Assets: What Helps Us Gather, Proclaim, and Share
A church at its very core is people; gathered together, proclaiming the gospel in word and deed, and sharing in Christ’s sacraments. We would do well to remember this in our lives of faith. It can help us hold more tightly to the essentials and less tightly to other things. This is not an easy teaching though, to hold it means that much of what we often associate with and call “church” becomes tools used to facilitate the above gathering, proclaiming, and sharing. This might feel dismissive or like a downgrade to things we hold dear, but I can also say as one who practices numerous disciplines in home upkeep and improvement, the right tool for the job makes all the difference. There are substitutes and there are work arounds but I make sure to keep my basin wrench, snap ring pliers, and self-adjusting wire strippers where they won’t get lost because they make the jobs they are made for so much easier.
In thinking about the “tools” we have as a church and what makes our gathering, proclaiming, and sharing of sacraments easier. Our visioning group created the following list of physical assets that we have at First Lutheran.
This list is a good start, and as we engage in combining assets with skills and passions to create ministries, there’s a lot that can be done with what is listed, but I invite you to fill out this list even more. What else do we as a church have as physical assets that you would add to this list? I would like to add some of the smaller things that help make ministry happen. We have a lot of tables and small stands around First. I don’t always know where exactly they are, and I do NOT think that we need more, but I know we have them, and when they are needed they can be found and moved and used. These small things often help big ideas and projects become simpler because with a simple visit to a supply closet you can have 80% of the items you need to accomplish a goal.
As you think of our physical assets which of them do you see us using most often? Which do you think we could use more effectively? As we enter a season of updates and improvements it’s important to know which areas we can make the biggest impact on in our life together and for the community we are serving and reaching out to. One thing I know I could use more effectively is our physical location. I face southeast most of the time while I’m in my office because it just has a better view. The office entrance is set back off of 5th street. The sanctuary runs along Sycamore. All of this, within my mind and field of view locates the church building at the sleepy corner of 5th and Sycamore. Doing so, I forget we have one of the busiest streets in North Platte, Willow, on the western edge of our property. I could use that knowledge better when making plans to reach out and help more people know what is happening around First.
In addition to using our physical assets more fully, are there assets you see that could be used differently from their original or current purpose? In the last couple of years, we have changed the “children’s choir” room that had not been used in years over to a sewing room that is used weekly if not more by those engaged with our quilting ministry. We’ve cleaned out some storage areas and made them more functional for collecting supplies for Lutheran World Relief projects. We’ve taped some new lines on the old court and made it possible to play pickleball. All of these changes have brought new life into this church, what do you see that could use a home, and make use of our abundant asset of space?
Please share your thoughts on any of these questions by commenting below.
