Intentionality

How many times has each of us made a decision by not making a decision?  We ponder, we pontificate, we putter and suddenly the decision is made for us, not by us.  Goodness knows it has happened on more than one occasion in my personal life, and goodness knows I have seen it happen more than once in my professional life.

The polity of UCC churches, congregational in nature, provides for open discussion, thorough reflection, and consensus building.  But the weakness of that system is that because we believe so strongly in hearing every voice the many can be ruled by the few.  Consequently many decisions in churches get made not through intention, but through inaction.

I am big on intentionality.  I believe that we must make decisions after open discussion, thorough reflection, and consensus building, but we must make a decision, not allow it to be made for us.

And I am very impressed with the intentional process utilized by the Shaping Our Future ministry.  Step by step they have moved us all through a process designed to reach an intentional conclusion.  At least three times in the past forty years the church has asked questions about the best use of our property, but any answer always seemed to sort of fade away, drawn into the mist for many reasons.

Not this time!

After a comprehensive process of information gathering the SOF ministry has established a list of the preferred ministries of our congregation.  That data is now being reviewed and, in conjunction with fiscal realities, assembled into a list of possibilities for our shared future.  That data will be shared with the entire congregation in January, and everyone will have three different opportunities to listen to the report.

Faith requires action and the best action is not re-active, but intentional.  I continue to be thrilled to be part of a community of faith that is dedicated not simply to proclaiming, but to living the faith.

See you in church,

kevin