Month 2 Thoughts (and Questions)

This past spring I got the call. THE call. The call I was sure would come weeks earlier than it did. But finally it came. On the one night my husband was out of town all spring and I was alone with the girls. I’d just walked in the door and my house phone rang. It was my district superintendent. Anna, somehow magically figuring out that this was an important call, started running around the house being loud. Mary hadn’t yet developed the ability to be raucous at the worst moments, so she just hung out there in my arms. I was so distracted that I hardly asked any questions. After all, as it turned out, the appointment I was being given by the bishop and cabinet was the one Chris and I had, by powers of deduction, guessed it would be.

I still had to call the DS the next day though and ask all the questions my mom-brain had chased from my mind during the first call.

What follows for a pastor after they get THE call probably differs somewhat in each conference, but in ours (the Baltimore-Washington Conference) it soon leads to a meeting with your new Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) and your outgoing SPRC. Though I’ve never been part of an arranged marriage (though one always wonders if Andy Thornton was up to something when he asked me to help interview candidates for the vacant Manidokan director’s position) I imagine it feels somewhat similar. I am not by nature a terribly nervous person. But my husband told me he’d rarely seen me as nervous as I was when meeting with the Arden UMC SPRC. I’m just glad it wasn’t recorded and I never have to watch it. It was, however, clear to both Chris and I that this was a God-thing, and that it would be a good fit for me professionally, and our family personally.

The months that followed consisted of tying up things at the congregation I was leaving (Calvary UMC) and preparing for my arrival at Arden – meeting with the outgoing pastor (who I’d entered the ministry with and knew fairly well), attending conference transition events, and thinking through how I wanted to start.

The “natural” flow of the transition was horribly interrupted by my brother’s suicide, but it seemed important to me to move forward, to do, as I told people, what he was unable to do in that last tragic moment. So the day after his funeral (also the day before I would officially begin as the pastor at Arden) I moved into my new office.

There are many tasks which I have attended to since beginning at Arden, much prayer and discernment, and a lot of hustling and trying to get up to speed. But also a lot of enjoying my off time with the girls and Chris—and while we love the summer camp season, I must admit I’m looking forward to even more family time as camp winds down.

One of the very first things, though, which started rolling around in my thoughts was the reflection I’d heard from many that Arden was a small church. Now, my previous congregation (where I served as associate pastor) was definitely one of the largest in the conference. Arden worships 130 on an average Sunday, in two (albeit currently a very small early one) services. I’ve also served a church that worshipped about 70—and knew even then that many churches were smaller.

So, I started suggesting to people at Arden that really, we weren’t actually a small church (small is always relative in such a sense). I said we were larger than “most” UM churches, at least in our conference. I was aware, though, that I was just guessing—so I got in touch with the conference office to try to figure out the numbers. You know, I thought it would be nice to actually know what I was talking about. :-) Jo Chesson was able to pull average worship attendance* numbers for me and you know what I found? 

Arden is larger than AT LEAST 68% of the churches in this conference. Really. I know. Even I was surprised. Check out the chart below. As you see, the group we are in includes 100-150. So a number of the churches we are counted WITH are actually SMALLER than Arden UMC.

And on top of that? We are growing. And growing. We are growing in people of all ages, but we are growing specifically in the most sought-after church demographic: families with young children.

In the coming months and year we will continue to be in dialogue about where we have been, what God has been up to here, and where God is calling us. We will be celebrating the vibrant ministry happening here, and seeking to build upon our rich foundation. I am so very excited to get to be part of this journey with the Arden UMC congregation.

I wanted to share with you some questions that are rolling around in my mind and prayers so that you can also reflect and pray upon these. There will be opportunities for dialogue on these (formal or not, if they’re topics God wants us to reflect on, I am sure they will rise up before us). If you already have thoughts on these, please pop into the office, give me a call, or catch me on a Sunday. If you haven’t thought on these before, perhaps take some time at least each week to do so. And most of all, as you lift up your congregation and pastor in prayer, please lift up each of these that we might all receive God’s vision and discernment.

1. What is God’s vision for Arden for 2020?
2.  How large will our worshiping community be in 2016? 2018? 2020?
3. What are the biggest gifts of the congregation which any growth and health will be built upon?
4. What challenges or growing edges will we need to be honest about and prepared for?
5.  Where do the greatest gifts and passions of the congregation meet/intersect with the greatest needs of our community?
6.  Given the legacy of and deep commitment of Arden UMC to strengthening families, what new opportunities can we take advantage of to do this and also reach more people for Jesus?

These are just some of the major questions. Of course there are a host of related practical ones (As we grow, how will we keep apace with parking…congregational care…worship services, etc.?)

It is so very exciting to be part of this key time in the life of Arden UMC. I invite you to continue in prayer for our shared ministry, and to join me as we are about God’s kingdom-building, life-giving, love-overflowing work.

Grace and Peace.

Sarah Schlieckert

*Average worship attendance is generally now believed to be the best metric for the size and health of a congregation because the other statistic that could be used (membership) often reflects administrative issues (like inactive names being left on the rolls after someone is gone), cultural trends (more people who may be active but have a hesitation to "join" any group, and changing attendance patterns (many people considered themselves active at a church when they attend half the time -- this is the new norm in the US).