Updates to Our Governing Documents

Updates to Our Governing Documents

Dear Friends,

By now you should have received and I hope looked over the revision recommendations for our church’s governing documents.  This Sunday night, following our covered dish fellowship dinner, we will have an after-dinner family discussion about these updates.  This will be a time for everyone to voice their questions and receive answers from the committee members who are recommending these revisions.  This will not be an official church conference meeting.  There will be no motions made from the floor, no seconds and no voting.  This is our family, getting together after dinner, for a friendly talk. 

To that end, there are a few things that I would like to remind all of us to do and remember as we come together as a family of faith:

First, please come prepared.  We emailed or mailed everyone twenty-one pages of text that included Monty’s letter, the church constitution, the church by-laws and the explanations behind the revisions that are being recommended. I am afraid that if you try to read through all of these during dinner while talking to friends it will be difficult to follow or effectively participate in the discussion.  While you are reading through the documents please jot down any questions or thoughts you may have.  That will allow our discussion to keep moving and not bog down.

Second, please don’t jump to conclusions or assume a hidden agenda.  The purpose of these updates is to bring these documents into alignment with how we are already operating and to clarify processes in order to avoid future confusion or misinterpretation.  Our desire is solely to protect the members of the church individually and to protect the integrity of the church collectively.

Third, please don’t be shy or think that your thoughts are unimportant.  We are a family of faith.  As such, no one is more or less important than anyone else.  If you have a question, please ask it.  If you think something might be worded better, please share it.  If you have a concern, please explain it.  No one will be mocked or ridiculed for speaking up.  It’s been said, “the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.”  The committee has put in a lot of time and thought on the wording and the intent of all these revisions.  We will happily explain ourselves and consider other thoughts and ideas.

Forth, please strive for unity in our family.  1 Peter 3:8 (ESV) says, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”  When we come together, we are not Democrats or Republicans from opposing sides of the aisle.  We are a family that loves each other.  We are brothers and sisters in faith (1 Corinthians 1:10).  We are joint heirs with Christ in the family of God (Romans 8:17).  We are all baptized by One Spirit into One Body of many parts with Christ as the Head (1 Corinthians 12:12-14).  Unity is of God; divisiveness is of the devil (Luke 11:23).  As we are discussing these documents and the needed revisions, I hope we will all remember that we have a common goal and purpose.  To the ends of protecting the church, expanding Christ’s kingdom and glorifying God, let us treat each other with dignity and respect as we ourselves desire to be treated. 

 

Finally, please pray.  Pray for this whole process.  Pray that everyone will understand the spirit in which these updates are made and presented.  Pray that we would be faithful to God’s character and His Word as we talk together as a family about these recommendations.  Pray for our unity.  Psalm 133:1(ESV) “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

 

Only by Grace!

 

Pastor Mike


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