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A Word From Our Interim Pastor – The Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh

I’m reading a book on “change” written by N. Graham Standish. Let me share some comments provided by the Publisher at Fortress Press.

“. . . And the Church Actually Changed addresses issues brought up by clergy themselves in his coaching work with them. Using an integrative approach to ministry, Standish draws on insights from counseling, spiritual direction, organizational development, and other fields. The book is written in the form of dialogues between a clergy coach and various clergy clients who are struggling in their ministry. Each chapter addresses a significant clergy leadership issue, yet the dialogue allows coach and pastor to deal with issues pragmatically by exploring both the big picture and the details of leading a healthy church.”

I’m finding this book very helpful as we face the challenges of society and culture that are pressing in on the church.

Our Interim Pastor Journey focuses on adaptive change. I will introduce the following principles at our next Interim Pastor Journey Town Hall Meeting, Step 2, on Sunday, May 5. Those principles are observations, interpretations, asking questions, and making interventions in measured ways. The Session and Staff will start on the balcony and make observations about congregational life at Grace. Those folks then go to the dance floor and share interpretations, all the while listening well to others. That group returns to the balcony with new observations after listening to the questions being asked. Then, the group goes back to the dance floor with new interpretations, listening well to the new questions being asked, and takes observations from the questions being asked back to the balcony to digest and just perhaps formulate further refined interpretations. Then, back to the dance floor again, listening to questions. Back to the balcony to share observations from the questions. And just perhaps, a plan of intervention is formed and communicated to and with the congregation to see how we’re doing. This process of observations, interpretations, asking questions, and making interventions in measured ways is an excellent discernment process as we listen to God and one another for the vision and future of Grace.

Our next Interim Pastor Journey Town Hall Meeting, Step 2, is Sunday, May 5. We have one service in the Sanctuary at 10:00 am, followed by a covered dish lunch with a “Cinco de Mayo” Mexican theme, including dessert, water, iced tea, and coffee.

The question for the focus of our discussion as we complete Step 2 of 6 in our Interim Pastor Journey is: How would you describe Grace to someone you wanted to attend with you?

Do attend worship and the Cinco De Mayo lunch on Sunday, May 5. Your voice matters. On the journey of Christian discipleship and spiritual formation with you, I remain faithfully yours,

Steve

 

The Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh

Interim Pastor

April’s Yellow Bag Recipient: Covenant Food Bank

April’s Yellow Bag donations go to our long-standing partner, Covenant Presbyterian Church Food Bank. The congregation serves many families each month by providing food staples. Please consider donating nourishing foods such as canned meats, peanut butter, canned vegetables/fruits, pasta and sauce, and shelf-stable milk. We encourage you to donate items in cans, plastic jars, or boxes. Place your donated items by the coffee bar. If you prefer to give a monetary donation, put a check in the offering plate and note it is for Covenant Food Bank. We will ensure that it gets to the Food Bank.

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Looking Ahead

There is one worship service on Sunday, May 5, at 10:00 am, in the Sanctuary. Following the service, a congregational potluck luncheon and Town Hall Meeting is in the Great Room. We are having a Cinco De Mayo Mexican food theme. Please bring a dish to share with a south-of-the-border flair! Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board by the coffee bar.

 

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Justice Together

Session voted to join over 35 worshipping communities as a founding member of the Justice Together initiative. You are invited to join a Sedgwick County multi-faith community effort with the Justice Together partners to make a difference in the lives of those who have no voice and are underserved.

Justice Together focuses on homelessness and access to mental health care. You can find detailed draft proposals on either of the kiosks.

Justice Together is a nonprofit organization formed in 2023 to research data, propose solutions to problems, and present solutions to our elected representatives at the county and city levels. The solutions are objective, doable, measurable, outcome-driven recommendations that have been proven to work.

Your presence is crucial to the success of the 2024 Justice Together Nehemiah Assembly. We expect 2000+ people to join us on Thursday, May 9, at 6 p.m. at Century II Convention Hall, located at 225 W. Douglas. We know for elected officials to take action, they need to see and hear the movement of the community. You can be a part of this movement. We are asking 100 of you to join us. You can pick up additional information regarding Justice Together as well as sign up to attend the May 9 meeting at the kiosk or online. If you have questions, please talk with Darwin Eads, Janice Fahrenholtz, Shelby Schnieders, or Kirk Anderson.

Grace Book Club

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Join us for a new reading and discussion experience. Grace Book Club meets Tuesday, May 28 at 6:30 pm in the Parlor. The book is The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate H. Moore. Everyone is welcome! If you have questions, you may contact Melissa Buteyn at englishteachmb@gmail.com.