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Gavin Richardson

the fundamental problem with mixing business and church

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my recent & other staff's termination at my church has come as a shock to many in our church community. in listening and talking to many (congregation members and fellow staff members) i kept hearing sayings like "this felt like a business decision" or "i'd expect this in a business." it is a common saying in these scenarios and to me it is totally expected.

the methodist church is based around its committee structures and the people who make up the decision makers are laity giving their time in ministry and not ministry professionals by any mark. they are business people.. it is what they know.

as i see it though, there is a fundamental issue with bringing business practices into the church.

  1. the people in your church are your consumers
  2. the people in your church are your investors
  3. the people in your church are your workers/employees

think about it… that cycle doesn't work in a business plan, why do we think it'd work in church?

looking at the people in your church this way has to say that a pure business practice doesn't work. yes, business practices can translate and help, but just cutting and pasting into any/many instance and some decisions are heading down a slippery slope & a bad response.

"but the church is a business!.." true in many ways, but people want it & need it to be different. i think Christ would want it that way as well.

i don't have a great solution at the moment to move away from sayings like this, but i share this little spot light on where a root problem lies so that some of you with more intelligent minds can turn this around as well.

“As I Grow Older” : on with my dream

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recently in my change of life i wandered to a different part of the book store, leaving the religion section behind this time. i bought a poetry collection of langston hughes. hughes i remember from my college studies as he was one writer that "i got".. (even though i'm not black or at any level oppressed.) i loved his jazz feel to his poetry & never felt it was trying to impress me with overthought just honest reflection and emotion.. maybe i'm feeling down now and a bit beaten so it works for me. today i'm sharing this poem from hughes call "as i grow older." i know contextually we're not in the same place, but it feels the same.. that's the beauty of art.

As I Grow Older 

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun–
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my
dream.
Rose until it touched the sky–
The wall.
Shadow.
I
am black.
I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my
dream before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
Only the
shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find
my dream!
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To
break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand
whirling dreams
Of sun!

two letters : one result

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two letters went out to our church community today. first one from me

Dear HFUMC Youth Community,

In Deuteronomy there is a really dynamic scene where Moses who has led
the Isrealites through the wilderness since the Exodus exclaims that he
is no longer directed to lead the tribe. He speaks to his apprentice
Joshua and tells him that it is he that God wishes to lead the tribe
into the promised land.

It is with that scripture in mind and a very heavy heart that I write
this note to share with you that my employment at HFUMC as your youth
pastor will end effective immediately. With the direction of the church
my gifts and talents are not the match they once were for the
ministries of the church as an employee. As tough as this is to accept,
Erin & I are at peace with this and hope you find that as well. We
plan to be at church on Sunday, but will not be leading any activities
as we begin to identify who we are within the church community in our
new roles.

Know that I love you all, have loved being in ministry, a part of your
families, and seeing us all grow together. It has been my honor to be a
part of your last five years. As we redefine who our family is in the
midst of the church we hope that those relationships stay the same even
though the nature of what brought us together has changed.

I don't know who your Joshua is but I am praying for that person and
the 'unique community' that I know you to be.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You
May the Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You & Be Gracious Unto You
May the Lord turn His Face upon You & give us peace.

Shalom
-gav

 

&:~)

second one came from our staff parish

After much thoughtful prayer
and deliberation, your Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) concluded
that the final necessary element in the staff reorganization was an
overhaul of the youth programs of our church. Therefore, effective
immediately, the positions of Director of Youth Ministries and Director
of the New World Generation Choir are open. Searches will be launched to
fill both positions. In the interim, Associate Pastor Brad Holliman
will assume leadership of the youth division, assisted by the adult
leaders and volunteers already engaged in youth ministry at HFUMC.

All previously scheduled Youth programs and activities are expected to go on as planned. If you would like to help with these programs as a leader, chaperone or driver, please contact Brad
Holliman.  Any changes to the calendar will be communicated via e-mail, Facebook or the Corner website, so check in before finalizing your plans.

Our prayers go with Gavin Richardson and Tiffany DePriest, and we thank them for their
contributions to our church and its ministries. Please watch the
newsletter and other church communications for more information about
the searches in the next few weeks.

The Staff Parish Team

moving on…