Pastoral Ponderings November 2024

Welcome to November! I wanted to remind you of the month because you cannot count on the weather as an indicator of our season this year. It seems like only yesterday our sanctuary was welcoming dogs, cats, a mini donkey and a mini horse. Yet, time continues to pass faster than many of us would desire at our ages.
We are also less than two weeks from our National Election. According to reports on the news and by organizations such as Southern Poverty Law Center, violence against individuals, property and faith communities continue to rise as the election rhetoric increases. As people of faith, we can contribute to “turning down the heat” by practicing the 4C’s introduced by Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences: Center for Ethics and Human Values.
The 4C’s are:
Be Curious – Ask people to explain their comments so that you are more aware of what they are actually saying.
Be Charitable – Extend kindness in not only your words but in your facial and body expressions,
Be Conscientious – Be aware of what you are actually saying and do not respond without thought and awareness.
Be Constructive – Whatever you say take the responsibility of making positive contributions to the conversation. Divert your attention from the opportunity to be argumentative and defensive.
These actions on our part can contribute significantly as a beginning to lowering the heat on relationships between citizens in the United States.
On another note, I have information to share with you regarding myself. Unless you are new to Encanto Community Church UCC, you are aware that I am part-time as a minister. So, I have accepted a second call from the Southwest Conference of the UCC as one of the two part-time Associate Conference Ministers. I will begin this position on November 1, 2024.
My work as an ACM will include but not be limited to working on local church relationships with the Conference, assisting churches in their Search and Call process, working with the Disaster Recovery Team as well as the Decentering Whiteness Task Force. My work at Encanto Community Church UCC will remain the same as I continue to minister in this local church setting. Please keep me and my ministry in your prayers as this changes begin.
Accept the numerous blessings that are coming to you and Encanto this month.
Blessings, Rev. G