Visit my blog at WordPress.com

I've decided to keep my blog at WordPress.com. I'll keep this blog active for awhile until people get used to going to my new one. It's so much easier to use, and I like the slicker look.

Today's post: Playing with PowerPoint.

Trying a new blog site

Assuming I can get away with this, I'm trying a new blog site which I read about in USA Today this morning: WordPress.com.

If you'd like to check my new blog, which I hope to maintain more regularly, go here: http://nocopom.wordpress.com.

Annual meeting on Sunday

We all convene our annual meeting this Sunday to adopt the 2008 Annual Report, a budget for 2009, and leadership for the new year. Here are excerpts from my submission for the annual report.
* * * * *
Follow Me. Two words.

That's Jesus' call to us. He doesn't say, "Come join my small group and we'll do a Bible study." Nope. His call is simple and clear. Follow Me...

We learn to love and serve God best in the context of corporate worship gatherings.We convene to encourage each other in enthusiastic, God-focused praise and worship.

Then we need to love and serve fellow believers. That occurs best in the context of small groups. it is where we are known, where we can truly know others and serve their deepest needs. We can't learn those needs in a worship gathering. It's in someone's livng room or kitchen where we learn to put what we know about God and ourselves into action, with help from people who know us and still love us.

But focusing on God and each other does not make us complete disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus doesn't save us so we can sit around patting each other on the back, congratulating ourselves that we're on our way to heaven. That may be true, but Jesus expects us to pay attention and help the others we find along the road to eternity.

So in any given week, we should be actively prsuing three things: loving and serving God, loveing and serving fellow believers, and loving and serving our fallen world.

Do these three things appear on your calendar every week?

Inauguration Day

Ran a few errands at lunchtime and it seems most people are listening to or watching the inaugural "love fest." The historical significance of the first non-white president (Obama is not truly African American) cannot be ignored, and on one level, this is a huge advance for this country.

But I confess I am very disappointed in Obama already. We have people who are struggling to pay their mortgages and heating bills, manage sky-rocketing health-care costs and taxes, and Obama & Co. (the Democrats) are throwing the most expensive coronation, er inauguration ever!

If Obama has said, "Let's just do what is Constitutionally required to effect the transfer of power, and then get down to business. [Okay, maybe one party (I suppose the Democrats do have a reason to celebrate)]; that would have been a HUGE statement in light of our deteriorating economy.

Assorted thoughts for mid-January 2009

I don't know whether I want to listen to Obama's inaugural speech tomorrow. There won't be anything he will say to change my opinion--I did not vote for him--and I will probably only feel worse hearing all he wants to do to our country.
* * * * *
Spent the last two weeks preparing our church's annual report. We went electronic this year, mainly to cut costs, but since all but five members have email, we created PDF files of everything and emailed them. Now we need to figure out how to post documents for download from our website.
* * * * *
We purchased the license to show the movie Fireproof throughout 2009 (our CVLI license does not cover it). Our small group is going to plan three showings in March, which we will open to the community "on behalf of the church in Littleton" so it's not an "our church" thing. I hope we can kick off two or three small groups from the movie, using the follow-up discussion material.
* * * * *
Last summer I read Bill Hybels' book Axiom. One of his axioms is "Six by Six." Every six weeks, he selects six objectives/goals/projects he works on for that period. Bill works long days, much longer than I do or can, but I've been thinking that it may be a good idea to implement something like it this year for me. Maybe "Four by Six." I already have one thing completed two weeks into January (annual report). Number two: performance evaluations...(oh goody!)

Happy Winter!

We greeted yesterday's official onset of winter with another foot of white stuff...added to the 8 inches already on the ground from Friday's storm. And we expect another 3-6 Wednesday!

When I arrived at work this morning, the facility maintenance guy was toiling with a shovel to move the stuff. I asked him why he wasn't using the snow blower (like I intend to later) and he said the rip cord frayed and broke, and the electronic start wouldn't kick the machine over. Bummer.

Besides the snow blower, I get to trudge through the drifts and try to remove some of the snow buildup from the porch roof with a roof rake (interesting name: 'cuz you literally pull snow off the roof with it).

And it's flurrying right now. Ah, North Country weather in winter! So much for global warming!

It'll definitely be a white Christmas this year.

Thoughts on quitting (teaching SS class, that is)

I've been debating this thought for a while now: I think I need to end my tenure as Junior High Sunday School teacher after this year ends. Not that I really want to, mind you. But I find I can't give the task the time and energy I want to, and there's really nothing else to give up.

Part of this dilemma arises from my role at the church, and my necessary involvement in overseeing ministries and coaching leaders. I teach a Bible study at the local senior living facility (I consider that outreach since I can plainly present the Gospel every time I'm there). I coach and serve on the Connection ministry team (our monthly mid-week worship gathering), occasionally speaking as well. Then there's our newly started small group, which includes two couples who have a lot of questions (they're fairly young in the faith).

Eventually, my coaching role on the Connection team will no longer be needed (I hope), and I hope to involve more people with the Bible study. The center would love a weekly study, but it's during the morning (when most of the 70-, 80-, and 90-year old residents can best function), and that's when most other people work.

All this on to my of my regular duties developing the small group ministry, aligning church ministries to our church vision, handling the administrative needs of the church, etc. I successfully transitioned the weekly slideshow preparation, as well running the slides during services. And I stepped away from regularly playing in the worship ensemble a year ago.

So I have had more time for planning and research and more planning, etc. But I find the Sunday School class has become a late-Friday after thought. "Oops, I still have to put together Sunday's lesson plan!" And I certainly don't have the band-width to keep in touch with the kids and build relationships outside of Sunday morning (I wish I could).

Besides, I'm not the only one who can do this: with over 200 adults in the church population, there has to be someone who can and wants to work with these kids. But as long as I'm in place, these individuals will never step up to say they'd like a shot at the class. Last year, the senior high class teacher stepped down, and we actually thought we wouldn't have a class. But someone stepped up, and with a novel idea for the class structure, she has a regular attendance that we haven't seen in years.

So maybe it's time for the junior high class to be removed from my plate, so someone else can take up the opportunity.