Create and Sustain an Environment, Part II
St. Andrew’s mission statement is one sentence: “St. Andrew’s Mission is to create and sustain an environment where followers of Jesus Christ are nurtured and challenged to grow in faith in order to carry out God’s reconciling work in the world.”
In the Vision, Mission, and Values booklet each of the bolded phrases above are broken down in more detail. There are six bullet points under “create and maintain an environment,” each of which represents a different environment. Last week, I went through the first three bullet points that pertain to the physical environment, the worship environment, and the relational environment. This week I will address financial policies, being intentionally welcoming, and leadership–each of which has a strong impact on the environment.
We adhere to financial policies that promote community trust and openness.
Churches need consistent financial support in order to function. This means that dealing with money is inevitable. However, this inevitability is good news because money matters serve as an opportunity to define and live out our faith values. Financial transparency conveys respect for one another and trust in God. All our financial decisions are made by well informed committees after thoughtful debate; we use our resources for God’s work in the world; and we are thoughtful and discerning in our mission giving. Transparency with money creates an environment of trust and openness. It puts our principles into action.
We intentionally welcome strangers into our community as friends.
Welcoming strangers is a Christian discipline. It is an act of love without regard for the benefits it returns to us. It is easy to be warm toward those we know and love, but our call is to share God’s love beyond the boundaries of our friends and families. That takes effort. If someone is traveling through Santa Barbara we provide respite and hospitality even if we will never see them again. If someone looks different from us, we make room for them exactly as they are. If someone is in need, we seek to be God’s hands reaching out to them—hands that offer care, concern, and recognition. We do this for no other reason than that this is the heart and soul of Christian community.
We hold standards for our leaders and support them in their work.
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church USA calls for a representative form of government. This means that our leaders are elected to govern in council. It is the responsibility of the congregation to be thoughtful in who they elect. Is a nominee for the office of elder committed to growing in their faith? Do they demonstrate integrity and humility? Do they listen to different viewpoints and seek to learn? Is a nominee for the office of Deacon a person of compassion? Are they committed to work for justice and to serve those in need (inside and outside of our church)? When we affirm these qualities in a member by voting them into office, do we then support them in their work? Do we pray for them, ask them how they are doing, and support them by serving on committees? Good leaders need both standards and support in order to be successful. And if our leaders are successful, God is well served.
Each of these six bullet points represent a building block for creating an environment where followers of Jesus Christ can grow in their faith. Creating and sustaining this environment is the work of the whole congregation.
Blessings,
Pastor Jen
|
