When someone makes a suggestion about how we might improve things at UNMC, what do you hear? A complaint? A demand on your time? Yet another reason to stay home from church? The deacons considered this issue at their monthly meeting in November, drawing on the guidance found in the congregational covenant, which we adopted last May. It states that in our relations with one another, "We will act in good faith and assume the good intentions of the people with whom we are interacting."
It certainly is true that our limited human resources are often strained to get done everything around the church that seems to need attention. Therefore, our first reaction to a suggestion may be to dismiss it as impractical or not in keeping with our tradition or simply too expensive—anything to avoid the burden of more church business. That's the kind of reaction common when one lives in a culture of scarcity. However, Mary Katherine Morn observed, during her service as our interim minister, one of the things we can have in abundance is love. As the deacons see it, this means that when we hear a suggestion, we should listen first for the love and caring that someone is bringing to the church community.
Honor those good intentions, for as we read in I Corinthians 13, love is kind, does not act rudely, hopes all things, and never fails. The person making a suggestion may be asking not for your time commitment, but just for your input to help improve an idea, and may have come to you out of appreciation for your special gifts. So, listen with love to what the person is really saying. Don't read into it anything burdensome, but rather rejoice that so many ideas can flow freely in our community.
The deacons also discussed the need for every member and friend of the congregation to consistently "be a connector" - especially during after-worship hospitality hour. It's tempting to use the time to catch up with familiar friends, but offering a genuine and friendly welcome to the stranger and the wayfarer is central to our faith - not to mention the key to growing our small congregation.
The active deacons - Richard Hurst, Perry King, Clint McCully, Sue Mosher, Vicki Pepper, Jennifer Sandberg, and head deacon Dave Skidmore - meet monthly to discuss the well-being of the congregation. Each deacon also is available for one-on-one conversation. You can identify us at hospitality hour by our blue nametags.
Posted by Mark McNabb at December 5, 2005 07:54 AM