Politics

This week we talked about politics in the foyer. This ought not surprise you as in our great global democratic experiment, "politics" is the way we organize ourselves to get things done. Most of us inside this conversation actually learned the basics of democracy at church!

Our church has always been run as a democracy. We call it a "theocratic democracy" because we hope for and rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit to inspire our decisions and our directions. But the actual ins and outs of how we run our congregations (and mission centres, and even World Church) are democratic principles. We offer up our suggestions about what to do by way of motions. Then we talk about alternatives or we defend our preferences -- some might call this "debate"; we usually just call is "discussion."

And finally we vote. Or we don't. Sometimes we agree to wait and vote another day if we're not ready to make a final decision. Or the debate revealed some deeper divisions that the Holy Spirit suggested we needed to work on some more before we decide.

Next Sunday our little group will hold our regular fall business meeting. I don't expect a big crowd, just the regular group that has been coming together once or twice a week since we last voted on anything. We've long since decided that our group works best when we let a team figure out together what we'll be doing. So we'll vote for our leadership team. We'll name a pastor of record, because that's required in Community of Christ congregations. We have a financial officer and a secretary to keep us in line and keep us legitimate. Because we've also long agreed that we want the association with our denomination, our global faith community.

I learned many years ago as an active child, youth, young adult, adult in various church organizations that if you want a job in your group, you can probably have it. Folks aren't clamoring to be elected anything. And there won't be much opposition, unless you're suggesting something really, really controversial. (Then the passionate electors may indeed show up eager to participate.)

Mostly we're gentle with each other. We talk about what's really important to us: how to make our community a better place for all who live here. We're trying to live as the prophet Jeremiah urged the exiles in Babylon to do: work to make your city prosper for when it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29)

We're blessed to have resources and the imagination to use those resources in ways that serve the children in our community. We feel guided by the Holy Spirit and we're willing and able to use democratic principles to get things done. If you come along to our business meeting, you'll see how we do it.

See you next week in the Foyer.

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Change For Change

Do you remember the Change for Change jar? I'm not sure where the practice got started but I can think of half a dozen, or more, congregations with these jars. The concept was brilliant! Somebody realized that by pooling our small amounts of money we would eventually accumulate enough to make a real difference. We could make “a change” and most everybody had a little bit of “change” to drop in a jar.

Everybody liked the idea. Sunday morning was a good time to unload those heavy coins we'd acquired during the week. Kids could save up their change; or scrounge from dad or grandpa's pocket. There was a willing group of small people ready to gather change on their way to the jar so the older folks didn't even have to get up.

We used the funds to support the school breakfast program run by the Guelph Children's Foundation. We donated enough over the years that we earned a place on their honour role. You can check us out on >> their website <<. When Elora joined us they brought along their Change for Change jar and we added World Accord as recipients.

By now we had begun to support the Food Bank, so we added the Fergus locatioin. We had a big barrel where you could donate your Cheerios or spagetti sauce. Every month we had pounds and pounds of food to drop off.

And then things changed.

Oh not the needs we'd been giving to. They're still there and bigger than ever. More kids need more breakfasts. They also need food for the weekend and the summer holidays. So those places have expanded their programs.

Our attendance dropped off; folks use plastic and no longer have coins weighing them down. We responded by putting our causes directly into our budget. We could see the ever-growing need and we didn't want to abandon our neighbours as times got tougher.

So here's where we are today. We did bring our jar with us when we left our building behind. But the best way you can support our hungry neighbours is with a donation directly to the congregational budget. We don't have hydro or snow plowing or grass cutting, but we DO have budget obligations to meet.

One of our top priorities is still Change for Change, direct support to our community. If you're able you can send a cheque to Sharon or by e-transfer. You can mark your gift Change for Change, or Local Budget and you can be sure your donation goes straight to good causes and you'll get your tax receipt just when you need it.

See you next week in The Foyer.

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The Foyer

Our congregation loves to talk. Some years ago some very insightful leader established the practice of snacks in the foyer after church every Sunday. Kids loved it. They wriggled through and around the legs of the grown-ups to refill their plates, maybe their pockets, with cookies, crackers, sometimes even grapes and strawberries.
Those legs of those grown-ups were parts of pairs or triads or even fours and fives of folks in deep conversation. Oh they were probably also balancing a compostible plate of cheese or chips, but mostly they were focusing on some deep theological point, or considering that hot political issue, or celebrating the latest accomplishment of a talented grandchild. We've got bunches of them! We loved it when one or more of those kids joined a conversation circle. And they did!

When the pandemic put us all into face masks and cautioned us to avoid breathing each others' air we lost so much. Our journey took a new direction as numbers declined. We were forced to get serious about just how we would ensure a viable future for our congregation. Hard decisions sent us into a new future. Some of us have been calling that future a “nomadic” one. (More about that in future posts.)

But today, I'm introducing a new Foyer. You may need to go get yourself a cookie or a handful of chips to read this. In any case, at the end of the offical news and announcements, down here at the bottom, you'll find the conversation that we love so much. One thing that didn't change when we became Community of Christ: we'll always be “Chatter-day saints.”

I hope you'll enjoy these notes about what we're up to or proposed projects, what we've been learning, news (gossip) about our super-achieving grandchildren, Whatever we used to chat about in the Foyer. I'll meet you here next week. You'll always be welcome to join in