Tag: membership

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Name after name after name

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Chronicles 1-9. (1 Chronicles? Yep.)

One of the more time consuming administrative tasks in a church office is keeping records of congregational membership and official acts. Weekly updates reflected the transient nature of the community. Families joined, members died, couples got married, moms gave birth, youth were confirmed, young and old were baptized, families moved away or joined other churches, and individuals moved, changed phone numbers and email addresses. We constantly updated the membership database, a spreadsheet to record the changes, mailing lists, and a directory for the congregation.

From time to time I would look through the list of names. Some brought back wonderful memories. I didn’t remember some. A few joined and left within months. Some disappeared without a trace. A small collection of names were charter members.

This information came in handy. A mother came in one day to get a copy of a misplaced baptism certificate so her son could enroll in a parochial school. Another was surprised that they were not an official member of the congregation. The lists highlighted those who hadn’t been to worship for a while, who had stuff going on in their lives.

The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are not action-packed. They are endless lists of names, from Adam to the flood to the exile and back again. Yes, my eyes glazed over as I skimmed the pages til I got to the words, “So all Israel was recorded in genealogies” (1 Chronicles 9:1). This was their version of membership records.

Those who returned from exile needed to connect with God’s people of the past. They needed to know they belonged. They were blessed to be a part of a chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and a people belonging to God. We’re blessed to be a part of those people, too, saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Imagine page after page of names, including yours.

And maybe someone you will tell about the Savior.

Posted in zoo

I hope the animals got a raise

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Either the zookeepers union got what they wanted or all the animals got a nice raise, because a trip to the zoo has become expensive.

We frequent the Jacksonville (Florida) zoo. It’s the best one within driving distance, even though it takes us over an hour to get there. A membership there used to be a great deal. I think we paid $140 for an annual family membership which included two named adults and four unnamed grandchildren. Two trips with a could of kids and it paid for itself. Now it’s $75 per adult and $60 per named child.

If you visit the zoo more than three times a year, the membership will be worth it since admission is $29.95 for adults and $24.95 for children. That’s if you buy them online at least a day ahead of time. Add $5 for tickets purchased day of your visit.

Oh, and that doesn’t include the train, the carousel, feeding giraffes a piece of lettuce, and a movie in the 4D theater. Everyone must pay a flat $10 extra for total experience tickets, which includes all of those things. Even members. And you cannot purchase any of those things separately. And I can’t imagine telling the grandkids, “No, you can’t ride the train or the carousel.” That’s pretty much what they want to do at the zoo.

Kona shaved ice trucks are strategically positioned around the park. Moms and dads can get a $10 beer or wine to go along with a $14 burger. A cup of ice cream tastes great, but sets you back $9. And of course, you exit the zoo through the gift shop. I know, these aren’t Disney prices, but if you aren’t careful, you could spend $100 per person.

The last time we went was disappointing. The much promoted tiger cubs had the day off. All the animals from the Americas (bear, coyote, eagle, etc.) were off site while their habitats were bring rebuilt. The stingrays were on sabbatical.

Having said all that, I still love going to the zoo. We bring our lunch and some drinks. We know how to bypass the gift shop. The elephants and giraffes are more than happy to pose for pictures. It’s all good.

Posted in Rant

“Pastor, we quit.”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
In the past few weeks I’ve gotten a brief letter from one member of the congregation and an email from another saying basically the same thing: “Pastor, we quit.” The communications came with no warning, no previous discussion or complaint, or even a hint that anything was wrong. Just a one sentence communication, “Please remove us from membership because we won’t be attending worship there anymore.”

My first reaction is one of guilt. What did do? What did I say? What didn’t I do? I asked my elders if they had any information, but they were as surprised as I was. So I called to find out what was going on. I was right. It was me. But it was also a lot of other things. As I listened, it seemed like everything was a problem. A huge laundry list of reasons why it just wasn’t working out anymore.

My next reaction, then, was of cynicism. You needed ten reasons to quit? You couldn’t even call? You just decided not to show up anymore? Nice commitment. Glad we could count on you. For those kinds of attitudes I ask forgiveness. Shepherds really aren’t supposed to feel that way, are they?

Then, came acceptance. Over the years I’ve learned and have come to accept that people come and people go. Especially in our culture. It’s doesn’t take much to cause people to switch hairdressers, grocery stores, and churches. In the past, I’ve been on the receiving end. Families have joined our church, relating how miserable their previous pastor and congregation were. It shouldn’t surprise me that some will leave and go someplace else with similar stories about us. Many Jews stopped following Jesus himself at certain points in his ministry. And the student shouldn’t expect to be treated differently than the teacher.

I am thankful that there are other churches in our area which are working out better for them, where they are now attending. I think I’ll keep them on my email list, too. Maybe they’ll read my emails. Maybe they’ll block me. Either way is OK.