Come On Down!

Here's an invitation for you to take action for your own benefit.

 If you're a member or a participant in our congregation, please come to our congregational meeting next week.

In our church tradition, which is part of the Anabaptist family of churches, important decision making and direction setting questions are decided through discussion among the members of the congregation. We are part of a larger conference of churches but their role is to encourage training and communication between congregations, not to enforce policy decisions or tell us what to do. We establish and enforce our own policies and, both for better and for worse, we are in charge of telling ourselves what to do. We have a church board, several committees, some deacons and a pastor. Each of those people and groups are in charge of regular functions and leadership roles but each of them ultimately reports back to the congregation and is accountable to the congregation.

On one hand, this is really great and very freeing. There is no denominational hierarchy to compel us to do something that doesn't make sense in our local context. Nobody makes decisions that are enforced just because that person says so from their authoritarian position. On the other hand, this can also be frightening or risky. If something goes wrong there's no way to pass the buck to somebody in an office far away. When we don't know what to do there's nobody else to decide for us. If we don't keep up a good network of communication that network won't be there for us when we need the assistance of others. If we don't have the skills or experience to make a decision there's nobody 'above' us to take over. We both get to and have to do the best we can in prayerful conversation with each other. In those ways, we are called to rise to the occasion by God's grace.

The early church also functioned in this way. When it occurred to some early believers that it might be possible to follow Jesus' way without also being Jewish there was disagreement in the church over whether that was a good idea. They couldn't ask their local bishop to decide for them or put in a request to the denominational office to clarify and enforce one position or the other. Instead, they got together as a group and talked about it. We can read about that conversation in Acts 11.

It's sometimes tempting for me to avoid conversation when I disagree with someone but those early Christians made a point of getting together for conversation when there was disagreement among them. They talked about it, prayed about it, made a decision, and then acted on that decision. The decision to allow people to become Christians without also becoming Jewish wasn't easy. It had risks and downsides that began immediately and remain with us to this day. But it also allowed for the message of Jesus to spread in ways that went beyond culture or tradition and grow in ways that the first believers could hardly have imagined. Those people's willingness to talk prayerfully with each other about the options before them, make a decision, and then act on it is why it's possible for us to be Christian.

In faith, we also become willing to step out and make the decisions before us in prayerful conversation with each other, with Scripture in mind, and with faith in God's good grace.

If this process is new to you or if it's been a while since you were at a church meeting, here are some things to keep in mind as you get ready to come to this one:

First, everyone who attends our church can come to the meeting and be involved in the discussion on each topic. After a time of discussion, we will vote to decide what to do. That voting process is not open to everyone - only to those who are members of the congregation. If you're not a member now but would like to become one, we can get that process started. But whether you can vote or not, your input on the conversation that comes before the vote will help shape the decision made by the voting members and each participant is welcome to be involved in that discussion.

Second, it's possible that you might be asked to do a job in the church and it's important to realize that you can say yes or no. Many roles in our congregation are open to any participant whether that person is a member or not. Our church also has a tradition known as nominating 'from the floor' which means that sometimes people are suggested for certain roles right there at the meeting without having been asked in advance. It can feel surprising and intimidating to be nominated from the floor but it's intended as a show of confidence in you as a part of our church. You can take it for that alone and say, “Thank you for the nomination but I decline” and there's no need to explain yourself or be apologetic or feel like you let anybody down. Somebody thought you would be good in a certain role which is a compliment to you and it's OKAY to simply accept it at that and not go any further. However, if you would like to be more involved in our church you can consider saying yes to a nomination. Each of us who is involved in the congregation started by saying yes when asked to consider trying a new thing.

Third, meetings can get dull. That's okay. Not every part of every meeting is interesting to every person. Sometimes we put extra effort into making sure everyone who wants to speak to a particular issue gets a chance and that can make the process seem slow-moving. Sometimes we want to be really clear because the issue is important. An exciting meeting runs the risk of either bullying or ignoring some points of view. I promise to do what I can as the chairperson to move things along but we also want to be thorough, clear, and prayerful.

Fourth, matters of faith are highly personal, very important, and can be difficult to put into words. In the same way that some parts of the meeting might seem boring, other parts might seem highly charged or emotional. You may come to the meeting convinced that a particular issue should be decided in a certain way and the congregation may decide to do something else. It's okay to feel frustrated or exasperated at the meeting if it becomes clear that as strongly as you feel God's Spirit leading the congregation one way there are others who feel God's Spirit leading a different direction. We sometimes trip on our words or struggle to say what is inside our hearts and mind. Discerning the way forward rarely involves a bolt of clarity that brings everybody onto the same page at the same moment. God's grace is in the variety of gifts distributed through the church over time.

Fifth, if you're not familiar with our church meetings, sit with someone who is and ask questions as the meeting goes along. Each group develops a culture that includes assumptions, habits, and references to things that happened in the past. There's nothing wrong with that but sometimes a new person needs a guide to explain what's going on and you should feel free to ask someone you know to support you if you are new or uncomfortable with church meetings.

Finally, come to the meeting. Figuring out how to follow Jesus together is at the heart of our church's calling and God is working through you to the same extent that God is at work through any of us. Your great gift to the body of faith that is our church is your willingness to be involved in that conversation.