Watch a crew on a large sailboat in a competitive race and you’ll see teamwork at its best. Everyone works together, each person with a specific task, yet all committed to working with one another to keep the boat moving forward trim, taught, and fast. Everyone does his or her assigned task, yet each also supports teammates, everyone on the crew working together to assure that every breath of wind is captured to keep the boat moving forward.
A few weeks back I spoke of our calling to be a Sailboat Church, the Holy Spirit the wind in our sails, powering us, guiding us, moving us forward. We are to work together like the crew of a boat, each of us called to different work within the church by the Holy Spirit, each of us empowered by the Spirit, yet all of us working together as together we capture the power of the Spirit leading us into God’s future.
I concluded that sermon with the words “All hands on deck”, about as close to an altar call as you might find in a Presbyterian Church! But it is a truism that a church depends on volunteers to run. The staff of our church is much too small to sail the boat we call MPC. We need everyone involved and active, working together.
As we start a new year, it’s the ideal time for you to get involved in a new, or perhaps more committed way in our church. We do much of our work through our Ministry Teams: Christian Education, Early Learning Center, Finance & Administration, Membership, Mission, Personnel, Property, Stewardship, and Worship & Music. Each of these Teams is always happy to have new folks help out. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved with one of our Teams, there’s no better time than right now!
We need to create a new Team this year, one that helps us with our website and other ways of communicating with one another and visitors. We created a new look for our website a couple of years ago and Ann Curtis does a wonderful job keeping it up-to-date, but it is too big a job for one person. We have found that most visitors first learn about us through our website, so we need to keep our site current, and expand the information we provide. Are you comfortable with technology? Are you creative? Then perhaps this new Team is the place for you! Speak with me and I will be happy to tell you more.
Another Team I think we need is a “Green Team”, a group focused on two goals: helping us as a church operate as good stewards of God’s earth, and helping all of us in the congregation learn how to walk lightly on God’s creation.
Don’t wait to be asked – step up and get involved. The Spirit is calling you even now – all hands on deck!
Grace & peace
Pastor Skip
