Energy from an Abundant God

This past week, I celebrated what will most likely be my last installation as pastor in a congregation. I plan

to retire by the time I’m 70 and so this will be my last call. That being said, we had a blast!! Last year, I thought I was going to retire early. Yet, God, (who always has something up his sleeve) led me to an exciting, engaged congregation that has been incredibly welcoming and encouraging.

I have been energized by them and by this new relationship that God knew I needed. There are some things that are similar in this congregation to others that I have served. They do worry about being smaller in size than they were in the past. They do worry about whether they will make budget each year. They do worry about whether they are relevant in the community.

And, like so many small member churches, they don’t let the worries rule who they are. They continue to do what they love doing. Meaning, the activities, outreach, fellowship, Bible Study, worship, music, coffee hour, that they love and are very good at – they continue to do with all of the energy and enthusiasm that they always have (from what I hear).

Just because things have changed and they worry about some aspects of being a small member church, they do not let that slow them down. They are always on the move. They like doing something, they do it. They feel called to a particular mission, they engage. They want to worship God in a different way, they do so.

They are a church that celebrates abundance (even though they never thought to call it that – they were just doing what they were excited to do).

Do they have all the answers and do they avoid all the struggles life has to offer? No. Am I implying that they have no challenges or that they are carefree. No. I’m simply saying that it is energizing to see a group of people who love the Lord and who, in practice, do not let the speed bumps of life dictate how they will serve the Lord.

Many of the churches I have served have had this kind of energy at different times. Yet, often we are distracted by what we are not. That happens too often in my own life and I have to remind myself to focus on what I do have and what I am grateful for.

That is one of the things we will focus on intentionally at our conference in September. Acknowledge what we don’t have and then move on! Get over it! We’ll name the abundance that God has given us as individuals and as communities of faith. We will focus on what we DO have and what we love to do and who we love to be.

As the Great Plains Small Church Connections Conference and Retreat, we have gone through

many changes in our planning team and in the groups of people who attend our retreats/conferences through the years. But there is one thing that has never changed: We embrace this ministry as important and meaningful for us and for our community of faith -- which includes everyone who attends and serves these gatherings.

We feel that the call to small membership churches needs to be supported by “away times” like these: times of renewal and refreshment, sharing of gifts and ideas, prayers and worship, to sustain each of us in our lives and in our ministries. This encourages us and helps us to focus on what God is indeed doing in our midst and the gifts God has given to us and our communities to do the work and care that God has called us to.

Whether we are energized in a new call, or energized at a conference/retreat to see the new thing God is doing right where we are, both help us to focus on the abundance of God and let go of things that distract us from that abundance.

Grace and peace

Rev. Kim Nofel