Pastor Paul's Page

Dear brothers and sisters of Bethlehem,

October is a blessed month: one that marks the changing of the season, and the beginning of our third month together! September has been a continuation of my August hope to acclimate myself as much as possible to the life of Bethlehem by doing more listening than talking. I think I have been successful at attending almost every committee meeting these last couple of months, as well as attending or presenting lessons at three small group meetings. My desire to listen first is the reason also for the "Listening for God, Hearing Our Call" Council Retreat theme this October 1. Before we begin looking to the future, we do well to listen for our needs and gifts. Envisioning our exciting future at Bethlehem together will soon follow.

Along those lines, here are a few things I’m considering for the upcoming month/s:

Visiting each small group (or activity group) this year, asking for a special session of exclusively "getting to know you" for each group, at staggered times over the next several months: this could be designed entirely for getting to know parishioners as regular people, and them getting to know me in a less formal setting as a "normal guy" (Hmm...are pastors normal? Ha! Is anyone, really? :) These meetings would have no agenda other than authentic sharing and potential for laughter. I hope to work with group leaders on planning these single sessions and relieving them for that one session of their group "lesson plans" (for the small groups).

Attempting to find out which members do not belong to activity groups and inviting them to do one of two things: (1) meet with me personally over coffee, a meal or a walk/hike (ask me about my "Pastor’s Outreach" idea); and/or (2) looking for new small group leadership for those who may be looking for ways to connect at times or group formats not yet offered. This may (if time permits) manifest itself as the pastor hosting a "new" small group as well.

Posting what I might call regular walk-in office hours – time slot/s on a particular day (or days) of the week that people can count on my being available to visit without an appointment. This will help me plan my weekly schedule, and be both more available and more productive.

Finally, should we decide to engage in "visioning" as a congregation, I would like to plan what I might call "Vision Sunday" sometime next year – perhaps as early as Transfiguration Sunday (on February 19, being biblically appropriate, of course!) – and begin the process of formally looking ahead to who we want to be in the future and how we would like to move forward as a congregation.

I look forward to the next three months, as they will be packed with the following, among other things: October (Council Retreat, the Pastor Appreciation Lunch, our first youth group gatherings, and confirmation "graduation"); November (Stewardship Sunday, a hopefully "new" Thanksgiving Eve worship and food drive, and the beginning of Lent); December (our Congregational meeting, the Christmas Season, and the December Synod Youth Gathering.) And the year 2012 awaits new beginnings of its own! Praise God!

Pastor Paul