Common Language Enhances our Connection
Countless times in the past two weeks I have written this post in my mind. Unfortunately, my fingers never found the keyboard at the same time. Now I’m home after much travel and there are lots of thoughts I want to share with you.
Two weeks ago I spent four days in Philadelphia at the meeting of the Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders. Although I have attended this event before, never has it contained such a rich volume of information for me to bring home, think about and share with you. Several wonderful things have emerged from this group. Although we talk often about the United Methodist connection, I have really felt it at work with this group of people.
A strong bond has been developing between those of us who are Conference Lay Leaders in the South Central Jurisdiction. Last summer, we started a weekly email prayer. Each of us took a week and prayed for each other by name. We wrote the prayer and emailed it to the whole group.
As a consequence of our meeting in Philadelphia, we have enlarged our prayer commitment to pray not just for the lay leaders but for one Bishop a week by name. Also, we have adopted the Conference Lay Leader from Zimbabwe as an honorary member of the South Central Jurisdiction team. Betty Skatiyo was the only Lay Leader from the Central Conferences who attended the meeting in Philadelphia. So Betty and her Bishop will become a part of our prayer bond.
It was just amazing to hear from so many jurisdictions and conferences about what they are working on and where their efforts are focused. Because of the work of our Council of Bishops and the 2008 General Conference, there is a common language seeping into our conversations. The common mission, “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” permeates all discussions. The Three Simple Rules; “Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God,” undergird all that we are about as a global church. And, discussion of the Four Areas of Focus provide a framework for us to look into the future — as a denomination, jurisdictions, conferences and yes, local churches.
Just as a reminder, the Four Areas of Focus are:
1. Developing principled Christian leaders
2. Creating new churches and renewing existing ones
3. Engaging in ministry with the poor
4. Stamping out killer diseases of poverty by improving global health
All of our meetings in Philadelphia took place in the context of great change which is occurring in each and every aspect of the United Methodist Church. In the wake of the 2008 General Conference, each US jurisdiction is reducing by one Episcopal area. Many conferences are in the process of redistricting and going through reorganization processes similar to the one we embarked on here in Texas in 2005. And many, if not most, of the conferences have embraced and are teaching and living into the Five Practices of Fruitful Conversations.
Then, last week, I spent two days at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Wow, what an amazing place! We went on a tour of the two large buildings (an extreme understatement) and saw the incredible ministry happening within and outside of the church. As we toured the facilities, Rev. Adam Hamilton stressed several times that nothing is built for just one purpose.
Part of the tour was a look backward at what certain parts of the buildings were used for in the past. Part of the tour was how the rooms are currently being used and part of the explanation was the future plan for each space. Not only does Church of the Resurrection have thousands of members who attend one of the many church services occurring on campus, there is also a growing group of people who attend church faithfully over the internet.
When I left the meeting, my shuttle bus driver to the airport was a member of the church. He told me about his sister-in-law who now lives in an assisted living community not far from the church. She is a member of the church and started a group that attends church, each Sunday, from the assisted living community. They attend together and then discuss the service — just like a Sunday School class might in many of our local churches. Pretty heady stuff!
Finally, last Friday I traveled to Fort Worth for Mom’s Weekend! Can you hear the smile coming through my fingers? What a joy it is to spend time with my beautiful daughter as she grows into a lovely young woman. Part of the weekend was Mary Beth’s sorority Fashion Show. A number of years ago, the Alpha Chi Omega chapter at TCU decided to focus their philanthropic work on the Fort Worth Women’s Center. Each year, they raise money by selling tickets to the fashion show which is supported by many retailers in the area, raffling off prizes donated for that purpose, and a silent auction of a cornucopia of unbelievable baskets of goodies. The women of Alpha Chi Omega do all the work. They start in the fall when the entire chapter spreads out across Fort Worth businesses looking for sponsors to supply in-kind gifts, sponsorships and support of every kind. This year the sorority raised more than $34,000! Quite an accomplishment for women aged 18-22. At the end of the fashion show, the representative talked about what a difference the contribution of time, money and talent these young women make in the work of the Fort Worth Women’s Center. There was hardly a dry eye in the house.
As the events of these past two weeks have unfolded, I have been continually reminded of how God is at work in all of these things! The meetings, the discussions, the efforts of young women to reach out to others…what a world we live in. God is good…Everyday!
Showers of Blessings,
Leah Taylor
