Sometimes monthly Leadership Board meetings are boring, laden with lots of back-office church stuff. Such was the August Board meeting. That’s not to minimize the importance of the Board’s work but to convey that sometimes we must do the mundane but necessary work of the church.
The Board undertook our standard agenda items like reviewing new people, annual goals, and accountability, and approving mandatory matters in what we call the “Packet and Consent Calendar,” which is a compilation of documents including the previous month’s meeting minutes, financial highlights, monthly revenues and expenses, annual budget status, and ministry team reports.
Then, we moved on to new business, an agenda item referred to as “Generative and Strategic Work,” which is usually the longest part of the meeting, because it’s comprised of a laundry list of unrelated sub-items. We covered things like reviewing a new policy, preparing to fill out paperwork that the conference requires annually, scheduling staff evaluations, identifying potential new Board members to replace those whose terms are expiring, and planning logistics for the Board’s annual retreat in November. Borrrring!
Regardless, it was good to get all the boxes checked and head home early. On my walk home—while I was noticing nothing but how quickly night is falling already—I was struck by something our Board president, Jenine Furry, asked during the earliest part of the meeting. Jenine asked, “When you greet a new person attending our church for the first time (or first few times), what do you tell them about SUMC, particularly why they should come to our church?”
At the time, Jenine’s question seemed like a hypothetical contemplation, but the more I walked, the more I felt an urgency to answer this question.
When I got home, I flipped open my laptop and, for the first time ever, I asked AI (Artificial Intelligence) a question. “What makes a good church, one that makes you want to stay?” Gemini (the name for Google’s AI) said that a good church, one that people want to attend, “is centered on God, faithfully preaches the Bible, demonstrates Christ-like love, and actively disciples its members through fellowship and service. You’ll want to stay if the church is Biblically sound, offers loving community, encourages personal growth, and provides a vision for glorifying God through worship, prayer, and serving others.”
Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, and check!
That’s great. Boring, but great. SUMC checks all the boxes according to Google’s advanced AI Gemini model that generated this response based on zillions of text, images, audio, and code. Huh?
But what would a human being say about SUMC? Something from the heart, something with feeling, something derived from personal experience, something that could connect with another person’s spirit. Well, since I was the only human being present when I was contemplating this question, I decided to share what I would tell someone who I just met at SUMC for the first time.
I would tell them…
When I used to go to church, I had a feeling of dread on Sunday mornings. Dread of wasting an hour that I could have spent sleeping in, drinking coffee, reading about the Steelers, or having breakfast with my friends. But now, I have a skip in my step and in my spirit as I walk to SUMC, enter the sanctuary, and yuck-it-up immediately with my new friends who I am happy to see after a long week.
I would tell them…
The sermons are meaningful—not just occasionally, but usually. The topics are relevant, always. Social justice, economic equity, racism, love, hate, discrimination, authoritarianism, complacency, courage. Every sermon is Jesus-centered and always from the perspective of the Bible story’s original intention within the context of history, language, and culture. More often than not, I’m moved to tears.
I would tell them…
Our pastor is fearless. She doesn’t avoid controversy. She encourages debate. I once read that most pastors “comfort the afflicted,” which, I agree, is important. But amazing pastors “afflict the comfortable.” Our pastor isn’t afraid to make you squirm, challenge your thoughts and ways, and stretch your mind. Her expectations are high and, therefore, our reward is even higher.
I would tell them…
SUMC has incredibly effective ministries, volunteer opportunities, and ways you can connect and know that you are making a tangible difference. We have serious initiatives, like serving our immigrant communities by welcoming, supporting, and advocating for those being harassed and deported by ICE, and fun ones like the Halloween pumpkin sale and haunted house. Because we are Jesus followers, all our efforts are committed to pursuing justice, standing in solidarity with the marginalized and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ. I know there’s something here that suits you.
That’s what I’d tell someone new to SUMC. And then, I’d tell them to bring their friends.
Lynn Colosi, Leadership Board Member