14
May 2018
Submitted by Marta Murrell | Photographs Courtesy of Larry Warren The day after the hike through the woods in Norris, planned and led by Larry Warren, and before my muscles had time to send signals to my brain about how sore they were, it struck me that in a way our Messiah community is in the woods. Things shifted in our shared faith home when our pastors left. It’s not like there were no challenges before; some of our current challenges have existed for a while, and some others are new. Maybe......
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13
May 2018
I am excited to share with you that my position is now full-time, by decision of the OWLS task force and the Church Council. I am honored and blessed to be able to pursue this calling with all my attention. This will allow me to expand the Parish Nurse Program to include health fairs, grief support, caregiver support, and programs on transitions of life. You will also see more Health Notes in the Messenger My hours will be 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, with adjustments as needed. I encourage......
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12
May 2018
We, here at Messiah, are now in Step 3 of the Transition process. Step 1 Current pastor resigns or retires … A celebration of ministry together. Step 2 Congregation receives Transition/Interim Pastor(s). Step 3 of the Transition period includes a discernment process. During this time, the congregation, along with the Transition/Interim Pastor(s), addresses any issues and/or concerns that need resolution prior to initiating the call process. Also, during this time, the Transition/Interim Pastor(s) provide continuity for pastoral leadership and care. The role of the Transition/Interim Pastor(s) includes assisting the congregation in......
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11
May 2018
Both Pastor Larry and I have had specialized training in Interim Ministry. In our training (from different trainers, times and places) we were taught about the Five Primary Areas of Focus for Interim Ministry. We believe that it might be helpful for all of you to understand what Interim Ministry encompasses. Below is a brief description that we hope will help. Blessings to all as we travel this road of transition together, Pastor Norma Five Primary Areas of Focus during the discernment period of Transition Helping to organize and frame the work......
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10
May 2018
I am daily amazed at the connections that I discover in my life. How often have you discovered a relationship between people who did not know each other? Or, do you find that the same issues being discussed at work show up in the news or in discussions with friends? This week I found overlap in a reading that I was studying for Leadership Knoxville and our journey here at Messiah. We have a textbook called Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership, Practicing the Wisdom of Leading by Serving by Sipe and Frick.......
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