Whenever a pastor comes to serve a new congregation, there’s always a learning curve.  It’s helpful for congregational leaders to clarify expectations and give feedback on areas of focus.  After all, pastors can’t be mind readers and we have weaknesses and strengths just like anybody else!  Our region’s former Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Dr. Tom Clough, met with me in Western Massachusetts while I was winding up my ministry in Lexington before moving to Colchester.  He wanted to officially welcome me to “God’s favorite region of the United Church of Christ.”  Tom is a hoot.  Tom had been on Sabbatical when I was interviewing and wanted to connect before I arrived.  We went through the church assessments that you all did during the Search Process and he shared with me some of the results from the Holy Cow Consulting Vital Signs Congregation Assessment Tool (the CAT Scan for CFC). 

There were some important take-aways for me during that meeting.  CFC’s survey results reflected that the congregation was looking for the critical abilities of preaching, strategic leadership, and pastoral care in your next pastor.  It also related that congregational energy and satisfaction needed to be improved.  How to do that?  Critical success factors were laid out in the assessment, including: clergy communicates well, clergy articulates vision, and spirit of involvement. 

The conversations with Tom, the Search Committee, and looking over the congregational survey myself helped me figure out how to go about serving our congregation to the best of my ability.  For instance, when Deacons broached the subject of writing a weekly message for our congregation I remember feeling a bit panicky inside.  Y’all I am a manuscript preacher and proud of it.  In some sermons, I agonize over every word.  It takes time and energy to write sermons and preach weekly.  And now I was being asked to write something else every week to send out to everyone?!  

(Please hear a sad violin piece playing as your poor Pastor panicked!)

I contemplated this request from Deacons.  And I came to the conclusion that if my congregation needs “clergy communicates well” and pastoral care . . . maybe this will help with congregational satisfaction!  Hence Pastor Lauren’s Thursday Thoughts came to be.

Sometimes I feature my photography.  Sometimes I write about things that are moving or puzzling.  Sometimes I write about something from my own life that I try to relate to yours.  Mostly I think of this weekly reflection as a form of pastoral care.  

I hope that you read these Thursday Thoughts. 
And I love when you let me know when something I wrote touched you.
Or how you relate my story to your story and our stories to God’s story. 
This is the last Thursday Thoughts until October 5th.  But Nicole will be sending out congregational annoucements every week in the spirit of good church communication! 

Until we are together again—God be with you.

Love,
Pastor Lauren 

Photo by Rev. Lauren Ostrout.

Thursday Thoughts 6/29/23