Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Bring on the routine. 

In 12 days, the kids begin school for the fall, and our family settles into a regular schedule. Homework, dinner, a little TV. Piano practice, art lessons and for the first time, maybe karate.

I say maybe, because the nearest karate class in our small town is offered on Wednesdays – the same day as our Saints Alive dinner and formation programs. If we don’t sign up for this class, it means a drive of 25 minutes to the next town.

Scheduling our lives around our priorities isn’t easy. Even for me, a priest’s spouse and a church employee, sometimes I consider convenience over obligation.

I think this is one of the great challenges facing our churches: How do we get people back into the routine? How do we compete with soccer practices and drama club – and karate lessons?

Part of it requires a willingness to put God first. Why should learning how to tackle or launch a crisp spiral throw take precedent over an evening of fellowship and Scripture? We know in our hearts that it shouldn’t, but it’s easy even for those of us committed to the church to relegate Bible study or weekday worship to last on the list. After all, God will understand. Right?

I think it becomes our responsibility to model priorities – to keep sacred our Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights – or whatever time your congregation gathers. This may require sacrifice and inconvenience but it’s a witness to our community that faith matters.

At the same time, I’m cognizant that not everyone can or will make the same decisions. And that’s where we also need to be flexible and creative. A church in my diocese will offer WEBible classes this fall, an online Bible study. They’re using WebEx, which allows for video, audio and shared documents or screens, so the class will be interactive while giving people the option to participate at home, on the road or at the church building. Our diaconal program, now shared between three dioceses, will also use the system. Their weekly formation gatherings will be virtual, with in-person meetings throughout the year.

How is your congregation managing the balance of routine and flexibility? In what ways are you modeling priorities -- and how are you developing programs that accommodate the frenzy of fall schedules? Share your creative solutions here.

I’ll read them after checking on the kids’ progress waxing the mini-van. If they can’t take karate lessons, pointers from The Karate Kid will have to do. Wax on. Wax off.