A lot of folks have been asking something like, “Whatever became of the Healthy Church Initiative?” HCI is/was a season in our church’s life when we as a church family looked both deeply inward at who we are and extremely outward to discover what the real needs are the of people surrounding EPUMC. At the end of the first year we received 5 specific recommendations. You can’t communicate what came out of HCI enough and so in this memo and in several others once in a while I’m going to give my perspective on the tremendous effect HCI is having on our ministry and mission.
Last week a lot of you looked at the website and thought it was awesome! Although you could say that the new website like many other things came from HCI, it was not a direct recommendation. What was a more direct recommendation was to develop some sort of rally cry, something short, an inspiring word or phrase that defined who we are at EPUMC. This graphic and the line underneath would never have been developed without HCI. “Big Enough to Make a Difference Small Enough to Care,” accurately describes our church family and the need of our broader Eden Prairie community.
EPUMC is not a small congregation; we have many resources and through our Untied Methodist connection we make a significant difference locally, regionally and globally. However, compared to many larger congregations closer to us we are a bit more intimate. What I have heard from those who have come as our guest and then become a part of our church is that this intimacy is very attractive to them. We are small enough to feel like a church home to many people who experience EPUMC as a caring congregation. People trust that their needs will be heard here. And many of us have experienced that when we put all of us together, we make a significant difference for God in our world.
It’s important for each of us to memorize this short phrase. However, it’s even more important for us to visualize it and keep working towards being both “Big Enough to Make a Difference, Small Enough to Care.” Notice there is no “but” in this phrase. It is both, just like EPUMC is both. Where do you see this big enough/small enough dynamic in your experience at EPUMC? How have you recognized yourself and/or others reaching out making a significant difference and at the same time touching someone so deeply that it felt like family?
One example of this Big Enough/ Small Enough dynamic is what happens on a youth mission trip. Those trips that support 20–40 (or more) youth and adults for a week of mission take significant resources of money, staff time and experience. And yet they are small enough that every single youth that ventures out feels a part of the team and has the opportunity to discover something about their faith. Another is our worship. We have a relatively large beautiful sanctuary, a gifted choir, a musical program we are heavily invested in as a ministry of our congregation. And our sanctuary still has the feel of “home,” for many. Our worship is accessible and vibrant, family friendly and faithful.
So what are some ways you see and experience, “Big Enough to Make a Difference, Small Enough to Care”? What are some dreams you have that will bring this rally cry to life? It’s a great rally cry that accurately describes our congregation. And yet it will remain just words of a tag line unless (and until) we together claim it and bring it to life.
Keep the Faith!
Pastor Dan
Last week a lot of you looked at the website and thought it was awesome! Although you could say that the new website like many other things came from HCI, it was not a direct recommendation. What was a more direct recommendation was to develop some sort of rally cry, something short, an inspiring word or phrase that defined who we are at EPUMC. This graphic and the line underneath would never have been developed without HCI. “Big Enough to Make a Difference Small Enough to Care,” accurately describes our church family and the need of our broader Eden Prairie community.
EPUMC is not a small congregation; we have many resources and through our Untied Methodist connection we make a significant difference locally, regionally and globally. However, compared to many larger congregations closer to us we are a bit more intimate. What I have heard from those who have come as our guest and then become a part of our church is that this intimacy is very attractive to them. We are small enough to feel like a church home to many people who experience EPUMC as a caring congregation. People trust that their needs will be heard here. And many of us have experienced that when we put all of us together, we make a significant difference for God in our world.
It’s important for each of us to memorize this short phrase. However, it’s even more important for us to visualize it and keep working towards being both “Big Enough to Make a Difference, Small Enough to Care.” Notice there is no “but” in this phrase. It is both, just like EPUMC is both. Where do you see this big enough/small enough dynamic in your experience at EPUMC? How have you recognized yourself and/or others reaching out making a significant difference and at the same time touching someone so deeply that it felt like family?
One example of this Big Enough/ Small Enough dynamic is what happens on a youth mission trip. Those trips that support 20–40 (or more) youth and adults for a week of mission take significant resources of money, staff time and experience. And yet they are small enough that every single youth that ventures out feels a part of the team and has the opportunity to discover something about their faith. Another is our worship. We have a relatively large beautiful sanctuary, a gifted choir, a musical program we are heavily invested in as a ministry of our congregation. And our sanctuary still has the feel of “home,” for many. Our worship is accessible and vibrant, family friendly and faithful.
So what are some ways you see and experience, “Big Enough to Make a Difference, Small Enough to Care”? What are some dreams you have that will bring this rally cry to life? It’s a great rally cry that accurately describes our congregation. And yet it will remain just words of a tag line unless (and until) we together claim it and bring it to life.
Keep the Faith!
Pastor Dan
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