First United Methodist Church
"Houston, we have a problem"
In the past weeks people have been discussing an issue facing all of us. These dialogs got me to thinking about our situation at First United Methodist of SSP.
Some background:
In 1957 I began a 35 year career in the telecommunications field working in a host of sales, technical, and managerial positions. In retrospect one could say I spent three and a half decades solving problems in the areas of telecommunications systems design and application.
One common thread throughout this entire time was that the first thing you needed to accomplish was to define and document each problem as clearly and in as much detail as possible. In most cases this definition would evolve and be expanded as greater knowledge was gained in pursuit of the solution to the problem.
The second major need was to communicate this issue to as many people as possible (certainly all fellow “employees”) and enlist, encourage, and reward them for their input. All involved to any extent could share in the joy and gratitude of a problem well solved.
Carrying this premise forward I’ve decided to define First United Methodist Church of South St. Paul as an old an somewhat inefficient business. The following paragraphs are my ways to better understand the environment we're in as members. I certainly mean no disrespect to our heavenly Father or any other aspect of the Methodist religion and sincerely apologize if any others are disturbed or offended to any extent.
A Business Analogy
Our real business is running the church of Jesus Christ
This business has three active, real, and alive owners, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. (The Trilogy)
The physical plant of the church in So St Paul is a franchised arrangement leased from the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Conference is managed by a Bishop and an experienced staff of professional personnel. They, as we, are responsible to the “Owners” to have a frequent and close spiritual communication. The Conference will hire, train, and appoint Chief Executive Officers (Ministers) on a full or half time basis to the franchised businesses in the State of Minnesota on an annual or extended time basis. We recently decided to share a CEO with Faith United Methodist of West St Paul (Yoking) and we must be adaptive to potential changes in current comfortable schedules.
The rest of us as members are really line “employees” of the business. We can and are encouraged to love and maintain a prayerful full time commitment and communication with the “Owners” and love all fellow human beings everywhere. Some “employees” volunteer much time, physical and mental energy and serve on the Board of Directors (The Administrative Council) and hold other valuable positions within the local church.
The “Owners”, through direct and indirect contact had early in the business’ existence caused an “Employee Manual” (The Bible) to be written and published. It is divided into two major sections called the “Old and New Testaments” and contains 67 chapters, 39 in the former and 27 in the latter. It is the full history of the business from the first creation and in the final chapter portrays what is yet to come as the business continues until the day when the “Owners” will return to judge and reward the faithful “employees” and penalize the rest. (See the employee manual book called “Matthew” chapter 25 vs. 31-46)
One could go on and on about this subject for a lifetime, but, I know as you study the manual and pray about it’s content the “Owners” will make your understanding greater and more complete. You’ll find everything you really need to know about living your life in the words of these beloved pages. For example, the retirement benefits are free, eternal, and sound frankly, out of this world…..
I’m reminded of a line in the movie “Apollo 13” where Tom Hanks who plays the space vehicle commander, Jim Lovell, exclaims after a loud explosion, “Houston, we have a problem.” I feel our business in So St Paul could truthfully say, “My fellow employees, we have a problem.” Actually we have several but two come immediately to mind. They are as I see it:
1. We don’t have a sufficient number of current “employees” showing up for work.
The Franchise requires us to have approximately 90 or so “employees” come to “work” on each of the 52 days the business is officially open during the year. Actually it is open on a lot more days but the franchise management doesn’t necessarily measure that. We have approximately 145 or so “employees” on the current roster. Maybe 100-110 show up at the Easter and Christmas seasons. They are rarely seen in-between these times except maybe at weddings, funerals and baptisms. A business such as ours where it’s “employees” don’t come to work will eventually and certainly fail to complete the great commission. (See the employee manual book called “Matthew” chapter 28 vs. 19-20)
2. An insufficient number of “employees” presently contribute to the financial health and survival of the business.
The “employee” manual strongly suggests (or requires) in many chapters that each of us are to contribute 10% of our income (a gift to each employee from the “Owners”) back to their church to support the operation and its missions, the largest portion of which is now the CEO’s annual compensation. This tithe also applies to our time and various talents. The employee manual further explains we each have the same amount of time even though we may have been given different and varied levels of talent.
The manual also explains the gift of free choice which may contribute greatly to these two major problems.
We first need to find out exactly why some “employees” do not come to work regularly and also why they do not tithe their time, talents and treasure. Then and only then should we try to increase our employee base from among the many “unemployed” seniors or single parents living in So St Paul. We must show that we truly “walk the walk” before we try to “talk the talk” to others.
I ask all of you to help fully define and prioritize these and other problems at our business. If we fail to do so effectively and in a relatively short period of time our franchise managers may close the doors and send us elsewhere to continue our work at another branch office.
Where do you stand on these issues? Let us all pray (talk with the owners) that we find the solutions as soon as possible. I welcome your response. In the handbook of life, Philippians 4:13 says “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Some background:
In 1957 I began a 35 year career in the telecommunications field working in a host of sales, technical, and managerial positions. In retrospect one could say I spent three and a half decades solving problems in the areas of telecommunications systems design and application.
One common thread throughout this entire time was that the first thing you needed to accomplish was to define and document each problem as clearly and in as much detail as possible. In most cases this definition would evolve and be expanded as greater knowledge was gained in pursuit of the solution to the problem.
The second major need was to communicate this issue to as many people as possible (certainly all fellow “employees”) and enlist, encourage, and reward them for their input. All involved to any extent could share in the joy and gratitude of a problem well solved.
Carrying this premise forward I’ve decided to define First United Methodist Church of South St. Paul as an old an somewhat inefficient business. The following paragraphs are my ways to better understand the environment we're in as members. I certainly mean no disrespect to our heavenly Father or any other aspect of the Methodist religion and sincerely apologize if any others are disturbed or offended to any extent.
A Business Analogy
Our real business is running the church of Jesus Christ
This business has three active, real, and alive owners, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. (The Trilogy)
The physical plant of the church in So St Paul is a franchised arrangement leased from the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Conference is managed by a Bishop and an experienced staff of professional personnel. They, as we, are responsible to the “Owners” to have a frequent and close spiritual communication. The Conference will hire, train, and appoint Chief Executive Officers (Ministers) on a full or half time basis to the franchised businesses in the State of Minnesota on an annual or extended time basis. We recently decided to share a CEO with Faith United Methodist of West St Paul (Yoking) and we must be adaptive to potential changes in current comfortable schedules.
The rest of us as members are really line “employees” of the business. We can and are encouraged to love and maintain a prayerful full time commitment and communication with the “Owners” and love all fellow human beings everywhere. Some “employees” volunteer much time, physical and mental energy and serve on the Board of Directors (The Administrative Council) and hold other valuable positions within the local church.
The “Owners”, through direct and indirect contact had early in the business’ existence caused an “Employee Manual” (The Bible) to be written and published. It is divided into two major sections called the “Old and New Testaments” and contains 67 chapters, 39 in the former and 27 in the latter. It is the full history of the business from the first creation and in the final chapter portrays what is yet to come as the business continues until the day when the “Owners” will return to judge and reward the faithful “employees” and penalize the rest. (See the employee manual book called “Matthew” chapter 25 vs. 31-46)
One could go on and on about this subject for a lifetime, but, I know as you study the manual and pray about it’s content the “Owners” will make your understanding greater and more complete. You’ll find everything you really need to know about living your life in the words of these beloved pages. For example, the retirement benefits are free, eternal, and sound frankly, out of this world…..
I’m reminded of a line in the movie “Apollo 13” where Tom Hanks who plays the space vehicle commander, Jim Lovell, exclaims after a loud explosion, “Houston, we have a problem.” I feel our business in So St Paul could truthfully say, “My fellow employees, we have a problem.” Actually we have several but two come immediately to mind. They are as I see it:
1. We don’t have a sufficient number of current “employees” showing up for work.
The Franchise requires us to have approximately 90 or so “employees” come to “work” on each of the 52 days the business is officially open during the year. Actually it is open on a lot more days but the franchise management doesn’t necessarily measure that. We have approximately 145 or so “employees” on the current roster. Maybe 100-110 show up at the Easter and Christmas seasons. They are rarely seen in-between these times except maybe at weddings, funerals and baptisms. A business such as ours where it’s “employees” don’t come to work will eventually and certainly fail to complete the great commission. (See the employee manual book called “Matthew” chapter 28 vs. 19-20)
2. An insufficient number of “employees” presently contribute to the financial health and survival of the business.
The “employee” manual strongly suggests (or requires) in many chapters that each of us are to contribute 10% of our income (a gift to each employee from the “Owners”) back to their church to support the operation and its missions, the largest portion of which is now the CEO’s annual compensation. This tithe also applies to our time and various talents. The employee manual further explains we each have the same amount of time even though we may have been given different and varied levels of talent.
The manual also explains the gift of free choice which may contribute greatly to these two major problems.
We first need to find out exactly why some “employees” do not come to work regularly and also why they do not tithe their time, talents and treasure. Then and only then should we try to increase our employee base from among the many “unemployed” seniors or single parents living in So St Paul. We must show that we truly “walk the walk” before we try to “talk the talk” to others.
I ask all of you to help fully define and prioritize these and other problems at our business. If we fail to do so effectively and in a relatively short period of time our franchise managers may close the doors and send us elsewhere to continue our work at another branch office.
Where do you stand on these issues? Let us all pray (talk with the owners) that we find the solutions as soon as possible. I welcome your response. In the handbook of life, Philippians 4:13 says “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jodelle Ista on -
Jim,
Thanks for taking the time to put the "business test" to our church. You did it in a humorous way and yet a very practical way. I think you should send this epistle to the conference.
I sent it to my house and plan to share it with the Prayer Connection.
You are a blessing.
Jodelle
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Permalink Reply by Polly Brantner on -
One of my most memorable parts of our mission trip to Biloxi was Jim Parry's epistles & anecdotes. The mix of clarity and levity in his understandings and therefore his translations to others is absolutely fabulous! Yes, Jodelle, Jim Parry is a blessing! We are the lucky ones to have him in our midst.
Jim, thank you for your take on the situation at 1st UMC. It definitely puts a different perspective on our issues when thought about in a business-capacity, which truly it is.
Nobody likes to have to reinvent the wheel, though, sometimes just being round may not be enough!
Thank you for a new perspective!
Polly
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Permalink Reply by Russ Simmons on -
Bill,
Having served several D.O.T. engineers down in Florida, I enjoyed your model.
Engineers have a way of looking at problem-solution situations and bringing very concrete recommendations. Their recommendations always struck me as wise and sound.
I enjoyed discussing my Methodism with a DOT Engineer from Florida who shared a Southern Baptist perspective. We really couldn't find very much to disagree about, except that I missed the snow-fall and he didn't.
I agree that I am fully empolyed by the Lord as much as He enjoys sending me to wherever it is He wants me to be.
I am greatly honored to feel "sent" to this young and vibrant church in South St. Paul.
I feel the "presence of the Lord in this place."
My wife and daughter choose to come back and celebrate the love they witness here.
Every blueprint for success should be studied for its value.
In the words of a movie, "Kelly's Heroes" from WW2, "It's a beautiful bridge, and it's gonna' be there."
Blame the Army Corps for getting that one down in time, and PTL!
Russell
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Permalink Reply by Jodelle Ista on
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Russ, it is always wonderful to hearing little children expressing themselves in church. We have a group of young families coming to church and that is so exciting to see.
One young couple met another young couple while un-decorating the church. They enjoyed each other's company.
Everytime I see you and Darcy, my mind flashes to my granddaugher Sarah and great-granddaughter Lily in Boston. The good news is that I get to see her in June when she and her husband move to Cheyenne WY.
Hugs,
Jodelle
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Permalink Reply by Shannon Simmons on -
It's a MOTHER beautiful bridge...
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