Greetings, Brothers and Sisters.
The report below is intentionally dry so that you will have the bones in place for the stories of flesh and grace that will follow in the weeks and months to come, in God's gracious providence. As I will preach at Falls Presbyterian tomorrow, the theme for this season will be "Come Home"--the call of God to truly live within the blessed confines of His salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
On October 1st, I officially began my labors as an Evangelist with Falls Presbyterian Church in Menomonee Falls, WI. The installation service, featuring my friend, Pastor Matt Barker, and the two other pastors at Falls, Pastors Ben Snodgrass and Jonathan Falk, provided a stirring initiation into this new work. Below, I will present to you my initial approach to this work, things I have learned and done thus far, and ways in which you can pray.
First, over this first quarter (three months) of work that I do as part of a two-year calling, I have two focuses: Integration and Promotion.
Integration: I will work over these first several months to become integrated within both the church and the community. I will attend church events and engage in a lot of hospitality with my new friends at the church in order to know them--their passions, gifts, struggles, etc--in order to later engage them in outreach. I also will visit groups, individuals, and events within the community that will provide a foundation for the church's eventual engagement with the community. Specifics to follow in my report of current activities.
Promotion: There are two great advantages to a robust effort to promote the church--more people in the community will know of the church, and members of the church will have the opportunity to identify with the church and engage with others on a very simple level. Efforts at promotion will include both technological and personal components.
Second, I have hit the road with these focuses over my first week of work, and I would like to share with you cool opportunities that have already arises, as well as lessons that I have learned.
I visited our local Army recruiting station this past Wednesday and had a great conversation with several of the active duty soldiers there. Their unit has virtually no chaplain support, and they asked me to come introduce myself to the unit in the nearby Milwaukee suburbs later in the month.
Afterward, I visited our local American Legion post, where I met the group's commander and transferred my membership. We hit it off, and on Friday, I helped some members of the group--as well as some Boy Scouts and JV football players--unfurl a giant flag across the local high school football field before the Homecoming football game.
On Friday morning, I providentially encountered a retired soldier on the street and got his business card and will follow up with him. I also visited the Chamber of Commerce, where I met and got the business card of the local volunteer running the place and got lots of good resources and information on the community. I then visited the YMCA, where I met the coordinator of their veterans programs and got to know a number of the workers there.
With regard to promotion, I have taken over and updated our Facebook page (and will keep it regularly updated). I also hope to get both bumper magnets and invitation cards for the church in the next couple of weeks, so that our church will be splashed across dozens of bumpers, and so that every member will have the opportunity to hand cards out like candy to friends, co-workers, and strangers--and get more comfortable with regularly relating to folks on a spiritual level. As the Army would say, we will follow a crawl-walk-run pattern. Please pray for us in this crawl phase!
A few lessons I have learned:
I knew the culture here was far different than the East and West coasts, but I am noticing how those differences play out on the ground level.
On the coasts, you usually have to introduce the basic truths of the Bible to folks, while most folks are have attended and/or currently attend church here. They have a general comprehension of those truths, but need to have the significance and meaning poured into those truths for them.
People here worship the Packers. I love football and will cater to this love and use it for the Gospel.
Civic activism is huge here. No need for community organizers. Volunteering in local government, the school systems, and organizations like the Boys Scouts is rampant.
It is those civic activities where I will gain more traction in engagement than at local bars and pubs. This is a more family-oriented and house-centered culture than the DC area.
People tend to hibernate a bit during the winter (largely in their finished basements with accompanying wet bars), but tend to travel north to cottages with their families each weekend during the summer.
Milwaukee and its environments may be the most segregated area in the country. This is a shame, but also a wonderful opportunity to show how the Gospel speaks to and transcends every culture.
Some people in the "village" of 40,000 have heard of Falls Presbyterian--most have not. And when they think "Presbyterian" they think the large, unbelieving mainline Presbyterian churches in town.
Third, please pray for us in the following ways:
1) That I would be faithful in my own labors and witness to the Gospel as I further integrate into the church and the community.
2) That I will find opportunities to follow-up with the contacts already made, as well as establish new contacts in the community each successive week.
3) That my relationships with brothers and sisters in the church would blossom in God's grace and create a shona-ba-shona (Afghan for shoulder-to-shoulder) mentality would be inculcated.
4) That the profile of Falls Presbyterian and the Gospel she proclaims will both be held forth in the community and become better known.
5) That more and more opportunities to share the Gospel would be presented to our precious body of believers!
With Gratitude in Christ,
Stephen
