Siblings in Christ,
We are now officially partners in ministry as we begin the Shared Ministry Covenant. I’ll offer a few reminders about what this means:
1. There is a contract between St. Mary’s and me for me to be your pastor. On paper it works a little differently than a usual call, but the end result is the same. I am serving this congregation as part of my ministry with Trinity.
2. Through the Covenant we have established, St. Mary’s is contributing to Trinity to cover 1/3 of my compensation. That doesn’t mean I am working 1/3 of the time. I will do everything I can to meet the needs of both congregations. I will be open and honest about what I can and can’t do with the time I have available in the work week. I ask that you be open and honest with me as well.
3. Regarding communication: it is critically important that you realize I do not have the power to read minds. In fact, I don’t know of any pastor who has been able to master that skill. If you want me to know something, please tell me. If you think someone may have already told me, tell me anyway. I’d rather hear something three times than not hear it at all.
4. Related: we’ve connected the phone number at St. Mary’s to a comcast voicemail system. That means that when a voicemail is left on the church phone, I get an email within moments with the sound file attached. I don’t mind phone calls to my cellphone, but simply calling the church will get to me just as quickly.
5. Getting acquainted: we’ve had this unusual start to my work with you all as I have been leading worship for four months already, but we still don’t know each other well. I will be contacting each of you to arrange some kind of conversation to get to know you. I hope to accomplish as many visits as I can between now and the end of August.
6. Whenever a new pastor begins ministry in the congregation, it takes time to understand traditions and ways of doing business. For example, it took me a few weeks to realize that you’re used to the candles being extinguished before the postlude. That’s not necessarily a big change to how things are done, but it’s still different. I’m trying to observe and learn your traditions as we go. If there is something I do differently that you don’t like, or simply want to understand better, as stated above, please just ask me. We will continue to learn together.
I am grateful for the welcome you have offered me and my family (more about them in future ponderings) and I am excited for the work we will be doing together.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Cris