Friday & Saturday: Group Publishing + Rocky Mountain National Park!

These past two days have been overwhelmingly fulfilling for me. 

Friday: I was not sure what to expect from Thom and Joani Schultz, the folks who head up and run Group Publishing.  We have been very good friends since the early 80's, and I was anxious to hear from them what is happening in the areas of children, youth, and family ministries.  As I entered the building, Thom had a special system rigged up so that the speakers came on and a crowd of people applauded long and hard!  Now, I knew I was in for something!!  In the reception area is this giant moose head mounted above the fireplace, that at the appropriate time, starts "talking" and moving its head welcoming me to Group.  Then, Thom appears through a door to give me a great big hug, and we proceeded to move to the Starbuck's area they have right in their building.  (Oh, yea!)   Joani, his wife, was there, and she too had to give a hug, and we took over one of the tables there.  After explaining all that each of us had been doing since we last saw each other, we proceeded to share ideas together. I talked about my sabbatical and things I discovered.  Thom and Joani shared with me that they had lined up a number of people each hour I was to be at Group -- talking and sharing with editors, marketing people, creative writers of curriculum, and more. Thom and Joani had a lunch meeting; so, I gave them their cookies promised, and they had some staff members treat me to a great lunch at Starbuck's -- they have a wonderful food menu at this one.  Then, Thom and Joani joined in again and we spent over three hours talking about their new development: Lifetree Cafe. This is about the best concept I have ever seen when it comes to reaching people -- even non-church folks. Based around conversations and relationships, this has the promise of being something valid we could do as a congregation.  I will be actually experiencing a session on Sunday evening.  It is still in prototype mode and being developed for something churches and others can do in their own communities.  They hope to have it ready soon.  Needless to say, it was a long yet fulfilling day, and I learned a great deal.

Saturday was my personal time to go to Estes Park, CO and Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was incredibly awesome, even though the wind was blowing at gusts near 50  miles an hour at times.  The sun was shining, and I happen to be at the right pace at the right time to see a herd of elk grazing, as well as that same herd start to chase a coyote out of the area.  Through the help of another photographer who had telephoto lenses, I was able to see that coyote up close. Wow!  

Probably the best time was spent at a small lake perched on a log bench with a breathtaking view in front of me, the wind whistling through the trees, and the wonder of God's presence around.  I felt totally at ease.  Some reading, praying, and thinking was all that was needed for those few hours.  On my way back through Big Thompson  Canyon, there was a number of big horn sheep descending off of the side of a rather steep cliff, so I stopped to enjoy them as well. 

So, between these past two days, I cannot imagine anything more fulfilling right now.  I have captured a few pictures of the experience; however, my mind has more memories of the experience than any pictures could share.  I am so thankful for having this opportunity to be able to be here and to have this as part of my sabbatical.

Take care, my friends.

Alan

On the Road Again ... Hello, Colorado - My Old Friend

It's a new day on the sabbatical, and outside my window is the wonderful vista of Colorado.  The flight was in the dark, and traveling north from Denver was uneventful -- in the dark -- means that today will be my first venture out in daylight to experience the rather crisp Colorado mountain air.  There is some snow here and there in Colorado, depending on the altitude (as well as in the eastern plains of the state).

There are several churches that I am visiting while I am here.  They both, from what I have read so far, do things a little differently than others.  I will be excited to see what that difference is, and if it is something we can use in our church.  I will also be hunting down a church to worship in this coming Sunday.  That is always an interesting experience -- that being a visitor -- just to see how I am treated.

Highlighting my visit here is meeting the publishers at Group Publishing.  Thom and Joani Schultz are very good friends for many years (since the mid 80's), so we will be sharing updates on our families as well as looking at some of the cutting edge things in children, youth, and family ministry.  In addition, they have a marvelous staff that I hope to talk to regarding each of the areas of ministry mentioned. This organization  looks at the broader perspectives in how to reach children, youth, and families, as well as keeping a good pulse on what is happening in ministry and what is working all across the country.  My hope is to tap into that knowledge some, enabling our church to utilize it to benefit our work and ministry together.  On the personal side, I had promised Thom and Joani a long time ago that I would bake cookies in their wonderful kitchen.  Well, as I thought about the items I really like to use that I would have to carry on the plane, some of the specialty ingredients that might be needed that I am sure I would not find here in Loveland, AND then factoring in the altitude in Colorado (affects baking a lot!), I decided to bake their favorites at home, and carry them with me on the plane.  Now that was an interesting experience: going through security with several tins of cookies!  I did get a smile and one person suggesting that they might have to share some of them!  It was O.K., though, and the cookies made it safely for delivery.

I also will be spending part of my Saturday here as a day devoted to prayer and meditation.  I decided to drive through Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park, and into Rocky Mountain National Park.  I am hoping for some peaceful, quiet time and using the beauty of this magnificent park and its wildlife and the beauty of the fall colors as a setting for the day.  It promises to be enriching.

After Colorado comes a brief week, and then a final part of the sabbatical which will be spent with Dr. Dan (pastor of First Presb. in Greeneville) at a seminar sponsored by Alban Institute in Santa Barbara, CA.  The time there is an opportunity to put into perspective how to merge the onset of retirement of church staff  and preparing a church for the time beforehand and after.  So the next 6-8 years means we hope to have the church in a positive position for growth, stability, excitement in ministry and mission, and more.

I do miss being at work more now, and look forward at being at the church again.  I have a whole new perspective about ministry, and am anxious to see that played out as I return.  My hope and prayer is that many people will continue to share the work load, knowing they have the support, encouragement, and reliability of my being there. I would hope we can discover the things that are important now for our church, and free up some of my time to support and encourage these new things as they are presented to us through the Plan of Action being given to the Session as the result of this sabbatical experience.

Please keep me in your prayers -- I may be far from home, but I feel a part of Greeneville and First Presb. is with me all the time.

Take care, my friends.

Alan

 

Now It's a Matter of Approach

Took an ever-so-brief respite from the sabbatical agenda so that Barb and I could take a couple of days (actually one evening and a day) together.  With Columbus Day as a day off from school, Barb was free to do whatever.  Our friend, Jann from church, needed to get to Knoxville for an overnight stay and an early flight out; so, we piggy-backed by taking her down, having dinner together, and then we also stayed in the same hotel that evening.  Jann left at "O-dark-thirty" for DC, and Barb and I had a leisurely morning to get up, have some breakfast, and then meander over to Pigeon Forge to poke around. Didn't buy much (save for some chocolate that was on sale -- great to bak with!)

Now, it's being earnest in getting the Plan of Action rough draft completed so that I can have a few eyes look it over for corrections, additions, and such.  The fact of letting someone else see this has me excited, because there has been so much to share and no one to really share it with yet.  I didn't want to give it out piecemeal because so much of what I am sharing is predicated on the fact of two solid areas of understanding: the ministry of hospitality and the ministry of mission, that without explaining those with some specificity -- many of the ideas our church can try out won't have the same impact or meaning.  I also believe that my paper is by no means the end to all things or something that does not allow for more thinking -- in fact, I hope that my paper opens people's minds and makes them think of more possibilities that lie before us as a congregation.  I just hope my enthusiasm can spread and others become enthused to try some new and maybe even bold things.

I am trying to finish a book I am reading; the theme is on letting go.  Interesting book that is heightening my awareness of how I need to re-enter the working life at the church.  It is remarkable in the fact that so many people have stepped up to the plate and taken on many of the tasks I did while I was working.  My hope and prayer is that when I return, many of those tasks can continue under their leadership.  I probably was doing way too much, when in fact, others needed to be doing these things.  I would like to concentrate on several areas: leadership training, giving some quality time to the Senior High Leadership Core, talking to the Session and its committees about the Plan of Action paper, spending some quality time with each youth group and their leaders, plus begin to focus our attention to 2009 and any curriculum needs and changes necessary for all the age groups I oversee.

So that's where my thinking is on this wonderful October day (is it really Fall?)  I am trying my very best to make the most out of the time remaining.  

Take care, my friends.

Alan

It Ain't Writer's Block!

Boy!  When you begin to decipher all of the information shared by at least 29 churches, plus what was shared in Church Educators groups, and the myriad of advice and suggestions from seminary professors, it produces a great deal of information not only to be logged, but then there is making the decision of what is useful as I shape out what is being termed a "Plan of Action" -- something the church can wrestle with in putting some focus on what could happen over the next few years.  As I unfold all of this information and put it into categories for easier understanding, I get very excited about the possibilities.  My hope and prayer is that we actually try out many of these ideas to see if they are the things that will help us grow -- not only in our personal faith, but even in our numbers.  Perhaps this will be a turning point for us. I do know that through Christ all things are possible!

It was a very slow and dismal Saturday as Barb and I  made an attempt at a yard sale.  The weather was great, but I am now convinced that between all of the community events happening in the region, plus the state of the economy, there were not too many people interested in yard sale shopping.  We decided to pack it up, and wait until spring.  Hopefully, we will do better then.  Erin's expenses in seminary still needs to be paid down, and we have a ways to go.  Here she is at the end of her schooling, and one more semester to go.  I sure hope we can be of help to her.

I have been using some of my time reading, and the weather has been most cooperative.  I so enjoy sitting outdoors to read.  There is just something about that.  Finding a relatively quiet place sure helps with it.  Much of my reading has to do with church-related matters; however, I also have a couple of books for self-reflection and thought.  They have been inspirational to me as I continue this sabbatical.  It has put a lot of things in perspective for me, for which I am most grateful.

Did the contemporary service at Asbury one Sunday -- interesting.  Their attendance was down because many families were visiting colleges (they said), so I may pop back in there one more time before Sundays are not available again.  I am also looking forward to the contemporary service our youth are doing Sunday, November 16th.  At least, I did here several say before I left that probably by that point they would have the kinks worked out since they will have had several prior to November.

Well, on to more reading and writing.

Take care, my friends.

Alan