Sue's Musings

We also met with the PEB building committee and heard a presentattion by the architects working on the new boys school being considered for land the PEB recently received back fron the government.  That’s a long story!  The school will serve 2800 boys, for a cost of 2.9 million US dollars.  There is such great need for schools in Pakistan – education is the best hope for the future of this country, and for the lives of these children.  One of the people we met was the PCUSA property manager, who is an attorney who has worked for years at getting the schools back from the government.  He told stories of his children being kidnapped, knives and guns in his back.  It is a dangerous place.

In the evening we visited with our PCUSA mission co-workers, Doug and Margie, who work at Forman Christian College in Lahore, where we are staying.  We heard from a Pakistani something of the history and culture of Pakistan and some of its challenges and opportunities.

We were going to go to a pre-wedding party after that, but we were all  to exhausted!

This morning – back to Forman Christia College to meet with students, administrators, and also to help with student assessments in English.

More to come!

I think about Carol often.  We often feel that one person can’t make a difference, that one person can’t change the course of history, that one person, namely me (you), can’t possibly do anything because after all, who are we?  Yet one ordinary person can make a difference.  Carol did.  And we’ve seen others too.  The question is, do we care enough to try, do we love enough to put ourselves out there in ways that may be uncomfortable, and are we willing to put ourselves on the line and take a risk for what we believe in?  Are we willing to discover hidden resources of strength and courage in ourselves?

As I said, I think of Carol and others like her often.  They are my inspiration, and my encouragement, as I stand up for what I believe in, and as I fight for what I believe is right and just.

Who is your inspiration?

I was just reviewing some slides from a Heads of Communion retreat with the Minnesota Council of Churches.  One of the slides projects that by the year 2030, people over the age of 65 will outnumber children 15 and younger in the United States.  What does that mean for our churches?  Can we put all our eggs in one basket for the future, and hope we get more kids so that our churches will continue?  We can, but I think we all know that children don’t grow on trees.  Many churches put a lot of energy, even if it is just worry energy, into a ministry for youth.  I certainly think churches need to attend to that, especially if they have youth.  But I think we are missing a vital ministry – to the older members of our communities.   Not just the older members of our congregations, but the older members of our wider communities.  The need for health care, visits, cards, meals, pet care while in the hospital, support for caregivers, etc., will only continue to grow in the years ahead, and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.  Why not develop a strong outreach/care ministry to those who are growing older, and don’t have a community around them to care?

If the church is going to have any meaning at all in the world, then we need to look beyond the way we’ve always done things, and look beyond what we hope for (youth!), and see the real needs that are around us, and anticipate the ones to come.  There are some real needs coming up on the horizon.  Take a look at them, and then go meet them head on.  You may be surprised at how that gives new life to the church.

When we think about this in terms of leading the church through these challenging times, it reminds us that as leaders, our own emotional state has a critical impact on those around us, both positively and negatively, depending on what emotional state we are in at any given moment. Take anxiety. One of the qualities of a good leader is the ability to maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of change, conflict, and chaos. Non-anxious doesn’t just mean hiding our anxiety from others, but truly being non-anxious. Whether we show it or not, if we are anxious, others will pick up on it, even subconsciously, and our own anxiety will be mirrored in others, adding to what is probably an already anxious system. So one of the challenges before us as leaders is the challenge of managing our own anxiety so that we can be a truly non-anxious presence.

Mirroring doesn’t happen with just the unhelpful emotions, though, it also happens with the positive ones. Scientists have found that there is a subset of these mirror neurons that are only responsible for detecting other people’s smiles and laughter, prompting the same in return. Research has also found that being in a good mood helps people process and remember information better, it aids in group formation, and it helps people respond more nimbly and creatively, especially in the midst of chaos, conflict and change.

So the emotions we bring to a situation, positive or negative, no matter how well hidden we think they are, have a real, physical effect on those around us, and can and do affect the ability of the group to respond in positive, healthy ways.

The ultimate goal is to learn how to deal with our emotions that are not helpful for a situation, in such a way that they don’t become stumbling blocks. Unfortunately this blog isn’t the place to go into that kind of depth, but there are resources out there for those who want to work on their emotional intelligence (such things as coaching, feedback session, practice, learning to relax, process feelings etc.) But before we can come up with a plan to keep them from being stumbling blocks, we need to be aware of what emotional baggage we carry with us. Without that awareness, no plan will be helpful, and without that awareness, we’ll most likely end up complicating situations and raising anxieties in others, without ever being aware of it, or intending to.

So the challenge to us to to first, be aware of what we are feeling. Second, to consider the emotional field of the group or organization we are interacting with. Third, if our emotions are ones we’d rather not see mirrored in others, we need to come up with a plan to deal with our emotions in such a way that they do not become stumbling blocks to others.

As leaders (and while this is a topic for a future blog – no matter what position you hold in an organization – you can be a leader in this, even if you don’t have the title) – as leaders, you have a huge impact on the ability of your group to be healthy, to function well, creatively, and joyfully.  What kind of an impact do YOU want to have?

So we were all anxious and curious to see what would come of this $100 challenge.  As you know, $100 isn’t a huge amount of money, so we wondered how creative the churches would get.  Well, we found out, and what stories were told!  Below I would like to share two of the stories that were shared at the February presbytery meeting.  As you read them, I hope you start to think about what just a small sum can truly make possible, when it is paired with passion, creativity, and faith.  Next week I’ll post two more stories.

Congratulations to these churches, who accepted the challenge!  Isn’t it wonderful what God can do with just a few dollars, and lots of faith and creativity!

Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter
~ Rooted in God ~ Open to Grace ~ Filled with Joy ~

Zion Presbyterian Church, Ellsworth, MN – Haiti Relief
Jesus should have told this story – in the parable the servants only doubled the money!

Zion Presbyterian Church elders received seed money from the Minnesota Valley Presbytery to be used for a specific project.  Although initially, session members were surprised and amused that this seemed the first time that Zion received any financial contribution back from Presbytery, they didn’t have a clue as to what kind of a project to thrust themselves into.  Then the earthquake in Haiti happened.  The pictures on TV, the devastation, and hardship of the people of Haiti affected not only Zion Presbyterian Church but the rest of our town as well.  Zion Presbyterian Church and Bethel Reformed Church have been doing several events together over the last few years.  In session meeting the idea arose to hold a Sub-sandwich luncheon with chips, a drink and a bar for the area residents to raise money for the people of Haiti.  The $100.00 from Presbytery would be used as seed money for supplies for the project.  Before the discussion went too far, the idea of partnering with Bethel Reformed in this project was raised and accepted.  Bethel Reformed’s pastor and people readily joined the project.  On Sunday in the kitchen the organizers and workers discussed how to split the funds (originally the idea was to split the proceeds down the middle.).  The amount raised was $1461.00.  When the folks from Bethel Reformed learned about the possibility of sending double the money for the Haiti people, they readily agreed that the best use of the money was to send it through Presbytery for the Haitian people.  At Presbytery meeting a generous individual provided the added funds to double the proceeds.  The total of the project is $2,922.00 plus $150.00 that came in later.  God can do amazing things when his people believe, have faith and give!  May his name be praised!!

First  Presbyterian  Church, Winnebago – Kids Against Hunger

The  Gift  &  Challenge  were  presented  at  the December  Session  Meeting  —  leading  to  much  spirited  discussion  —  one  idea  was  put  forward  at  the  meeting was using  it to “prime  the  pump”  to  partner  with  the  new  “Kids  Against  Hunger”  site  recently  begun  in  Winnebago.  This  idea  triggered  a  story  from  one  of  our  elders,  who  had  recently  returned  from  a  medical  mission  in  Guatemala.  While  talking  with  residents  there  about  hygiene / nutrition / and  basic  health  care  amongst  children…one  of  the  Guatemalans  pointed  to  a  wall  of  boxes,  and  said,  “And  when  children  are  brought  in  that  are  close  to  starving…we  use  these.”…which  turned  out  to  be  “Kids  Against  Hunger”  packaged  meals.  While  waiting  for  this  and  other  ideas  to  be  written  up  as  proposals…a  young  church  member  approached  me  on  Christmas  Eve,  asking  if  he  could  contribute…donating  $250.  Other  gifts  have  begun  to  come  in.  With  the  additional  emphasis  on  hunger  issues  in  Haiti,  the  Kids  Against  Hunger  Project  (and  potentially  one  other)  were  selected  —  we  are  inviting  additional  donations;  will  be  hosting  an  all  Church  “packing”  day  following  worship  in  the  next  month  or  so;  and  have  placed  challenge  material  in  the  sanctuary.

Cambria Presbyterian Church, New Ulm – Hospice

Cambria Presbyterian Church took the challenge. The stewardship committee brainstormed over what charity we would like the money to go to and how we would increase it. We decided to let the congregation decide on which one after we had narrowed it down to 5. We wanted it to stay in the local area but not to go to one we support regularly. The congregation voted for hospice on the 31st of January. February 7th, we had a potato bake. The proceeds with the seed money came to 445.00 which is being divided between Blue Earth and Brown Counties hospice programs.

First Presbyterian Churches, Edgerton and Lismore, MN – Feeding People

At the December 1st Presbytery meeting held in Renville, each church present was given a $100.00 bill.  We were challenged to use this in ways that it would multiply for the purpose of missions, locally and globally.  The churches of Edgerton and Lismore were having a joint session meeting on Monday, December 14th.  It was decided that our two churches would work together on this project, combining our $100.00 gifts into $200.00 to be used as the seed money.  Proceeds then would be divided and sent to our respective Food Shelves in Worthington and Pipestone.  Several events were then planned to add to our gift of now $200.00.  We would take up a free will offering at each of our Annual Meeting potlucks held in January.  Then again in February each church would hold an additional potluck where a free will offering would be collected.  In addition to this our weekly Lenten services would, at least for this year, offer a coffee fellowship time to follow the service with a free will offering taken at that time.  There are also plans in the working for a catered meal to be served in March with the proceeds from that to go towards the $100.00 mission challenge.  It was already a practice that the offerings taken during the Lenten services would be earmarked for our respective Food Shelves in Worthington and Pipestone.  As mentioned above, the joint sessions decided that the funds collected from all of these events would be used to multiply the $100.00 that each church had initially received and would then be given to our respective Food Shelves in March when they, the Food Shelves, would match the funds given to them.  The Lismore church session also voted to take $200.00 of what they had or would receive to donate to the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund.  Edgerton also is collecting funds for Haiti and when announced that we were doing so, one parishioner from Edgerton donated $100.00 that Sunday alone.  I know that members of our two congregations have stepped up to the plate to help multiply our initial $100.00 gift through the giving to the Souper Bowl for Caring giving which our Lismore church collects, the potluck free will offerings, and the special gifts designated and used for Haiti relief.  All in all I am proud to be the pastor of these two great congregations who truly know how to multiply all that God has given to them so that others may come to know the blessings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud – Sewing and Textile Training Cooperative

The First Church, Saint Cloud, at the request of the Mission/Social Witness Committee, has given $200 as seed money to the Sewing and Textile Training Cooperative – a project of the African Womens Alliance or AWA. (note: the original challenge grant from Presbytery was doubled.)  The purpose of the Coop is to empower Somali and Sudanese women living in St. Cloud to become financially independent in an attempt to provide basic needs of their families. The majority of Somali women are from refugee families. The program involves 6-8 women meeting in the church building on weekdays to work on sewing projects.  They are in the process of purchasing 6 sewing machines, basic sewing supplies and storage containers. A volunteer sewing instructor will coordinate the program and classes will begin in late March.  Items will be sold at local markets or e-commerce sites. The AWA functions under the umbrella of the Multi-Cultural Center of Central Minnesota.

This project will get started soon because they have a grant from the Multi-Cultural Center (MCCCM) for purchase of sewing machines and a job description for a volunteer coordinator.  The church can continue to help with providing basic sewing supplies.  As we know of these needs, we will publicize then in our Tower newsletter, and who knows, the basic challenge grant may continue to grow!

United Presbyterian Church, Kerkhoven and First Presbyterian Church, Maynard – Heifer International

When we (United Presbyterian Church, Kerkhoven) received the $100 from Presbytery, our session had no idea how to  use this money.  Our confirmation class at this time was trying to get enough money to buy one goat through the Heifer International.  This would cost $120.  The Maynard Church would pay half, as they had a student in the class.  A challenge was made to the men in our church to match the $100 from Presbytery so we could buy 2 more goats (with the $100 from Presbytery).  They met the challenge and more.  When the Maynard Church heard of this they decided to give their $100 toward a goat too.  So we were able to buy 4 goats and 2 shares in a goat and sent a check for $500 to Heifer International from the Kerkhoven and Maynard Churches.

The goats will not only provide milk but fertilizer for the family garden.  They will reproduce and some can be sold to provide income.  May our gifts help someone to become self sustaining and be a gift that literally keeps on giving and improve the life of another person.

First Presbyterian Church, Dawson – Renewed Focus on Mission

The receipt of the $100 challenge gift was discussed with the congregation at the annual meeting.  A number of options were presented.  At the January work meeting of the session, the decision was made to renew the emphasis on missions in the life of the congregation.  We recognized there would be limitations and we could not be all things to all people.  We would focus our attention on missions in two broad categories, local and non-local.

Non-local would focus on three areas:  Heifer International, Haiti earthquake relief and Presbyterian missions.

We decided we would provide through Heifer International two water buffalo at the cost of $250 each.  The $100 challenge gift would be applied to this project.  So far, the congregation has given an additional $585.  We have also given $455 to Haiti relief.  Within these amounts is $61 from a project by our Jesus Gang (Sunday school).  They drew some pictures that were made into note cards and sold to members of the congregation.  We have also met our Presbyterian mission pledge for the year in addition to giving to One Great Hour of Sharing.

We have been a little more creative in funding our local mission program.  The men of the congregation served the women dinner on Valentine’s Day.  One of our members wrote a musical entitled Noah’s Ark, The Complete Story.  The choir along with some additional support presented this as a dinner theatre.  These two projects raised a little over $400.

To keep us focused on our mission projects we have inserted a minute for mission in our worship services.

The most important result of the $100 challenge has been that missions has become the focus for ministry at the Dawson church.

Osakis Presbyterian Church, Osakis – Witnessing

Osakis Presbyterian Church received a one hundred dollar grant from Presbytery to be use for something new.  So we did something really, really new.  With the aid of an additional one hundred and sixty dollars provided by our Men’s Group, we purchased yard signs for every household in the congregation.  These signs will be displayed in our yards several times each year.  It is not sackcloth and ashes, but, “Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”  Jonah 3:9

First Presbyterian Churches of Edgerton and Lismore – Food and Help

Our two churches were able to raise a total of $1,735.60.  To this we each added the $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery for a grand total of $1,935.60.  Lismore sent the following funds off accordingly: $400.00 for Haiti relief and $490.60 to the Manna Food shelf in Worthington.  This would include the initial $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery.  Edgerton sent the following funds off accordingly: $200.00 for Haiti relief and $845.00 to the Food Shelf in Pipestone.  This also includes the initial $100.00 given to us by the Presbytery.  Edgerton also is sending in food items as well.  We all can be proud of what our two small rural churches have done to turn a small amount entrusted to us into something great and useful that will benefit many, many others at this time.  Congratulations to our two churches and thank you very much.

Union Presbyterian Church, St. Peter – the $1 Challenge

1.    I bought a card for someone celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

2.    I put it with my own money and went shopping for school supplies.  I dropped these in (a student’s) box at Econofoods.  Her senior project is to gather school supplies and give them to Nicollet County Social Services.

3.    I used my dollar to get the phone number for and call an old multi-millionaire friend to tell him about what Kids Against Hunger is doing with Haiti’s Port of Prince as a model for an “each one reach one” dream.  Then I encouraged him to google Ashton Partridge to look at what he’s doing with solar panels.  I did this because Dr. Partridge’s name came to me in a dream, and we were talking about him.  Funny thing is I had never heard of it or checked it out before the dream.

4.    I gave the dollar to the Salvation Army.

5.    The combined $1.00 that each of us received grew to $200.00 and went to a Methodist Church in Mexico that had a special need.

6.    We combined our dollars with a few of our own and bought items for the birthday box.

7.    Fire Department

8.    I gave it, with other moolah, to a friend who lost her job.

9.    I multiplied it and mailed it to the Red Cross to aid Pakistan flood victims.

10.    We added a check with our dollar and sent a card to a little girl who has recently had her fourth surgery due to brittle bone disease.  Her parents are on a limited income and have had numerous expenses.

11.    For just 31 cents Care provides a hot, nutritious meal for a hungry, hurting child.  My dollar was the seed for a $30.00 contribution that will feed 97 meals to hungry children.

12.    On a family outing to the North Shore our grandson wanted us to see the soup kitchen where he helped serve meals on a mission trip a few years ago (Union Gospel Mission – Duluth); how could we not take our dollars plus a few more and contribute to this mission effort.

13.     I sent my granddaughter the dollar plus more dollars for school supplies and clothes because her father is unemployed.

14.     I bought two red roses and a bud vase and gave them to a lady in a nursing home; she is recovering from a broken hip.

15.    I added $9.00 to provide a birthday kit for a St. Peter child.

16.     I sent it with additional $$ to my sister and brother-in-law in Eluthra in the Bahamas for mission work there as they fly to Haiti to help there, also.

17.      I gave it to to VINE.

18.    I gave it with extra money to the Mayo Clinic.

19.     I gave it with extra money to the 2010 cancer appeal at the Mayo Clinic.  Donating to this fund can save 5 percent more lives in just one year.

20.    I bought a scratch ticket and gave the results to  the church to be given to the food shelf.

21.    Through ChildFund International (formerly Christian Children’s Fund) I sponsor two children in Africa – one in Mozambique and one in Zambia.  With my dollar and more dollars, I sent a gift of money to the children’s communities for them to apply to a need. I recommend that people in our congregation consider sponsoring a child in a poor area of the world.  The Mission Committee may want to sponsor a child as an outreach project.

22.     We gave surprise flowers and a card to one of our grandma’s friends who is also our friend.

23.    I gave it to VINE – along with a $30.00 check.

24.     I added it to my contribution to the disabled veterans.

25.     I visited a friend in assisted living and brought her home-made goodies.  I sent another shut-in a “thinking of you” card.

26.     I put my dollar in the McDonald’s donation box.

27.     We donated our dollars to Kids Against Hunger.

28.     A patient at the Clinic, with no gas in the car, needed to go to a dentist in Savage.  I was able to give her the money for gas to get there from my family.

29.     I took my dollar to buy a wedding anniversary card for some college friends.  I then included $100 in the card because they’re experiencing some financial stress, and I sent it anonymously so they won’t feel obligated to repay me somewhere down the line.  What a fun thing to do!

30.     I had a nice pencil case so used the dollar and others to fill it with school items.  Some local businesses had collections for needy kids.  I was visiting on your Dollar Sunday.  Thanks for the opportunity!

31.     I purchased school supplies (25 of each – notebooks, crayons, rulers, pencils.  I planned to send these to (a mission) Bangladesh.  However, the post office was  not able to send it to that area, and if they could, it would have cost over $200 in shipping, so I donated the items to Nicollet County Bank’s school supply collection box.

32.     I added money and sent a donation to the Bella Voce Young Women’s Choir of Southeastern Minnesota.

33.      Ever since I heard of microlending (giving business loans to entrepreneurs – mostly women – in developing countries) I’ve wanted to contribute.  When I received the dollar on Sunday, I decided it was time to do something about that.  I loaned the dollar, along with some money of my own, to a group of women who sell food in the Dominican Republic.  They will use it to fund and expand their businesses.

34.    Gave donation to Caring Bridge; donations ensure patients, family and friends receive healing, encouragement and hope.

35.    I used my dollar to purchase a coin bank at the dollar store.  I put all my spare change in the bank during August and then donated what I saved ($38.70) to the new regional pet shelter (BENCHES).

36.    Added money to the $1 and bought school supplies for needy children

37.    Pakistan flood relief

38.    We added our $2.00 to our gift for the Pakistan flood relief where it will buy a lot more than a local thing

39.    The first week I added $1.00 per day; the 2nd week, $2.00 per day, week 3, $3.00 per day, and week 4, $4.00 per day.  I multiplied the remaining 3 days by 3.  Please use the $80.00 to help the Presbyterian Church in Pakistan

40.    Made banana bread for a grandson who had just had surgery

41.    We bought a packet of white price stickers, put them on a bunch of unneeded household things and sold them at a garage sale.  The attached $20.00 is the “tithe” from that sale.

42.    I want to give $1.00 towards stamps for the deacons.

43.    I shared it with the fellow who bagged my groceries.

44.    Kids Against Hunger; food packed in Mankato and sent to needy children.  One dollar feeds four children.  On September 23 a speaker on such will be at the Wilds.

45.    I donated it to the DNR at the State Fair.

46.    I added some money to it and gave it to the Pakistan flood relief offering.

47.    Our daughter-in-law, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, is going on a Lutheran mission trip the end of October.  They will be visiting the Children of Israel Orphanage on the southwest coast of Haiti, in the city of Les Cayes.  We will be adding an additional amount to the money we received on Dollar Sunday and giving it to the Caribbean Children’s Foundation.  Their needs are many, with a priority of rebuilding what was damaged in the earthquake.

48.    I added $19.00 to the dollar and donated two bags of groceries to the food shelf.

49.    I added $24.00 to the dollar and made a donation to Kiva.com.  Kiva makes micro loans to individuals in underdeveloped countries to start self-sustaining businesses.

50.    I gave my dollar for a forget-me-not from the DAV.

51.    I posted a sign on the bulletin board I the foyer of the Arts Center, which said:
“If you need some money, feel free to take some.
If you have some money, please pin some here.  Someone may need it.”
I pinned my dollar on the sign.  Over the course of the month, I saw as many as four dollars on the sign and, sometimes, it was empty.  I did add four of my own dollars.

52.    I bought a thinking of you card for my cousin who is in the Navy.

53.    I bought a get-well card for Grandpa, who was diagnosed with bone cancer.

54.    I added more $ and purchased items for a birthday bag.

55.    I added to my dollar to make $100 and sent it to my  sister’s church in Mexico.  The custodian needed money for her daughter’s needs for school.

56.    Added to make $100 and sent it to a Methodist church in Mexico.  Another custodian needed to buy a hearing aid for her husband.

There are many reasons to join a church, but I think Joel Hunter lifted up something we often forget. As part of a community of faith we are reminded that our own view or perspective on faith, the world, love, neighbor, justice, etc., is limited, and we need the views of others to broaden our understanding and our vision, to more fully encompass the God who is so much more than we can ever define.

The danger of relying only on our understandings of God and God’s work in the world and claim on our lives is that we run the risk of putting God in a box of our own making, and all that challenges the boundaries of that box are dismissed. The beauty of inviting others to actively be a part of our faith journey, especially others who have different ideas and positions than ourselves, is that the box keeps getting bigger and bigger, and we begin to see more and more of the vastness of God who truly is beyond our complete understanding. As the box keeps getting bigger, it challenges us to examine more and more closely the way we live our lives, the way we act on our faith, the way we bring honor and glory to God, and how we live up to the responsibility that comes with all the graces God has given us.

This Christmas season we are once again reminded that God is so much bigger than our own ideas of God, as we celebrate the God who did the unthinkable and become one of us through the life of a tiny baby born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. May we gather together in our various churches on Christmas Eve as one community of faith, to worship this God who is bigger than any box we can construct. As we worship, may we commit ourselves to use this next year to share the gift of our own understanding of who this God is and the life God calls us to, and open ourselves up to receive the gift of the different understandings of our brothers and sisters in faith. Together, may our vision grow broader and our faith grow deeper, to the glory of God.

Let me give you an example: in my last church, we spent one year making sure that every week in the local paper, we had some news about the church ” an event going on, a report of a successful event, an invitation, or some good news to share. We also did something unusual that year. We made a decision not to have a stewardship drive that year. Instead we called every member to get a sense of how they were feeling about the church. The goodwill people had toward the church was higher than it had ever been. It showed in the weekly offerings, which were significantly higher than usual. People in town also began to take notice of the church in a positive way. The next year, we let our positive self-talk slip, and all of a sudden people in the community said “we heard you were closing” and even more concerning, conflict started showing up in the church left and right. What changed? We stopped talking good about ourselves and eventually started a landslide of negative self-talk.

How we talk about ourselves is powerful. It changes our view of ourselves and it affects how others see us. The more we focus on the negative, the more negative we become and the more others see us as troubled. The more we focus on the positive, the positive and hopeful we become, and the more others see us as beautiful.

These days are hard for the church. We have lots of things that worry us and challenge us. The more we focus on the good, the better equipped we will be to deal with the anxieties and challenges facing the church today, and the better we will feel about ourselves.

So here’s the solution: lift up the good things that are going on! Brag about your church! Brag about what you are doing, what you’ve accomplished, what you are trying, risks you have taken. Shout it from the pages of your newsletters and newspapers. Speak of it at your worship services and committee meetings. Celebrate the good that God is accomplishing among you, and I guarantee you will see a brighter and more hopeful future.