A Letter from Pastor Mark- Mark

Dear Friends,

Recently, Doug Shinkle conducted an usher training session.  He asked me to come and teach some principles around the concept of Radical Hospitality.  One of the key components of Radical Hospitality is that we are so open to the newcomer and guest that we are always willing to adapt and change our behaviors and practices to accommodate the needs of the newcomer and guest.

 

I find it striking and rather compelling that a part of Radical Hospitality occurs when those who are part of a church are willing to change and adapt their practices and behaviors to accommodate those who are new to the church.  As I contemplate the meaning of that for me, I have to wonder which practices and behaviors I have been willing to change or even give up in order to be more fully receptive to and accepting of the guests that come into our midst.  I am glad for that opportunity to take an inward look and assess what more I can do personally to make our church the most welcoming place it can be.

By the time you receive this newsletter, we will be right on the cusp of the season of Lent.  As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s victory in his death and resurrection, it might be worthwhile to think about how we can become more open to the guest in our midst.  I believe that over the past several years we have made many steps toward becoming a guest friendly church; however, we should never assume we have arrived.  We can always find ways to make what we do just a little bit better so that no one will feel left out or excluded.

Easter Sunday is one of the Sundays when we have more guests than on any other weekend of the year.  We need to be sensitive to guests every weekend, but we must be particularly  sensitive on Easter Sunday.  Recently, we have discovered a way to be more inclusive and    receptive to guests and newcomers and many who are already a part of the congregation.  Over the past few decades the issue of allergies has become critical in many people’s lives.  For some people these allergies are so severe that it adversely impacts the health of the individual through respiratory problems even including asthma. 

Over the past several years I have had a significant number of people within and outside the church share with me that they cannot attend worship on Easter Sunday because of the over abundance of fresh flowers that are present and the allergens that go along with that.  In order to be more inclusive and sensitive to guests with special needs, we are not going to have live flowers in the worship center on Easter Sunday.  We are going to have a beautifully decorated worship space that will be visually compelling and stunning.  There will be color and brightness in the arrangement that we have during our Easter celebrations.  With the absence of the live flowers, it will enable several people to worship on Easter who have been excluded for several years.  I think you will agree with me that it is more important to have people be able to worship on Easter Sunday than it is to have live flowers.

We will have the opportunity for each of you to purchase a picture of a flower for Easter just as we do during the Christmas season.  The cost of each flower picture will be $10, and you can buy it in memory and honor of loved ones.  The money that is raised through the flower pictures will be evenly split between the Pastor’s Benevolent Fund and the Pastor’s Ministry Fund.  Pastor’s Benevolent helps people who are in financial difficulty, and the Pastor’s Ministry Fund allows us to engage in outreach projects in our community.   Many of you have requested that we do this at Easter as well as Christmas.

Rest assured that the worship space during the Easter services will be beautiful, colorful, meaningful and compelling; but this year we will decorate the worship space in a way that more fully includes people who have special needs.

I want to thank you in advance for being understanding and supportive of this latest adaptation so that we can truly live out the calling to show Radical Hospitality to all people.

In Christ’s Abundant Love,

Pastor Mark