A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every day.
One day, when he came to, he motioned her to come nearer. He whispered, eyes full of tears, 'You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When our house burnt down, you were there. When my health started failing, you were by my side. You know what?'
'What dear?' she gently asked.
'I think you are bad luck,' he said.
When I think of some of the biggest moments of my life, my church friends were there as a part of each one of them. When I decided that I was meant to go into ministry rather than teaching, my church members supported me and cheered me on. When I had eye surgery and couldn’t see well enough to drive for months, folks from the church dropped off groceries and gave me rides. When I was sick as a dog and sweating it out at home, a church friend called to check up on me and then got me in touch with a doctor. It was a woman from my church who introduced me to my wife, and it was the whole church that celebrated when we married. Every baby we had, all four of them, were greeted by almost as much excitement from church members as from our relatives. When Lucy had a rough start as a two-pound premie, our church family surrounded us in prayers, babysat, and gave us the time and space to focus on what was really important. When I had the crazy idea to go back to school to pursue my doctorate, my church friends believed I could do it even when I sometimes doubted myself. Birthdays, baptisms, accolades, accidents, in grief, in celebration – at the biggest moments in my life, my church community has been there.
Now, unlike the man in my story, I don’t think those church folks were bad luck for me. They have been there to support and console me in bad times, often going above and beyond what should rightfully be expected of them. They have also been the first ones to call, email, or pull me aside and join in rejoicing when some of the really great moments have happened. My church community has always been like having another family.
In our disconnected world, where we more and more find ourselves separated from each other and living individual existences, being a part of a church family gives us a place where we are part of something bigger. Where we are not just another acquaintance or stranger, but are known. Where, when someone asks how you are doing, they actually do want to hear the truth, not just a polite “fine” so they can be on their way. Where children can grow up surrounded by real life role models who make a promise at each baptism to do everything they can to support each child as they live and grow in Christ.
To me, this is one of the most special things about being a part of a church. It is more than just coming to worship on Sunday for a fresh start for the week, a time where the family is all together, some restoration after a bruising week, a challenging message about what I need to be striving harder for in life, or just a time to create a little space and stillness to touch and feel holiness. Coming to church is a family gathering where I see people I care about and who care about me. Coming to church is like coming home.
This year, I want our congregation to think about the ways that we are meant to be family to each other. My hope is that we will create opportunities to discover how we can get to know each other better, which I know has been a real struggle for us in this 24/7 world. My dream is that in knowing each other better we would be able to care for one another better. And my prayer? My prayer is that we will come to celebrate the gift we have been given in finding a family full of brothers and sisters in Christ here at West Avon.
Peace,
Pastor Brian

As it is time to move on, even to an uncertain future, I want to let this congregation know that it has been an honor and privilege to work here. I’ve learned from three outstanding Pastors, taught with over 25 classroom and adult group leaders (each one of whom still hails me as a friend), created ten years of programming for three youth groups and watched the members mature into fine young adults, and had the benefit of counsel from some of the finest folks around. I leave with my faith expanded and intact; praise God, there is not much more I can ask for! So, for my friends here at WACC, good-bye and may God bless you and keep you until we meet again.

Bill Vibert

 

 

, Commissioned Minister of Youth and Christian Education

June is a time of transitions. School students go from calling themselves 5

 

th graders to 6th graders (or whatever their new

grade may be). Seniors bid adieu to their high school years as they prepare to make the tremendous next step into

independence. College students put down the books and look for a burst of work to boost the bank account before school

resumes. At church, Sunday school classes have wrapped up their individual work and been replaced by Children’s

Chapel, with all the young people together. Many of our adult activities slow down or take a break to allow folks to catch

their breath, travel, and enjoy some much deserved recreation.

This year, in addition to those routine transitions that come around every June, our church is seeing a much more

profound one. Bill Vibert has resigned from his position as Commissioned Minister of Youth and Christian Education

effective June 30

 

th. Because he has vacation time owed to him, his last working Sunday will be June 13th which is also

Confirmation Sunday for our 8

 

th graders. I hope you will take the opportunity before he leaves to let Bill know of your

appreciation for his many years of service here at WACC. He has certainly touched many lives during his ten years of

ministry among us.

 

On June 13th, we will have a reception following worship to say goodbye to Bill. Please join us for

this special occasion.

June will also include another important event in the life of our church. On

 

June 6th our congregation will gather for a

meeting after church where you as a member will be updated about the program and ministries of the church. You will

hear about future plans such as an upgrade to our sanctuary sound system, possible capital improvements, and an

exciting new concept on how to plan and carry out Christian Education efforts with greater congregational involvement.

You will also decide who will form the core leadership of our church as we transition to a new crop of church board

members for the upcoming year. Please come so that you can be fully informed about what the church is doing and also

so that your voice and vote can be heard as we make the decisions which guide our common life. Gathering as a church

and having the membership make these important decisions is an essential part of what makes our congregational style

of being church so special.

Peace,

Pastor Brian

Lately we have been studying a couple of things here at WACC. In worship during these weeks following Easter we have heard about the earliest days of the Christian church as it began its blossoming out into the wider world. In our Christian Education Search Committee we have been studying what qualities churches with successful youth and Sunday School programs possess. These two separate endeavors have highlighted at least one common feature: the importance of a large number of active volunteers.

In the early church, there were no professional staff people and no pool of clergy. Still, in those first years the churches formed ministries of caring for their members, gathered regularly to worship, gave toward common missions, and not only grew in size but created new churches where there were none before. Who accomplished that work? Sure, there were some luminary leaders, but by and large it happened because of the enthusiasm, energy, and involvement of thousands of men and women who gave freely of themselves.

As our CE Search Committee contacted churches to get a sense of what worked or didn’t work in a wide variety of programs, one of the absolute strongest responses they received was that, beyond any choices in curriculum, events, and staff leadership, the programs that bore the most fruit were the ones where many different people stepped forward to give of themselves as volunteers. They might be parents of children and teens in the programs or not. They serve on advisory councils, take turns coordinating the details of specific events, stand ready as substitute teachers, and many other tasks. Their interest and involvement directly translates into the vibrancy and quality of the Christian Education programs that these churches offer.

This year we have repeatedly come back to the powerful words of Teresa of Avila when she challenged us to see that "ours are the hands of Christ." These recent studies at church have reminded us that the church always has and always will rely on the gifts and talents of its membership to accomplish its full potential. That is especially true as we transition to the next chapter in our Christian Education ministry. It will not matter who next serves on our staff helping to guide this crucial ministry if we do not support them with a large and enthusiastic crew of volunteers willing to lend a hand to make something great happen. Put simply, without your direct involvement, our Christian Education programming will never realize its true possibilities.

It is not too early to begin thinking about how you can offer your services to help. But it is also important to note that it is not only in our transitioning Christian Education ministry where we will be needing help. At our June 6

th Congregational Meeting, we will be accepting a brand new slate of volunteers who will help to lead this church forward. We need you to consider being one of those volunteers. We need folks who are willing to look after our church building and grounds on

Trustees. We need helping hands on Outreach to guide us in learning more about the missions we support and inspire us to do more for them. We need Deacons who help us to have meaningful worship and look after the spiritual needs of the congregation. We need folks with energy and excitement to help us build fellowship for the church and to look after its

pastoral care needs through Membership and Community. We need folks who are good with managing money or encouraging others to share the money they have to join Finance or Stewardship. We need individuals to help oversee our staffing with Personnel. Of course, we also need many more helping hands to get actively involved with Christian Education. And that is just for our church boards. There are other committees, groups and ministries that would also

welcome fresh faces and helping hands including Pastoral Partners and the volunteers who put on weekly worship services at Avon Health Center. We have some fantastic volunteers who have helped us to get to where we are now, but we need many, many more if we are to move forward. If you would be willing to help as a volunteer with Christian Education programs, then I encourage you to reach out to Karen Mealey and let her know. If you are interested in finding out more about what would be involved in serving on one of our church boards then please contact our Assistant

Moderator Mike Vortherms so he can fill you in. Of course, you may also contact me and I will be happy to answer questions or pass on word so the right people hear of your interest. If you have held back, wondered if you could do it, or worried about what would be asked of you, maybe now is the time to find out more and see if you can be one part of helping something bigger happen.

Those Red Cross commercials that said the number one reason people didn’t give blood was because no one ever asked them always caught my ear. I wondered if that was really true. If it is true, not just for giving blood, but also for giving time and talent to be part of the lifeblood of a more vital church, then my response is the same as the one in the commercials, "Then please, consider yourself asked." We need you now.

Peace,

Pastor Brian