality.
1st Don’t assume that hospitality just happens. The welcome that is extended to those who walk through our church’s doors needs to be intentional and subject to regular evaluation so
that we don’t sit back and think, “So-and so always takes care of that!” or we find out after a person seeking a church home doesn’t returned that the practice of welcoming visitors set in place back in ‘98 is no longer operational.
2nd Understand that genuine Christian hospitality begins with a “right spirit” within us. It can flow from a place of love and generosity or it can come from a sense of duty and responsibility. The former elicits warmth and welcome, the latter, coldness and ulterior motives. “We love, because God first loved us” (I John 4:19) is the foundation of hospitality. We are not a social club that is looking for like-minded people with like-minded interests. We are forgiven sinners who have been reconciled with our God, with ourselves and with each other through the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. We begin there. It’s out of our experience of being accepted and loved by God that we can be genuinely open and gracious to others. The Bible reminds us that at one time we were all strangers and so we are encouraged in the letter to the Hebrews, “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
3rd “Talk the talk!” Get the Council, Sunday School class or fellowship circle involved in a discussion about the atmosphere that exists around the time of worship. Is it inviting? Is it welcoming of both member and stranger? Is your welcome warm, genuine, glad? What have you heard about our successes and failures at hospitality. Recall the great Biblical tradition of hospitality that goes back to Abraham. Study together such passages as:
Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.
John 15:15 “I have called you friends.”
Matthew 25: 35 “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.
Share your personal experiences of being welcomed. How were you made to feel welcome? Who helped usher you into the life of the congregation? Who do you look forward to seeing and greeting on Sunday morning? Why?
4th “Walk the Walk” Begin to practice what we preach, understanding that hospitality involves physical work, planning and sometimes sacrifice, as we literally make room for others and use some of our resources to care for them.
See that the pursuit of a warm, hospitable atmosphere doesn’t end with the discussion. See to it that a plan is set into practice that at least provides the basics of good hospitality: people in place to greet and assist the visitor where needed (such as help with the bulletin/hymn book/ liturgy); a way to get adequate personal information (name, address, phone number) so that some form of follow up can take place; and a course of follow up with people willing to see that it happens. BE CREATIVE! Ask around. Find out what other churches are doing that makes this enjoyable and not a chore!!
Realize that this is just the beginning. The true walk of hospitality is for each member to understand that you have a role to play. A congregation cannot depend on one or two people to be the face of hospitality for the church. Everyone must see the importance of and be willing to welcome and engage the visitor/the perspective member/the new member. If you’re shy by nature or you aren’t comfortable making conversation with someone you don’t know, hitch your wagon to someone you know who is. Watch how he/she interacts. Listen and learn how she/he engages people. Then give it a try. At the fellowship hour when you’re sitting with family or friends, invite the visitor/new member to join you. Make introductions, don’t assume that he/she can remember everyone’s name. When we anchor ourselves in the love that God has for us, we find it is amazingly easy to be open to sharing that love with others….getting started only takes the love of God and a smile.
We are God’s Resurrection People: renewed, restored and resurrected each day in our baptism. We have the privilege of welcoming other people to that same place. So let us look with hope at all those who come through our doors and extend a warm and genuine “Welcome!” so that they, too, can share in the hope, the joy and the peace that we have received in Christ Jesus our Lord.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Pastor Beth
IT'S OFFICIAL!!!
The experimental period of the PLUM Cooperative Ministry has ended with a near-unanimous vote allowing for PLUM to formally exist. So much work went into this effort; from the PLUM Board, who worked from the earliest stage on the particulars; from the pastors, who kept the congregations informed as to the status of the project and provided vital leadership and energy to the Board; from the Church Councils, who examined all aspects of the ministry and provided great ideas and input...to all who helped in any way, a big THANK YOU is extended your way!!
The work is not over, however!! There are still many challenges ahead, questions that will arise needing answers, rough spots that need smoothing, etc. While a formal entity, PLUM is still very much a work in progress. Designed as a potential model for small-congregation survival, this ministry has no bounds as to what it may become. It will take more work, more participation from church members, more patience, actually more everything that led to it's creation in the first place.
Take some time and see what you can offer to enhance this vital part of our church life. Major or minor, any contribution is welcome at any time. Remember, the people ARE the Church, and you are needed. God Bless you and have a safe, blessed summer.
