The Journal
The April 2005 Newsletter of the Community Protestant Church of West Yellowstone
The Third Generation
The Session would like to share a great JOY! The Three-G building drive is halfway through, with giving on target! The generosity and faithfulness of our congregation is a true gift!!
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Steps in Transition
Greetings from Community Protestant Church in West Yellowstone.
No doubt you are saying, “Where have you been, Billy-boy, Billy boy?” or perhaps, “Did the gremlins run away with the church?” We have been right here behind the low snow banks this winter, looking up to God from a new vantage point. How do we do this? The big word is ADJUST.
First of all, to bring you up to speed, Reverends Tom and Tammy Letts, accompanied by Becca and Megan (Buddy, too) entered a new phase of their lives last January when Tom answered God’s call to become the senior pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Anchorage, Alaska. This was an exciting move for the family as expressed in jest by the local newspaper, “ A call to a higher latitude,” and indeed it was as we all feel that old pull of the glamour of Dan McGrew and Sam McGee to the high ground of the Yukon. Tom and Tammy now serve the Presbytery of the Yukon, and that is more than a romantic name. Anchorage is a big city by West Yellowstone standards with a population of 270,000, and Tom’s new church is the largest Presbyterian church in Alaska. Statistically speaking, a new challenge and new excitement are already in place.
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Meanwhile, back at the home place (Community Protestant Church), new challenges have emerged and new excitement takes place as we grapple with the problems and meet the mysteries before us. Saying goodbye and God-speed was truly difficult for us, of course. The Lettses had been an integral part of our daily lives for eleven years, and what an exciting eleven years they were! We were a small congregation meeting in our little brown church on Canyon Street who expressed a strong commitment to growth, particularly among kids, youth, and young families. Tom and Tammy knew just what we meant, how to implement these goals, and the evolutionary process of CPC was swift and sure. The sound of arteries hardening gave way to the sound of laughter, new music, innovative worship in all kinds of ways, greater chances for fellowship, new focus on camps and bible studies, Church-School, a stunning intern program, and a church focused on the opportunities to see God among us in new ways. Perhaps the all-encompassing word was “Excitement.” That old adage that churches were boring and redundant just didn’t apply anymore. Somebody said that it was like hopping onto a moving train. Session at one point adopted the mission statement, “Get Ready” and some translated that as “Hang onto your hats!”
CHANGES in the Wind
And now, adapting to major changes and how to do so is the challenge before us. Adapt we shall, but the process can seem a mystery at times. That’s our job here: to explain as best we can the process and where we are in it.
For starters, we have more teams in motion than the NFL: Worship, Care of the Body (that is not an organic concern, folks), C-E Team, Finance Team, Building and Grounds, Greenhouse, Personnel, Music, Child Care, just to name a few. Sometimes it feels like The Community Scrambling Church. How does this work?
Focus comes first. As we journey from one phase of our congregation’s life to another, we pray for the power of God’s presence each step of the way. We pray for the person whom God has prepared to be our new leader and for the process of discerning God’s call to our church. It’s a process that requires our patience and faith. It sometimes seems unduly long and complicated, but it works. We have labeled it “A Pastoral Call Process.” It is the understanding and acceptance of one’s purpose in God’s plan. It is the coming together of a ministry need and the gifts of a person or group to meet the need.
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“A pastor shall be elected by the vote of the congregations and the relationship between them shall be established by the presbytery” (Book of Order). During each stage of the pastor search process, the presbytery, through its Committee on Ministry (COM) works with the congregation to guide and support an effective process.
Stages in our transition are:
- 1. Planning our transition; (this is happening every day).
- 2. Engaging the congregation in a Mission Study. (This is underway).
- 3. Assessing our finances: (We have a capable Treasurer, Finance Officer, and Finance Team pursuing strategies and answers).
- 4. Electing a Pastor Nominating Committee , called the PNC. (We’ve already had a trial run at that one)
- 5. Writing and submitting the Church Information Form. (That is the step after the Mission Study Team completes its work) The CIF is the document, with the Mission Study, that interested applicants study to find out about us. If we say we are the richest church in the Rocky Mountains and have no snow, you can see how the match might not work out to be a good one.
- 6. Collecting and screening Personal Information Forms (called PIF). (These are submitted by candidates who want us to know about themselves). You may see what seems like a lot of jargon here, but the beauty of the system is that it works to bring together churches and pastors who are of like minds. It’s a match-making of the best kind. “I know what you are like, and you know what we are like.”
- 7. Interviewing potential pastors. (Now the fun begins).
- 8. Choosing a nominee (The excitement begins in earnest).
- 9. Making official decisions. (Was everyone being true to the process?).
- 10. Installing the pastor. (Whew! And Wow!).
- 11. Following up after Installation. (and the Honeymoon goes on).
Now, that doesn’t sound too tough, does it? Perhaps the lingo is the challenge. Try this: “We’ve got a Mission Study but now we need the CIF so the PNC can get to work and receive PIFs.” (CPC is A-OK!)
Seriously, each congregation has unique needs. This system allows us to assess those needs, to plan during transition, and to move forward while various pastors help us. Consider Reverend Mike Japenga who has joined us from Deer Lodge, Montana, serving both Big Sky and CPC as “Temporary Supply.” (A temporary supply may not be called to be a pastor of the church served as such unless six months have elapsed since the end of the temporary supply relationship).
Consider the role of an Interim Pastor, “a minister invited by the session…for the purpose of administering pastoral duties for a period not to exceed twelve months…[such a] pastor may not be called to be the next installed pastor…Such a relationship is being pursued by the session of CPC at present. An Interim can help churches deal with problems before a new pastor is called, and can help them prepare for a new minister.
And so, we move forward. This process is mainly a group effort among our congregation and session, the COM of Yellowstone Presbytery, and the prayers in the drama, and that means all of us. Yes, it demands patience, but it is designed for success. Whoever that man/woman or couple whom God has chosen to lead us is/are, we are yearning for that ministry to be bring us together for His glory. You can help with your prayers, your faith in the system, and your service to its cause.
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The Mission Study Team is hard at work and
the Interim pastor search is underway.
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What a Holy Week we had!
Holy week happened with all its special impact on our 2000-year old lives. many of the children in our congregation ushered in the occasion on Palm Sunday (hardly a tropical one), waving green fringed fronds to remind us of the entry into Jerusalem, even as Marlene Strissel & Kenny Shaw's handsome wall hanging announced.... "He set His face to go to Jerusalem...." (Luke 9:51)
Maundy Thursday played a duel role with the Jewis Passover as our Seder Dinner hosted seventy people to a glorified 'Pot Luck' with kosher dishes. Pam Sveinson guided the event where many helpers stepped up for chores. This was the first Seder of eleven to take place in the spacious north wing!
Good Friday Service, a somber one of solemn music and scripture, glowed briefly with candlelight...
Easter retained its magical wonder with surprise balloons, floating like pastel clouds over a bevy of Easter lilies! Special music, led by Michele Smith brought new songs and old favorites. Rev. Mike Japenga's moving message was based on Luke 23:13-32.
The soggy world outside made the JOY inside CPC even more holy!
Tell a Friend about CPC West Yellowstone!