I have no idea who these people are.
I am sure there are some among you who do, since this photo comes from Scott Canfield's vast collection of JSLC memories. (Nothing says archival abundance like over 3000+ old photos now lodged on my hard drive.) I am posting this not just to figure out who these people might be, however, but to make a point. A point about inviting.
A congregation is an ever-adapting organism. People come and go as they grow up and find work, move through new phases in life, meet soon-to-be-loved ones and experience conflict (we are human, after all). We are all one body in Christ, but the changing circumstances of life mean that any one congregational component of this body will look different over time.
This observation should not diminish the importance of creating a congregational environment where all can grow and prosper. I would love to see all of you stick around for the next 30 years. I'd love to stick around for the next 30 years. I hope to see some of my beloved youth group kids raise their children here. We need to put in the hard graft to ensure that we attend to our relationships.
Also, however, we need to invite. We need a constant infusion of new vitality if we want to see this congregation prosper. That means being not only a welcoming place, as P/T pointed out on Sunday, but actively going out and inviting others into fellowship -- truly living out the Great Commission that Jesus so expressly commands us to follow.
How did you get here? In our case, we were looking for an ELCA congregation and we found JSLC on the Web. We attended a couple Sundays and we met a number of people, including the Luedtkes and Marlys Morland. I recall Marlys being astounded when Geoff remembered her name the second week she came over to share the peace -- my great-aunt is also a Marlys, so it had stuck in his mind. P/T came over to our house to visit. Ron and Kathy Taylor took us out for pizza at Abby's. That first Christmas season Beth Randolph invited me to be a reader for some choir visits to area retirement homes. In short, we experienced great welcome and we experienced invitations to fellowship and greater involvement in the congregation.
And here I am, eight years later, pontificating. (Now you know who to blame.)
What is your story? How might you contribute to someone else's? How can we live out our mission of "inviting all" to share in God's grace? -- LG
Tyler and I found Joyful Servant to be a very welcoming place as well! I had met Pastor Tom through an event for the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity." As Tyler and I were looking for a church in our neighborhood, we decided to see what Pastor Tom's church was about.
ReplyDeleteThe second week that we attended Sunday worship we were surprised by the many people who remembered our names and were excited to see us! Thank you especially to the Luedtkes, Byerleys, Beth Randolph, Marlys, and Pastor Tom for making us feel so welcomed and wanted. We appreciate you and miss you all!
-Lauren Veltkamp