Where is God leading us?

What are you passionate about, and where does your energy lie?

These are questions we were asked to think about at the member meeting on Nov. 14. Approximately 30 members gathered after our worship service, either in person or via zoom, to review next year’s budget and participate in our first discernment activity.

The budget passed unanimously and then Leann Eberley, discernment committee chair person, lead us on a trip down memory lane. She reminded us of the many activities Grace has participated in in the past, and how lively and active our congregation was.

We were then asked to imagine what Grace might look like 30 years in the future. Where would we be meeting? What would we be doing? What would members give to their community and what would they receive in return? This visualization evoked many thoughtful and sometimes, emotional, responses.  The thought behind this exercise was, if we have a common vision for the future, then we will find it easier to make the decisions that will lead us there.

As we struggle to deal with our aging buildings and fewer active members, we are weighing our options of remaining until our resources run out, staying where we are and asking another congregation to join us, or selling the church.  If we sell, there are many possible paths that we can take.

We were asked to be open to a much wider range of options than previously considered, and to ask, ‘where is God leading us’.