Moderator’s Message — Part Three

This is the long awaited, final chapter of the church council retreat trilogy. It begins with this recap: Last February 24, your council held a half-day retreat to see how we can better serve you as a member and friend of Big Red Church. We discussed many things, but focused on three main topics. We talked about our church structure and whether or not our current configuration is the best way to serve you. We talked about communication, that persistent and consistent problem that can be a struggle whenever two or more people gather and relate. Finally, we talked about YOU…our members, our friends, our church family! 

You, of course, are the church! So, naturally we should be focusing on you. With this in mind, we want to find better ways to know and serve you. We would love to know what you enjoy doing and what your relationship is with the church. But mostly, we just want to know how we can improve as a church. This process of getting to know you better may involve asking you to complete a survey. 
 
Now, this may sound like an aside, but my hands hovered over the keyboard for quite some time before I typed the previous sentence. Why? Because we have asked our members to complete surveys in the past and then neglected to do anything with the survey information!  Yes, it was a mistake and we do not intend to repeat it. So, if you’re asked to do a survey and, you do the survey, we promise…again…we promise, to make sure that the information is used and shared with the congregation. 
 
In the meantime, we are investigating systems, including software, that can help us know our Big Red members and friends better and that will help us communicate with each of you as a person, a ministry member or just as one of us…the Big Red Church family in fellowship and service! 
 
This ends the trilogy, but you can be sure that a sequel is already being sketched out on paper napkins everywhere! So stay tuned!
 
Respectively, 
Scott Baucher
“The promise keeper” moderator

Moderator’s Message — Part 1

Dear Fellow Big Reds,
Saturday, Feb 24, 2018, our church council had a meeting to look at how we can better serve you. We focused on our organizational structure, communication, and membership. Each of these three areas is inter-locking and very important for a thriving church such as ours, so I wanted to take this moment to share what we discussed.
 
We tackled organizational structure first because we agreed that by improving how we do the business of the church will also improve communication of that business within the church. To us, this started with a review of our by-laws and newly drafted Proposed Operating Policies and Procedure. Peter Wall, our church council secretary, did an excellent job making an otherwise dry task interesting and meaningful. By the end of this discussion, each of us felt we had a better understanding of the purpose and value of our by-laws.
 
We also recognized the need and importance to clarify some of the language of our by-laws to improve their usefulness to us now and in perpetuity. John Shore, just before he termed-out as CFO, developed a draft of proposed operating policies and procedures for us to review. Folks…this was a huge gift from John and we are very, very grateful that he took the time to create such a wonderful foundation upon which we can create more efficient and effective guidelines of church business best practices! Thank you, John Shore!
 
Your council recognized immediately that trying to create a powerful “race horse” of written guidelines and best practices by committee would actually yield a “camel” instead, so we formed a task force to do the heavy lifting. We are all lucky that Peter Wall, Robbyn Mosley, and John Shore have agreed to refine, refocus, and revise as needed, these important documents. As members of First Congregational Church, each of you will have the chance to review and vote on any by-law changes recommended by this task force and the council.
 
One specific change to how we may do business going forward, is to have the 5 ministry chairs be the 5 voting directors at large that are specifically called out in our by-laws. In practice, the 5 directors at large have not been the ministry chairs. We believe, and many of you have expressed agreement, that having the 5 ministry chairs on the council will improve communication between and among the council and the 5 ministries. Additionally, to increase input and involvement and communication between the council and the congregation, we may propose that we add 2 or 3 more directors at large council positions. This possible proposal will be made clear in the coming weeks and each of our members will have the opportunity to vote on this change.
 
Next, we tackled communication which has been an issue of importance for so many of us since it floated to the top as one of the key areas of need during the New Beginnings/Day of Discovery process completed just as Pastor Ara was coming on board. You may have noticed some of the changes and improvements made so far with help from our very creative and capable Kim Williams! BUT…I’m going to wait and tell you more about our conversation about communication and membership later because there’s nothing more exciting than anticipating the sequels of a thrilling trilogy!! 😉
 
With Much Appreciation for a Very Talented Council,
 
Your “By-Law Aware” Moderator

Scott’s Thoughts: 2018 Pre-flight Safety Speech

Anyone who has flown commercially has heard the pre-flight safety speech given in the unlikely event of an emergency. Should the cabin depressurize, for example, oxygen masks will drop from overhead. People are shown how to secure their own mask, initiate the low of oxygen, and asked to take care of their own needs before helping someone else. We understand that we must first take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. 

Indulge me and think of the plane as life and oxygen as God. Like God, oxygen is always there, but we often don’t think about it. But when life, like a plane, hits turbulence, we need oxygen. If we look up, we will find it waiting to aid us. Once we feel safe and secure, we are able to think about others. If they need help and we have the oxygen, we are able to offer it. 

For many of us, Big Red is oxygen. Big Red offers safety, security, acceptance, and healing. At Big Red people are refreshed, revitalized, and re-energized to better deal with life’s turbulence. Once our oxygen mask is secure and we feel the flow of God within us, we can and want to help others. 

People come to Big Red to find peace.
They stay at Big Red to share peace. 

 For 2018, let’s all: 

    Look up. 

           Breathe in. 

                Feel our lungs fill. 

                     Slowly breathe out. 

                          Give thanks. 

                               Look around. 

                                    Help Big Red help others. 

     Repeat. 

 

Happy New Year!

Scott Baucher

Big Red Co-pilot (and Moderator)

 

Scott’s Thoughts: Holy cow! 2017 is gone!

From Scott Baucher
Moderator
 
At the close of every year, I wonder where the time went. Usually all I can say is: “Holy cow!” Too often, I’ll confess, I feel a bit saddened or guilty that I didn’t get many of the things done that I hoped for at the start of the new year. This year it’s no different…EXCEPT…instead of beating myself up for not getting things done in the year gone by…I’m going to pick myself up by focusing on what will be getting done in the year to come!! 
 
This year, let’s try some new things. To start, think about a box you may have recently opened for Christmas. After opening the box, you discovered something interesting inside which was much more important than the box it came in, so the box was set aside. 
 
In 2018, let’s set boxes aside. When we talk, let’s engage in “no-box talks”. Let’s set aside preconceptions and look at things anew. For example, if I write i-n-f-r-a-s-t-r-u-c-t-u-r-e, how many of us think: “Boooor-ing.”? Or, do we think: “Cooooooool! Infrastructure! We’ll get more things done faster and easier!”? 
 
If we hear that Big Red might reorganize how we conduct our business, do we think: “What a hassle!”? Or, do we think: “Awesome! Better communication, networking, fellowship, and service!”? 
 
If we think about remodeling, do we think: “It’ll cost a billion dollars and be a mess around here for eons!”? Or, do we think: “Sweet! We can better serve and feed the needy and make parents feel their kids are safer in our care!”?
 
Infrastructure, no-box talks, Road to Nexteryear, cameras in day-care so parents can see their kids while in worship, wi-fi locks on church doors, food trucks for homeless meals, 200 average Sunday attendance for both services, too many kids in Sunday School to count, a thrift store that fully funds a home for battered women and their kids, property tax exemptions for the poor so they can stay in their homes…why not?
 
2018…Let’s embrace it from Awesome to Zeal! 
 
Scott Baucher
No Box Talker

Scott’s Thoughts: Say it. Do it.

From Scott Baucher, Moderator

You’ve heard it said: Actions speak louder than words. 

This phrase suggests a truth: people’s actions reveal their true character. We have an appreciation for people who walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We value action and appreciate those who roll their shirt-sleeves up and get their hands dirty.
 
Yet, there are times when we must speak up, too. When voices need to be used and heard. When our collective voice can and does move people to action. I’m concerned out our national politics with so many actions taking place behind closed doors with little time to examine the outcomes of quick actions on our environment or our most vulnerable or even how they stand against our national character. 
 
That “said”, this writing isn’t about our national politics, so I’m going to leave it here. Instead, this writing is my way of saying how often I find myself in awe at everything that is happening at Big Red. There is action…lots of it!
 
So much is being done, that I am moved to say: THANK YOU! Thank you one and all for everything you do at and for the church and our congregation and our community. We are all so lucky to be a part of this living, breathing organism we so affectionately call The Big Red Church!
 
It’s time for more, however. We are ready to step back and take a look at the panorama, the horizon; to see what is coming so we know what is needed. Let’s shore up our church, our day-care room, our kitchen, our bathrooms, and audio-visual system. Let’s improve our facility so we can focus on serving more and better. We are ready to move our actions into new spaces within our walls. We are worth it, but more importantly, Fresno’s neediest are worth it. None of us can say this loud or often enough. 
 
Let’s move! 
 
Say it. Do it.

Scott’s Thoughts: Move

From Scott Baucher, Moderator
 
In my previous writing, I mentioned infrastructure as being one area of focus for 2017 and 2018. Infrastructure is defined as the basic physical and organizational foundation needed for an entity to operate. Often roads, bridges, and airports are considered part of our nation’s infrastructure where goods can be moved efficiently. Our church infrastructure may not include roads, bridges, and airports as we don’t move many goods. But, we do move people! 
 
Now,  don’t be silly and wonder: “Does Scott mean move people around on a hand-truck?” 
 
Rather, consider this statement: Big Red Church moves people. 
 
Sure, move means to relocate. But there are many more definitions. It may mean take action, change thinking, create excitement, stir emotions, or see things differently. Note what is in common…each of these possible definitions means change. Change in thinking, attitudes, views, emotions, and understanding. 
 
Again, we are not movers of goods, but movers of people. Our church is and has always been here to move people. Not with force, but with love and patience and understanding and education and with stories and sermons and fellowship. We are here to help people change things in their own lives that they need or want changed. We are a church where people who want to grow come to be with other people who want to grow. We are not a church that stays put, which simply takes a hammer and a nail. Rather, we are a church on the move!
 
Being on the move requires infrastructure which takes money. We can’t tax people to pay for infrastructure like Uncle Sam can. But we can ask one another to help fund our infrastructure. Infrastructure includes our building, our staff, our children, our ministries, our music, our systems of accounting and communications, and one road…the Road to 202X…our 5-year-rolling-plan.
 
Infrastructure is an investment in the future. It pays off. And it feels good to operate well and efficiently. But most importantly, for us at Big Red, it will help us move more and more people to better places in their lives! 
 
Now is the time to plan for our move into the next year. Will you help us move into 2018 with the resources to develop stronger, more reliable, and more efficient infrastructure so more people can feel moved? If you want to help Big Red move more people, make a pledge!
 
(Move for Thought: Think about when you’ve been moved at Big Red. I was moved during the White Privilege series. I get moved each time we sing “Go now in peace, never be afraid” at the end of Sunday worship. I’m moved by the food pantry and the safe space for youth. How does Big Red move you? Will you pledge so we can help more people feel moved? )
 
Sincerely,
 
Your Moderator of Move,
Scott Baucher