Thursday, October 28, 2021

Fun-size!

In case you don't read the newsletter, here's my On Second Thought for November 2021...

Other than Easter and Christmas, Halloween has always been our family’s favorite holiday. It’s just so much fun! I think we probably have more Halloween decorations than any other holiday, with the exception of Christmas. Friendly ghosts, funny witches, pumpkin lights, and Pirate Pete adorn our front porch this time of year, welcoming Trick-or-Treaters to our house.

When the kids were little we would dress up in our own costumes and walk the neighborhood with them on Halloween night. Mamaw and Pap would come visit so someone was at home to hand out the candy. Now that the kids are too old for Trick-or-Treating we no longer dress up. But we do sit on our porch and welcome the children as we “ooh” and “aah” over their costumes and put candy into their already bulging bags of sweet treats.

When I was a child and went Trick-or-Treating, candy bars were regular, full-size bars. That’s all that was available back then, I guess. Sure, sometimes I got a popcorn ball or some candy corn. One lady in our neighborhood gave out small bunches of grapes in little Ziploc bags! Mostly, though, it was candy bars - full-size Snickers, Hershey bars, Almond Joys, Heath Bars, Mars Bars, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Ways, 3 Musketeers, or Baby Ruths.

Now, however, there are several different sizes of candy bars for Halloween (and I guess other times of the year, too). There are king-size, full-size, fun-size, and bite-size of just about every major brand. We always get variety bags of the fun size because, well, fun! The king-size ones are out of the question; who does that? The bite-size ones are too small; they just leave you wanting more and they make you look stingy or cheap. The full-size ones are too big; they take up too much room in the bag, have too much sugar and calories for little ones, they are expensive, they force you to commit to only one brand, they make the neighbors look bad, plus, while the kids might like them they make the parents wonder what kind of old kook you are!


Fun-size candy bars are just the right size. They have all of the flavor of the full-size bars without all the calories, carbs, and sugar. The chocolate to filling ratio is smaller, so they are healthier. You don’t have to commit to just one kind of bar. You can put four different ones in the bag and it’s the same as giving out a full-size but the kids get to sample a variety of treats. It’s a win-win!

A lot of you have told me you are worried about the size of our congregation. There aren’t as many people here as there used to be. We can’t do all the things we used to. The sanctuary just feels so empty. No one comes on Wednesday nights anymore. We need to grow or we are going to die. I have heard variations on these statements for the last 5 years and I think it’s time to change our mindset. I think instead of thinking of our congregation as “no longer full-size”, it’s time to start thinking of our congregation as fun-size!

A fun-size congregation has all of the flavor of a full-size one without all of the baggage. You know, a big staff, high administrative costs, anonymity of members, the so-called sacred cows, only one “right” way to do things, and so on. In a fun-size congregation everyone knows everyone and is invested in each other’s lives, the pastor to member ratio is smaller, and there can be more room for variety among its membership. A fun-size congregation can experiment, try new things, find what works, and let go of what doesn’t. A fun-size congregation can be healthier, it doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all, it can find more room for difference and diversity.

I once read this unique and interesting definition: Fun is the feeling of finding something new in something familiar. In a fun-size congregation everything is still familiar, but there is the possibility of finding something new as we find new ways to answer God’s call to be his witnesses. Even by just by making small variations to things we’ve always done we can experience them in new ways.

I would like to challenge you to find the fun in being a welcoming, faithful, and hopeful community, to find the new in the familiar. Let's think of new ways we can follow Jesus and serve him in the world just as we are right now. Let’s be who we are rather than who we think we are supposed to be.

The Christian Church in America isn’t the same as it was 50 years ago. We are not the same congregation we were 50, 25, or even 10 years ago. And that’s okay. After all, fifty years ago very few people gave out fun-size bars; now it’s the #1 choice for Halloween candy. There’s a reason for that. Come on – it’ll be fun!

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Covid is Still a Problem - Despite What We See in the Community

 Hey everyone - 

This is just information for those who may not be following recent trends. We have been following the Percent Positive Tests for Covid in our community. Monday was the highest number since December with 41.32% positive. Tuesday was 28%, a number not seen since February with the exception of Monday. September's 7-Day Rolling average was a plateau between 20-25%. We went below 20% at the end of September and have been sitting at another plateau between 15-18%. However, this week saw a sharp uptick and we are once again just under 20%.


All this to say - despite what we see in the community, with very few people masked indoors, groups choosing to gather together indoors, full football stadiums, and people going about their business as if Covid is no longer a thing, this is not the case. Don't let what you see create a false sense of security. Yes - we have a growing awareness that Covid will always be with us in some form and we have to live our lives. However, when the numbers are this high I believe we should be doing more to mitigate the spread of this disease. We should be taking as many precautions as we can right now. Once we get down below 10% - or even better - 5%, then will be the time to relax. That time is not now. Please take precautions. Wear a mask. Stay home if you can. Get vaccinated. Get the booster if you are eligible. Think of others at all times - even if they aren't thinking of you.

Grace and peace...

Tim