I heard an interesting comment yesterday about multiple congregations within one church. Specifically, the reference was to churches like Church in the Hills who have a distinctly different congregation in the summer as compared to the winter.
Don't misinterpret my words - many of the people from winter are here in the summer. However, the snowbirds who go south for the winter and return in the summer are added to the congregation every spring/summer. As I observed this past year, the congregation nearly doubles in size with summer friends, visitors, and people who only live in the area during the warmer months.
This creates, as my friend articulated, multiple congregations. There is a year-round congregation, a summer contingent, and the ever present visitors who flock to all Northern Michigan has to offer (people who are here skiing for a week, boating, fishing, whatever for the summer, etc.)
The concern about this revolves around our connections with one another in the church. How can we maximize our ministry potential in light of a dynamic, changing congregation? What activities, conversations, and ideas help us feel connected in spite of "seasonal difficulties?"
3 comments:
Andrew:
I really like your web presence. Nice touch.
Here is a reflection and suggestion on your question of 'congregation'. What if you are lucky enough to live in Bellaire year-round, but are unlucky enough to stay apart from the congregation for a long period of time (i.e. illness). This would have the unintentional consequences of pushing you into another descriptive category (i.e. 'snowbird').
A suggestion to root and ground these 'congregations' (contigents?) would be to provide everyone a chance to simultaneously be rooted and grounded in the Word. I have heard of your world-class Bible studies - why not publish the schedule (the web presence would be ideal, but physically mailing things would be fine), so people could participate wherever they are, regardless of their location?
After all, isn't the church "a community of people known by its convictions and recognized by its actions"? (Not my words, but G-2.0100b.)
Keep up the great work - always a pleasure to see how the Spirit moves in the Great State of Michigan.
With every good wish,
Raymond (UM '92 LSA)
Excellent suggestion about putting together the materials from classes to be offered on-line (or physical) for folks who don't have the opportunity to attend in person.
I still struggle with these designations and distinctions within our congregation. I celebrate the diversity in the Body of Christ, though I have the same hesitations wtih splitting the church into stereotypes and categories.
We'll keep working on this.
Come out to visit Michigan!
Pastor Andrew Pomerville
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