Presbygrow

Transformation.  It’s such a daunting word! In the culture most of us are immersed in, it’s easy, even natural, to hear that word and all of a sudden feel pressure.  The word functions like a prod for me, and my first-time pastor’s brain synapses start snapping, “Get to work,” or “Work harder.” The first image that often flashes before my mind when I hear the word is Sunday morning worship, only a few people in church, and a feeling that our little congregation in Western NY is a deflated balloon.  If I had only made more calls, figured out why so-and-so wasn’t there, sent more notes, been a better leader in meetings, then more people would be in worship.  In the pressured mindset I place on myself, transformation is up to me. 

On better days, I have no illusions that this sense of pressure is destructive to the church and to my relationship with God.  Transformation is birthed by the Spirit of God, and while I know this in theory, the folly of my individual attempts eventually bring me into God’s laughing presence, gently lifting the spiritless, pressure-filled burden I feel whenever I take on the Spirit’s job. An ongoing chapter in the life of the congregation I serve has helped me to see Congregational Transformation in practice, and helped me, in spite of myself sometimes, trust God in bringing new life to this congregation and community. 

In 2006, the Presbytery of Genesee Valley offered congregations an incredible opportunity: write up a ministry idea you have, and we’ll consider it for a $10,000 grant (grant monies came from the sale of a building of a congregation that closed).  There was no application, simply the charge to be creative and to dream.  I brought the idea to the Session with very little hope that anyone would bite on the idea.  Small-church pastors know how tired our leaders are, and the reciprocal relationship between resistance and a defeatist attitude that often dominates the energy of both the Session and the pastor.  But a new Session member took the application home, and before I knew it, e-mailed a brilliantly narrated application, insightful about the realities of our community and the needs we have for a gathering place in our small village of 500 people.  He called the proposal, “Yankee Trader Meets Chatter-Box Cafe”, and outlined a proposal for a community gathering-place offering free coffee and pastries, as well as a center for trading goods and services on index cards.  The Session tweaked a few things, the proposal was approved and submitted, and a few weeks later, we learned we would be receiving $10,229.31 to start a free coffee/trader shop in the village.

A Ministry Team of five members was formed in late 2006, and we investigated many possible locations for this idea to take place. Interestingly, the grant writer did not choose to join this team, nor has he subsequently had anything to do with the following up of the grant. He saw himself as the visionary, and had no need to control the living out of the vision. So some of our congregation’s “do-ers” got to work. We chose to partner with the Wyoming Free Library, hoping that the meeting place would boost the community’s awareness of the Library, and vise versa.  On April 16, 2007, “That Place” (a temporary name) opened.  “That Place” was chosen as the “community’s choice” permanent name following a naming contest held during the first month of operation.

That Place is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 8 to 11.  We have about 1 to 12 guests per day.  Baked goods are provided by church and community members, coffee, tea and cocoa are purchased with Westminster grant funds and offered free of charge, but donations are accepted.  It has been one of the first ecumenical endeavors in this community in many years (although it is unofficially ecumenical).  Two of our hosts are from the United Methodist congregation in town, and one was from the Baptist congregation (she no longer hosts because, through her involvement at That Place, she became aware of an opening for a Librarian and received that position).  Three of our own congregants also serve as hosts.  Hosts are paid ten dollars per day.  Guests are also from ecumenical backgrounds as well as no church affiliation.     

“That Place” also houses a “Yankee Trader” board where people trade goods and services, and post needs for employment, etc.  A few people have used this, trading a bike for free lawn-mowing, finding a dog, connecting with drum lessons, receiving odd jobs for babysitting, sewing, and more (see attached photos).

We have looked into possibly expanding our operating hours in the summer to offer a place for area teens to hang out on summer evenings or a monthly movie night (the library is located across from the Wyoming Central School playground and fields, and also has a picnic table and space to hang out inside or outside).

That Place reports to the Session monthly, with financial reporting taking place quarterly.  Many from the congregation continue to show some ambivalence about it, but I’m also learning to trust the Spirit in this.  Congregational Transformation has no program, and is different in every context.  But the sense of new life birthed from this journey has been a learning and trusting process for me.  I thank God for providing Spirit-filled leaders in our Presbytery and in our congregation, people who bring about opportunities for the Spirit to create new paths, far beyond one person’s responsibility or control!

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