MINISTER'S MESSAGE 

Annual Report from the Pastor, May 2009

Beloved, we have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches this past year together: the church has seen new growth, we have sung new music and we have explored the deeper meaning of faith in close relationship with one another.  Collectively, we have worked toward an ability to articulate our beliefs and create daily lives that reflect those values by putting them into action.  

A few short months into my second year in ministry atCCC, I am aware that this new cycle affords me an opportunity to reflect on what has been learned and how we have grown together over the past year.  I am very pleased with what God is doing among us; this is an exciting place to be!

To highlight just a few tangible places of growth and excitement:

·         We have taken in ten new members, worship attendance continues to flourish and it has been a great joy to celebrate a number of baptisms.

·         We began a new choir which meets monthly and sings in church weekly. Together with Wings of Song, we pulled off a smashing Christmas concert.

·         Adult education has been abundant, from classes led between services by leaders from within the community, to Living the Questions, and several three-part series designed to deepen and enliven our collective spiritual growth. The opportunities have been rich.

·         Thanks to Kate Dalton, we spent time this year assessing our outreach to children and youth, and are now in a good position to move forward planning programming that reflects the values and mission of CCC.

·         The Wellspring (family), men's, and women's retreats were a delight to all who participated.

·         We have begun to ascertain our interest and energy for outreach and further social action involvement. This is happening most notably with the formation of the social action team.

·         Remaining at the top of my list are the Sundays this community has feasted together: from the window dedication and my Installation, Thanksgiving, our Valentine's concert, Beth's Ordination, to Easter Brunch. 

What a great year!

Year Number Two!

As a performing artist, I was taught that the key to great improvement is really good structure.  I believe that is true of ministry as well.  It is my assertion that as we live out our faith, we are continually cycling through three basic ideas rooted in exploring what it means to be God's beloved, God's called, and the ways in which each of us is equipped for service by/with God.  It is helpful for me to hang the skin of my ministry on the bones of this cycle: beloved, called, equipped.

Hopefully, it is fairly obvious by now that the focus of my first year in ministry with you has been to engage in the work of creating the beloved community.  The first year was about trust building, and relationship deepening; it was about getting to know one another, and proclaiming the deep and timeworn truth that each of us is God's beloved, and that together we make up the beloved community of God.

A natural progression for this coming year is to focus on the ways in which we are being called to do the work of God in our own lives, in the lives of others, and in the world around us. How are we being called to be church, both inside and outside of these gorgeous walls?

As I prepare sermons, I will start with that question and ask: in what way does this message help to clarify our collective sense of call?  As the board looks to refine the structure of the church, we will be asking: in what ways does our structure serve our living into a collective sense of call?  In all the business, worship, fun, and activity of our common life this coming year, it is my hope that we can turn our attention to this question: how are we being called to be church?

·         In particular I am looking forward to the further development of the social action team.  We have a good deal of work to do to narrow down our focus so that we might zone in on a few objectives in an effective way.

·         I am looking forward to the Circle of Care, a newly formed group to support our "in care" seminarians.  The service component of this group will be to develop a children and youth team.  This is an exciting time for this developing ministry, and I can't wait to see where God will lead us.

·         Lastly, I am looking forward to participating in an ongoing denominational conversation, called "Sacred Conversations on Race." Last year the UCC invited local congregations to invest time and energy in this topic.  In January, we (the social action team in partnership with the adult education team and with the support of the speakers series) hope to bring experienced facilitator and teacher Rev. Melanie Morrison and a co-facilitator to lead us in a weekend seminar exploring race and race relations.  It is my hope then to follow up with a multi-component Lenten education series continuing the conversation on racial justice, ending with a private showing of an independent film called Traces of the Trade and a visit from the film maker Katrina Brown.

·         Oh, and of course, I await with most eager anticipation becoming a pastor/parent.

God is doing a wonderful thing among us and it is with great anticipation that we walk boldly into our future together.  May the spirit of love and peace continue to guide us as we serve God with one another.

Blessings all,

Rev. Curran Reichert