October 13, 2022

Hello everyone

It rained last night for the first time in a long time and with the rain, the beautiful leaves came falling down.  As we woke up this morning, so many of us walked on a carpet of colour – beautiful leaves softening our footsteps, touching our senses and inviting our awe.  It was a magnificent site.  Forget for a moment that many will be busy raking up those leaves in the weeks and months ahead – just stay in the moment to appreciate the beauty.

 It has been said that leaves falling is the tree’s way of teaching us that at times we need to let go.  The trees whisper to us that it is okay to let go.

 Is there something you need to let go of today?  Listen to the trees and the voice of the Creator that gives you courage.

 Last night the session met with Cathy Stewart from Creedence and Company, a church consulting firm, to hear a report crafted from a series of interviews Cathy had with people within the church leadership, together with recommendations for the session to consider.  It was a long report with lengthy recommendations.  The session will meet again on October 24 to further consider the report and a congregational meeting will be held on October 30 to hear a review of the report as well.  As the trees teach us, there are things we will need to let go of as we move forward as a church in a post pandemic world.  But, there is also a strong history, a strong identity as a church that we will need to hold on to.  A tree lets go of its leaves but the tree remains, dormant for a few months but then ready to spring into new growth again as the seasons change.  What to hold on to and what to let go of is the task that lies before the session.

 Here are some of the things we cannot let go of

1. A church that is always concerned about the needs of people in the downtown area – this rich and strong history of St. Andrew’s will continue

2. A church that reaches out to care for each other – at times this is hard, especially when people disagree. But St. Andrew’s has a strong history of continually inviting people in relationships of care and that will never change

3. A church that reaches out to all ages – children, youth, adults and older adults – providing opportunities for engagement and growth in faith

4. A church with a central focus on worship, together with a vibrant music ministry – indeed in worship we encounter God, and then go out to engage Jesus in the streets of our community

5. A church that utilises a hybrid approach – not everything is in person – our television and internet ministry is equally important. St. Andrew’s has had this hybrid ministry for over 50 years through CKCO now CTV. The internet is an extension of that ministry

These five essential marks of St. Andrew’s were affirmed by the congregation and the session during work done from 2018 to the present.  They make up the content of the vision statement approved by the session in November of 2021

 What are some things we may have to let go of

1. A committee structure that can be cumbersome in the new staffing model (one lead minister and a variety of trained coordinators for different aspects of ministry). we will still need some committees, but may move towards teams instead of committees – teams work collaboratively with the staff in ministry in relationships of support that free people to engage more fully in ministry

2. A large session – presently at 49 members – in its place a much smaller session (eventually maybe as small as a dozen) and adopting term eldership with one third of the session retiring every two years to ensure fresh ideas and opportunities for the rest. If this change occurs it is crucial to follow the guidelines of the Presbyterian Book of Forms – why? – because we are Presbyterian and because there is a lot of collective wisdom in those pages

3. And there are some harder things that we may be called to let go of

   1. The idea that St. Andrew’s is the largest presbyterian church in Canada – its not and has not been for some time – sometimes its hard to let go of that but it is necessary

   2. The idea that we can always avoid conflict. This is hard because no one likes conflict. But we may be called to recognize that conflict can be a positive force. It enables us to move in directions we never thought possible and includes voices that are sometimes silenced. Good conflict resolution practices may need to be adopted.

   3. Unresolved pain – letting go of pain is hard. We need to provide opportunities for people to let go – prayerfully and in great love and care.

   4. We must let go of the idea that only a few people ‘run the church’. This is not true. The session is the group responsible for the direction of the church. And the session makes those decisions about vision after consultation with the congregation. Once the vision is realized, the session does all that it can to ensure that the congregation follows through on that vision.

 As we head closer to 2023 and beyond, the possibilities for St. Andrew’s are still immense.  This is a great congregation with a great mission and with great leadership.  We are and can continue to make a difference in our community and in our world with the inclusive and boundless love of Christ being shared and proclaimed.  I am excited about what lies ahead.  God is not finished with us yet.   God continues to work in us and through us and for that I give great thanks

 Take good care

 Marty