HELLO!

Today I returned to the office. It was quiet day except for all the phone calls I made. I arrived at 9 am, started calling people, and only put down the receiver at 11:59 am. Of course, there were a few breaks in between, to connect with Kaitlin, find out when the Sams Room was available for committee meetings and Faith Study sessions (stay tuned). My left ear is still sore from the receiver being pressed on it. I enjoyed catching up with people, arranging visits, leaving messages. I did note quite a few people have voicemails that are full. They must be popular indeed!

(Photo taken in 1985, can you guess who this is?)

There are 480 households in our most recent Church Directory (not to be confused with the Church Membership Roll, which only includes those who are members of our congregation). What many people don’t know is that roughly 40-50% of those sitting in the pews around you are likely not members of the church. Many very active people in the churches I have served never joined the congregation as members. And I have met many people who are members of a church they almost never attend. Membership Rolls are important (special thanks to Joan for keeping ours up to date), for important congregational votes (held very, very seldomly) and for the few specific offices in the church where being a member is mandatory. But otherwise, the Directory is far more important to me as the minister, it is how I find out your phone number, where you live, etc…And it is the list I am using to call/email people to arrange visits. At the end of year two, I have visited 45% of our 480 households. If I have not visited you in your home, in the office or at a coffee shop, please let me know, we can visit soon. I am not doing this alphabetically. Initially I visited those on our Pastoral Care Team list, then the new people and people who asked for a visit. My goal is to visit all 480 households before I leave the church. There are a handful of people who do not want a visit.

People ask me, “what do you talk about?” My answer is, “whatever those I visit want to discuss”. My goal is to get to know you better, it helps me be a better preacher, to know what is on your mind. Further, if there comes a time when you need support, the visit helps to make me more than a voice you hear on Sunday. As we discern ministry at the church, when we need someone with certain gifts, names come to mind, informed from these visits. It also gives people a chance to ask questions they otherwise would never get to raise. I get back to people right away.

Peace, Kevin

PS On my way into the church today there was traffic. I noted drivers and passengers in the cars behind me reading my bumper stickers and smiling.