Dare to Dream

Our second scripture reading this morning comes from the letter of 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verses 5 through 14. Would you can find on page 1448 and 49 in your Pew Bible to hear now the word of the Lord provides 2 Timothy. I am reminded of your authentic Faith which first live in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I'm sure that this faith is also inside you because of this I am reminding you to receive God's gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. God didn't give us a spirit. That is timid. The one that is powerful loving and self-control. So don't be ashamed of the testimony about the Lord or of me his prisoner. Instead share the suffering for the good news depending on God's power. God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn't based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and Grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus Before Time began. Now he's Grace is revealed through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear Focus through the good. I was appointed a messenger Apostle and teacher up this good news. This is also why I'm suffering the way I do, but I'm not ashamed. I know the one in whom I placed my trust. I'm convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what he has placed in my trust until that day. Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Protect this good thing that has been placed in your trust through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. This is the word of God for the people of God.

Will my message this morning will be quite a bit different from my Norm. I even have a manuscript today. Because I want to be very intentional with my words this morning. before I say anything else I want to address something first. Some of you may have heard that this will be my last year to serve as a pastor this church. And it will be but not until June 30th.

I want you to know that this is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make because I love this church.

I don't want to leave.

But given the current landscape of the global United Methodist Church. I cannot continue to serve as a pastor at least for now.

That's it. I have no interest in leaving the United Methodist Church and going to another denomination.

This is my church family. I was literally born on the bathroom floor of the United Methodist Church parsonage. I'm as cradle Methodist As It Gets.

Nevertheless the last couple of weeks have been something of a reality check for me. The week before last I attended the Leadership Institute. It's a conference organized and posted by Church of the Resurrection, which is the largest United Methodist Church in the United States led by Pastor Adam Hamilton with over 15000.

Normally this conference is open to all denominations. But this year in the wake of the specially called session of general conference in February. They decided to limit it to just United Methodist.

The goal was specifically to help United Methodist leaders navigate and Lead through the next step in the denomination.

They're about two thousand people in attendance. 64 of Homer or from our conference the Rio, Texas conference

And the 2000 present? Approximately 18 expressed a desire and a willingness to remain together despite the illogical differences regarding lgbtq inclusion.

during the conference we learned are some of the ways the church has worked through conference conflict and Division in the past specifically around issues of race and gender we heard about some of the proposals that will be presented at General Conference next year 2020. for United Methodist Bishops presented their vision for what the United Methodist Church will look like in the year 2032

There was a lot of information. a lot to process

bottom line in order to understand What is happening with global United Methodist Church? You need to know two things? One United Methodist Church as a whole in the United States has not experienced a single year of growth since it was formed in 1968. Not one single year growth.

But the United Methodist Church has grown exponentially in Africa.

So what this means in a lot of ways is that the balance of power is shifting?

Just be clear. I have no interest as morning and trying to change anyone's mind about human sexuality. I don't believe in tackling controversial topics from the pulpit. Because I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to voice their perspective not to me.

He that is in me. The fact is that two-thirds of United States delegates at General Conference. We're opposed to the traditional plan, which is what passed nearly 52 to 48%

in the wake of General Conference entire annual conferences have voted to reject the traditional plan. Not a lot the song. The Rio Texas conference is not one of them. It's important to know that the traditional plan does not just maintain the status quo is not just keep doing what we've been doing.

the traditional plan stop mandatory consequences For any United Methodist clergy member who performs the same sex wedding. for the first offense

They are automatically suspended for a year without pay. for second offense

They're automatically stripped of their ordination.

So just to put this in perspective, there are no mandatory consequences for anything else for any other chargeable offense. Not if the pastor was caught having an affair.

or Leslie money

or engaging in human trafficking no mandatory come consequences for anything else to be sure. There are consequences. But it is up to the judicial Council to determine what they are.

So they probably won't come as much of a surprise, but I do want to go on record and stay that nothing fundamentally opposed to the traditional plan. But not for the obvious reasons. Or rather not just for the obvious reason. I have no problem with people who disagree with me. But I do have a problem with punishing people with whom you disagree.

More than that I am fundamentally opposed to the traditional plan because I see it as an attempt to legislate the Holy Spirit. Holy spirit will not be controlled or contained. God will not be put into a box. I was in favor of the one church plan because it allowed annual conferences Bishops local churches individual clergy to discern for themselves with the Holy Spirit calls them to do. in Luke chapter 12 verse 10 It says that whoever speaks a word against Jesus Christ will be forgetting. But whoever insults the Holy Spirit won't be forgiven.

There's a lot of different ways to read this verse.

But the way I understand it is it's an insult to the Holy Spirit when we were fused to give the Holy Spirit Room to work.

Or when we refuse to allow others. The same freedom to decide for themselves with the Holy Spirit is calling them to do.

So the other reality facing us. Is that despite largely successful efforts to elect Progressive and Centrist delegate people who want to remain at the table together?

They're still not enough votes to be able to overturn the traditional plant.

So what this mean for us? is that the future of the United Methodist Church is unclear

but what is clear is that in the months since more more individuals churches conferences have decided that they can no longer just be silent.

They can no longer just sit on the fence and hope to write it out.

For better for worse the traditional plan for vote people to respond. to resist I'm not saying that's what we need to do, but it is out there. It is happening. My Hope Is that there won't be a schism But they're very well maybe. And y'all need to know that? Because sooner or later it will impact this church.

So back in February within days of the traditional plan passing. I have multiple people who will remain nameless but multiple people who approached me because they didn't feel they could remain in the United Methodist Church. Fortunately, I was able to persuade them to give me some time.

And I share this information with you with their permission.

Because it's a testament to the reality that this church will not remain unaffected. In fact, this church is not unaffected even now.

choosing to avoid the conversation to do nothing won't insulate us from change.

I left the Institute last week week before last. Feeling convicted that I have not done us any favor by avoiding the conversation. I also haven't necessarily done us any favors by taking of a baby step approach to change.

I was too afraid. Do you uncertain too insecure to actually lead?

I have made some steps. And we have lost some people in our church be at least in part to those missteps. But I can't go back and undo them. All I can do is learn from them do better.

the idea leading terrifies me

What if I do something else that results in more people leaving?

but someone at the Institute said more often than not we overestimate the cost of changing. And underestimate the cost of not changing.

That stuff with me that resonated.

There's a third reality facing us and that's a financial reality. So I chose to attend the optional pre Institute sessions which was an extra full day of learning specifically because one of the session that they offered was on reaching Next Level generosity in uncertain times.

I had a feeling it might be relevant.

For the first part of the the the presentation was on charitable giving Trends in the United States. What's interesting? So the good news is that charitable giving as a whole has remained very constant steady. The bad news is that since 1960 or in 1960 religion of the whole receive 60% of the charitable giving And that number has been steadily dropping until last year. when religion received 29% the charitable giving

alongside this there has been an explosion of nonprofits who are competing for the same Turtle dollars. I don't want to let you know penalize nonprofits for doing what they do. But it also has the effect of forcing us to do better.

We are now in competition for these dollars. We have to convince people that if you give to us we will use your money well, and there will be transformation.

Stop and doing such a great job of that.

Certainly, not me. but I don't want to dwell on this but the bottom line is this. If we do nothing. We can expect to receive 20% less funding within 3 and 1/2 years.

So for Church of our size with budgets about a hundred thousand and $20,000.

And I don't tell you this to guilt you into somehow giving more. I truly believe that each of you is already giving what you can I believe that.

I'm telling you because you need to know.

And for the last couple years every summer we've had to dip into savings to make ends meet.

because in the summer our attendance drops and it's and it's a struggle.

I know that so far. I'm hanging a very Bleak picture. Stay With Me I promise there is a light at the end of this very dark tunnel. We're almost there.

This is hard to hear. It's hard to say.

but you have a decision to make and I want you to know what the stakes are before you decide. So if we is a church decided to just keep going as we have been. And not make any changes. My best estimate mine, right? Is that we have about 5 to 10 years before the conference would decide to close the church?

And that's assuming there's not some kind of schism.

For the record, I think Saint Stephen's food pantry would be just fine. I'm not worried about that side of things. We we have is a partnership with multiple churches it'll survive.

So obviously I'm not an expert about this what could be wrong I could but I have read a lot of books and a lot of Articles and listen to a lot of podcast by people who are experts.

It's all of that being said. This does not have to be our story.

it doesn't now if you choose the path of of just staying as we are staying the course, that's fine. I will respect that I get it. You were tired. Most of you. Some of you were just plain tired.

I would focus then that died in the next nine months just to focusing on on being your pastor.

I'm walking with you and loving on you to the best of my ability. That is a valid option. but what would happen if we dare to dream?

if we dare to imagine

if we dare to ask yourself the question, what will our church look like in 2025?

Maybe your first thought is but we're old. We don't even know if we'll still be here in 5 years.

true, but my response to that God called Abraham to leave his home and everything. He knew when he was how old.

It's never too late. God will call us wherever we are from Abram at the age of 75 to Samuel with what the age of 12. As a gas.

My response to give you this reminder.

Jet Li it's not about you.

It's not about us.

It's about responding to God's invitation. To work toward making the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth a reality. It's pretty exciting stuff if you ask me.

As far as I got in writing.

But what would happen if we dared to imagine? obviously I can't come up with this Vision. I'm here for 9 more months. I promise you if you guys come up with a vision if you know where you want to go. If you get a direction, I will give everything I have. Toward helping you guys make that every hour.

I want

now I can tell you that the church that I would like to be a part of an 2025. I can tell you what that looks like. I'd like to be part of a church. That practice is what we preach in the OpenTable.

That all who desire to come to the table of Christ are welcome.

I would like to be part of a church that when you walk in the door judgment is suspended.

Because we trust in our small groups to do the work of holding each other accountable.

To be part of a church that that recognizes that the past is in the past. And it does no good to shame anyone. Because in this day and age people are shaming themselves more than enough.

I'd love to be part of a church.

as a refuge

That for every person who comes into the doors to the sanctuary of the fellowship hall wherever it is that we're meeting. I'd love to be a church that gets to look at them. and to say you are seen.

You are known you are loved. And you are safe.

That is something that I would work tirelessly towards.

But we are only as limited by our imagination.

if we have faith the size of a mustard seed

God can use it in a compost ratings.

To my invitation to you this week. and I'll try to understand an email or something with these questions. There's three basic questions that we have to answer right the first is why do we exist?

Why do we exist?

We can't answer that question. It's hard to really feel convicted that what we do matters. The other question is if what would we say if someone asks us? Why should I come to your church? Now this question has some some caveats. There are three things you cannot respond with because they are so calming. You can't say you should come to our church because we are friendly and welcoming. every church that.

You also can't say we're we're about making disciples. Of course. That's what shirts does right. And about making a community impact. We got to go beyond that.

Wonder stand r r o

And then that question what will our church look like? in 2025

So I hope that you will take some time. to reflect on that truly

I hope that this week you will. But yourself dare to dream.

today's world communion Sunday So what a beautiful reminder. all around the world

every nation culture There are Christians Gathering.

to have Holy Communion

and when we have Holy Communion We are approaching Christ table.

not our table

so now is we Begin to prepare ourselves to receive communion.

I invite you to join together. in the hymn of fayth what you can find on page 431 Let There Be Peace On Earth