From the AGLC President, Annie Morgan

From the AGLC President, Annie Morgan

In the church’s liturgical year, between Christ the King Sunday and Pentecost, we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. There are 20+ weeks of joy, sorrow, and journeying…and then what? The liturgical calendars contain more than 30 weeks of “Ordinary Time.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/ordinary-time.cfm) offer that “Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply…until all things are finally caught up in Christ.”

Recognition of Ordinary Time for Amazing Grace seems pertinent as we move into summer months and break from some of our routines (donuts, Sunday School, ministry team meetings). The liturgy takes us through the life of Christ. It’s not a respite; rather, Ordinary Time is named a time for conversion. What kind of conversion will we undergo as a faith community in the coming months?

Our congregation is considering matters related to our pastoral transition, engagement with our growing surrounding community, opportunities to use our property and building in new ways, and we are building relationships within our membership and with our stewardship partners. As we have repeatedly reflected on the busyness, fullness, and challenge of the past months, we have considered our need to put some things on hold or to slow things down, or to be conscious about the amount of change this body can handle. At the same time, however, new leadership in our congregation and opportunities in the community should be seized and it is the responsibility of the council and staff to ensure the congregation continue in healthy forward movement.

Following is a list of items for council conversations and congregational business that will be considered in the summer months:

  • Staffing needs (handled with the leadership of the business management team) – this team has been evaluating role descriptions and processes within our staff and lay ministry teams and will continue to work with Pastor Julie and the council to determine needs for staffing and ministry.
  • Property use is being evaluated both in terms of our outside space and our exploration of housing a cell-phone tower and in terms of our inside space and sharing with community groups and other faith communities.
  • Call of our lead pastor – the council is committed to ensuring Pastor Julie has the support and mentorship she desires as well as our partnership for a healthy and successful first year in her role as Amazing Grace’s lead pastor.