I was reading Luke’s gospel this morning and some words jumped out at me.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundations and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30)
These words are in a context of Jesus teaching his followers that it costs to follow him. Jesus is not looking for a naïve commitment that expects all to be easy because we follow him. (On the other hand, don’t get me wrong. Joy and deepest blessing are experienced when we follow Jesus.)
I know it is summer time and we are all trying to catch some sunshine and relax as much as possible. Even summer is a “take up your cross and follow Jesus” time of year. The whole of life, during any season, is a time to ask the question, “Lord, what are you up to? How may I partner with You?” These questions can be followed by a question to self, “Do I know what I am getting myself into and am I still willing?”
Summer can be a time to back up and take stock of life. There is often break in routine. Time is spent in warm and comfortable places where we experience beauty and can pay attention to the whisperings of God.
As a community we have felt that God is talking to us about expanding the reach of our local church so that we also touch downtown Ottawa. The costs of this decision are significant. There are relational costs. We will not be configured in such a way that all of the same people are in the same place at the same time. There are financial costs. There are leadership costs. As leadership is stretched between two campuses there will be all kinds of room for people to step into places of responsibility in our church.
May I encourage you, as you move into the days of summer, to keep your local church, Sunnyside Wesleyan, in mind? When you picture us, would you picture yourself as very much part of Sunnyside, because you are! And with that picture in mind, keep asking questions.
Lord, what are you up to in my church?
How may I partner with You there?
Those questions may be accompanied by a prayer: “Help me to estimate and accept the cost.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
To Stay or To Go
Some of my most frequent words these days are: “One step at a time.”
God is with us to lead and correct our course.
Processing Our Decision
On Sunday, we voted in favour of moving ahead with the multi-site initiative. There are things that are going to change for all of us. Some of you have indicated that, like me, you have mixed feelings and thoughts about all that change. A very few of you may be 100% ‘over the moon’ about the decision while some of you have significant concerns.
May I encourage us to name our true thoughts and feelings as we make our way forward? You may want to have ‘processing’ conversations with trusted friends or all alone with God. I love the psalms because they teach us how to process. When the psalm-writers are scared, they say so. When they are angry, or joyful, or threatened, they say so. And eventually, they make their way to the place where they choose to say, “Yet I will trust in you.” God, help us do that!
The Question
So, (deep breath), it is time to begin our next step of discernment. Here is the question that you are invited to consider: Is God calling you to stay at the Sunnyside Grosvenor site or is God calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to become a worshiping presence in a downtown Ottawa location? You are encouraged to make a conscious decision to either stay or go. Whether you stay or go, you are part of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. We will maintain one Board, one budget, one small groups program. We will join together in common church-wide events and support common missions.
I’m one of the people called to go downtown. For now, I continue in my role as associate pastor at Sunnyside Grosvenor. But over the next weeks and months, I will transition in such a way that half my time is spent in the role of campus pastor of the emerging Sunnyside downtown congregation. As campus pastor of the downtown site, I wait to hear from those of you who believe God is (or may be) calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to form a “Launch Team”.
Launch Team
The Launch Team will gather monthly starting at the end of September. We will pray, plan, eat together, and confirm our location downtown. We will identify our gifts and we will move forward in a spirit of humility, each one with a sense of what role God has him/her to play in the developing Sunnyside downtown congregation. We hope to have our first official worship service downtown on Easter 2010. Some of you have asked: Can we go back and forth between sites? The answer is: Yes. However, it would be good if the individuals who make up the Launch Team consider the Sunnyside downtown location their main place to be and serve.
Invitation To Talk and Pray With Me
If you are called, or if you think you may be called, to be part of the Sunnyside downtown congregation, would you please give me a shout? I’ve cleared the weeks of July 20-24 and August 17-21 to have conversations and prayer with as many of you as possible. Please email kronberg@sympatico.ca or call me 613-730-9411 and we will plan a time of conversation and discernment and prayer.
And, of course, whether you discern that you are called to stay or go, you are welcome and encouraged to contact me with your questions and concerns about this initiative.
God is with us to lead and correct our course.
Processing Our Decision
On Sunday, we voted in favour of moving ahead with the multi-site initiative. There are things that are going to change for all of us. Some of you have indicated that, like me, you have mixed feelings and thoughts about all that change. A very few of you may be 100% ‘over the moon’ about the decision while some of you have significant concerns.
May I encourage us to name our true thoughts and feelings as we make our way forward? You may want to have ‘processing’ conversations with trusted friends or all alone with God. I love the psalms because they teach us how to process. When the psalm-writers are scared, they say so. When they are angry, or joyful, or threatened, they say so. And eventually, they make their way to the place where they choose to say, “Yet I will trust in you.” God, help us do that!
The Question
So, (deep breath), it is time to begin our next step of discernment. Here is the question that you are invited to consider: Is God calling you to stay at the Sunnyside Grosvenor site or is God calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to become a worshiping presence in a downtown Ottawa location? You are encouraged to make a conscious decision to either stay or go. Whether you stay or go, you are part of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. We will maintain one Board, one budget, one small groups program. We will join together in common church-wide events and support common missions.
I’m one of the people called to go downtown. For now, I continue in my role as associate pastor at Sunnyside Grosvenor. But over the next weeks and months, I will transition in such a way that half my time is spent in the role of campus pastor of the emerging Sunnyside downtown congregation. As campus pastor of the downtown site, I wait to hear from those of you who believe God is (or may be) calling you to join 60-80 other Sunnysiders to form a “Launch Team”.
Launch Team
The Launch Team will gather monthly starting at the end of September. We will pray, plan, eat together, and confirm our location downtown. We will identify our gifts and we will move forward in a spirit of humility, each one with a sense of what role God has him/her to play in the developing Sunnyside downtown congregation. We hope to have our first official worship service downtown on Easter 2010. Some of you have asked: Can we go back and forth between sites? The answer is: Yes. However, it would be good if the individuals who make up the Launch Team consider the Sunnyside downtown location their main place to be and serve.
Invitation To Talk and Pray With Me
If you are called, or if you think you may be called, to be part of the Sunnyside downtown congregation, would you please give me a shout? I’ve cleared the weeks of July 20-24 and August 17-21 to have conversations and prayer with as many of you as possible. Please email kronberg@sympatico.ca or call me 613-730-9411 and we will plan a time of conversation and discernment and prayer.
And, of course, whether you discern that you are called to stay or go, you are welcome and encouraged to contact me with your questions and concerns about this initiative.
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