here we go

Yesterday during church, I shared with the congregation that I was leaving for Russia. Several people asked me when I would be leading a team back and what kind of work we would be doing. I would like to lead a team back to Russia in late summer of 2009. I am not sure of the kind of work we will be doing. I don't want to assume that I know what kind of relationship they want. Part of the reason for this trip, the primary reason, is to simply meet the people, listen and learn. I want to see how God is already at work in their community and how we can collaborate with them. My hope is that our conversations and relationship might also include some of their leaders visiting us. As I go, I am reminded that I am not going to "help" anyone. Rather I am going to learn how God is already at work in the lives of people across the world and how I can be a part of that. It reminds me that when I approach anyone, even right "help" another, I miss the way God is already at work, and perhaps the ways I need that help.

Do Not Disturb!

Despite my best efforts, as my trip to Russia approaches there are some details that just aren't figured out yet. They won't be until I arrive where I am going. This always bothers me because I like to have my travel plans well thought out, especially when travelling to completely unfamiliar territory. Traveling to a place where the geography, culture, language, alphabet and customs are completely unknown is disorienting enough. Having my plans all laid out helps me orient myself, helps me to calm anxiety, helps me to feel like I have some control in the midst of what feels like a loss of it.

This upcoming trip reminds me of my dislike of being disturbed. In the midst of my obsessing over the details of my trip, worried about how disorienting it will be, I heard another pastor read a part of prayer. It was what I needed to hear. It is from the explorer Sir Francis Drake. He prays:

Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

I worry sometimes that my dreams are too small, that I have lost my thirst, that I have stopped looking heavenward. As much as I don't like it, I know I need to be disturbed.

Preparing to be unprepared

As many of you know, I am preparing for a mission "scouting" trip to Russia. I will be meeting Russian pastors who are working to grow communities of faith, hear about their struggles and successes, and explore ways that The Gathering can collaborate with them in their work. My intention is to return in 2009 with a team of 12 people from The Gathering to be in mission to these emerging church communities in Russia. So I am taking up my infrequent habit of blogging, with the hopes that my friends, family and parishioners will share this experience with me.

As all of you know, a journey really begins long before you leave home. I get a bit anxious about traveling, so I like to be prepared. Having never traveled abroad, the unique considerations and preparations for this kind of trip are new to me. Being a product of the educational system for 20 years of my life, my first inclination was to read books and talk to others who have previously traveled to Russia. Books and conversations have been extremely helpful. I have studied maps of Moscow and Voronezh, read about the culture, learned some handy travel tips from international travel veterans, bought too much cool stuff at REI and even tried my luck at learning a bit of Cyrillic. But no matter how many people I talk with, or how many books I read, there are somethings you only learn by experience.

I think life with God is that way. Many of us think about God, ask others questions about God, study those "people of faith" like an anthropologist would study a remote tribe. We can be tempted to approach God as a subject to be studied instead of a reality to be experienced, a discipline to be practiced or a being to be loved. The truth is, as much as I prepare for my trip to Russia, I will still be unprepared. I just have to go and experience it. God is that way. You are never prepared for what life with God might be like, and you will not "understand" faith until you first go, and experience it.

russia mission

Did you know that around the world, there are over 40,000 United Methodist congregations? Did you know that there are United Methodist churches in countries across Africa, Asia and Europe that serve over 4 million people and are growing? Did you know that when you participate in the ministries of The Gathering, you are also connected to a worldwide community of United Methodists?

This summer, I was invited by the leaders of United Methodist missions in Missouri to travel to Russia where there are several growing United Methodist churches. The purpose is to scout out possible mission relationships between churches in Missouri and churches in Russia. The United Methodist Church in Russia is a home church. Years of Soviet Rule and a state religion forced the United Methodists to meet in secret as a church. Since the fall of Communism the global church has worked with the Russian United Methodists to build much of the infrastructure that their growing ministry requires. Missionaries and volunteer teams have done this by working in orphanages, homes for the elderly, helping in the construction of new churches and camps for kids.

On September 29, I will be travelling to Voronezh (link to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voronezh) in southwest Russia, to meet several United Methodist pastors and hear about needs in their community as they seek to grow. The hope is that out of this trip will grow a relationship between our church and new United Methodist churches in Voronezh. I will be hearing about their ministries, seeing a camp that serves many kids in the community and meeting some of the people involved in United Methodist ministry in this part of the world.

Upon returning, part of my task will be to lead a team of people from The Gathering back to Voronezh within 18 months to participate in mission work. I am really excited about this opportunity, not only personally, but for our church. I hope you will pray for me as I prepare to leave. While there, I will be blogging here regularly, sharing what I am learning about ministry there. Upon returning I will be sharing what I learned with our community and asking you to think about whether or not you feel called to be part of a team that will return next year. It is powerful to think that our community can have an impact on the faith life of people, not only here in St. Louis, but around the world.

developmental milestones

As a new parent, one is almost overwhelmed with the amount of information that is out there about raising children. Somewhere in that learning process, whether it is through books or because of a visit to the family doctor, parents will learn about developmental milestones. Developmental milestones normally refer to a set of skills that most children can do at a certain age. Pediatricians and other health professionals use milestones to see how a child is developing and maturing. But, of course, every child is unique. So while we cannot ever apply such milestones too rigidly, there are nonetheless still basic skills and tasks that indicate growth and development.

With this in mind, join us this Sunday, September 7, as I begin a sermon series on "Developmental Milestones" in the life of faith. Though our faith journeys are all unique, there are common characteristics or skills that indicate growth and development as followers of Christ. Sometimes as adults, we stop checking and making sure that we are developing and maturing in our professional, personal or spiritual lives. For four weeks, I will be preaching on milestones that point to a maturing faith. For anyone wondering what it means to grow in their faith or those feeling stuck in their faith development, join us this Sunday and every Sunday in September.

September is indeed a milestone month at The Gathering. In addition to the sermon series, throughout September we will celebrate several exciting milestones. September 14 is our two-year anniversary as a church and on September 20 we will be hosting a kids' concert in anticipation of our launch of a second kids' ministry September the 28! All of these events are signs that our community is developing. I hope all of you will make an effort to be a part of these celebrations and make sure to invite some one else you know to experience our community. I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

connecting is hard

Over the past couple of months, I have been thinking a lot about how people in a church connect with one another. For some of us, that happens relatively easily and naturally. We grew up here, find significant relationships through work or in our neighborhoods, or have personalities that make it easy to meet others. But some of us have a more difficult time finding significant relationships. Maybe we are new to town, work alone, or struggle to find time to meet others. Given our individual differences, how can the church help all of us find a sense of belonging in a community?

After all, that is what every church claims to be; a community of people seeking to follow Christ together. As The Gathering grows, it is going to become increasingly important that we find intentional ways to foster relationships and a sense of belonging. Lately, I have had several conversations with people struggling to find significant relationships within the church. For some of you, that isn't a problem. For others, even after small group participation or serving in a ministry, you still feel as if you are missing the kind of relationship you want. I want you to know that this is a reality that I, and our leaders, are spending time talking about.

As we grow, that sense of belonging is almost certainly going to happen in smaller groups. Our hope is that in addition to small groups, we also provide more opportunities for people in the church to meet one another. As we do this, I want to ask for your help. If you have an easy time meeting others, make an effort on Sunday morning to meet at least one new person. If you are in a small group or serve in a ministry with others, consider scheduling time to hang out together socially. If you are interested in putting together a social event, please let me know. If you are struggling to feel a sense of belonging, I would like to be in conversation with you.

Through all of this, I hope that every person at The Gathering remembers the importance of not only reaching "up" toward God, but also reaching "out" to truly meet and get to know the others in our midst. After all, that is part of the commitment we all make when we want to follow Christ in community.

a word from andy

Thanks for the warm welcome! It's always difficult entering into a new community during a time of transition. Your handshakes, hugs and words of encouragement have meant a lot to me as I begin my time here with you.

It's amazing how God can transform our minds and hearts when we are open to His will. I wasn't looking to make a ministry change or for a new church. I called Pastor Matt to inquire about the position for a colleague of mine and in our conversations over the next few weeks, I began to discern my own ministry and call. After meeting with the staff, the band and a few members, I knew that this is where I was supposed to be serving.

I am still settling in and finding my place, but again I thank you and the staff for making me feel at home. I am passionate about creative worship planning and providing opportunities for you to experience God through the worship we present. I've got a lot of ideas to bring to The Gathering so you may see some changes over the next few weeks! I encourage all of you to stick around after worship and introduce yourself to me. Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

Blessings,
Andy

remembering your first time

Can you remember the first time you rode a bike, your first love, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, your first job, your first time away from home, or first kiss? First times are memorable! But as time goes on, chances are that you think less and less about these things. As particular experiences become commonplace, we can begin to forget what it is like to experience something for the first time.

Now I want you to think about church! All of you can probably remember the first time you walked into The Gathering. Depending on your past experience of church, you perhaps walked through our doors excited, nervous, skeptical, intrigued, curious, or anxious. But as time goes on, we grow more comfortable with the community, and often times forget what it feels like to come to a strange place for the first time.

This is one reason why our Sunday morning hospitality ministry is so important. We only have one chance to welcome someone on Sunday morning. And sometimes the nature of our welcome is the primary memory a person will have of our church. For this reason, our hospitality and connections teams have a request. We want you to remember back to your first time at The Gathering. What was it like? What did you experience? What was missing? We have put together a short survey that we would like for you to take a few minutes to complete. Click here and let us know what your first time was like. This information will help us improve our ministry for other new people.

So please take a few minutes to give us your feedback so that we can do a better job welcoming people. And remember that hospitality is a task we all share. This Sunday when you walk into our sanctuary, remember that it is someone’s first time. Help us make The Gathering a welcoming place by introducing yourself to someone you don’t know. Sometimes, just being aware of the folks around us can make a world of difference. Let’s make sure when people walk through our doors for the first time, it is a positive memory they take away.