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Pastor Leigh Ann’s Monthly Blog

What’s a M.A.P.?

Posted on May 1, 2018 in Pastor's Monthly Blog, The GAP Team |

What’s a M.A.P.?

Pastor’s Ponderings – May 1, 2018

The GAP team have been hard at work! We have a draft of our Ministry Act Plan (MAP) for the next few years and are putting ‘action items’ to the goals. It is a living document and a work in progress, even after it’s affirmed by our congregation.

For the last few months we’ve been meeting in homes and with various groups of the church to gather input and ideas about where YOU believe God is calling us. It is clear that you are passionate about Family and Friends, that you believe our relationships with one another and welcoming more people to our church family is very, very, very, (very ….) important! Everything about what we do and how we do it connects with your value of people!

A draft mission and vision statement for our church to ponder is: ‘United Methodist Church of Vista is called to Build Relationships of Justice, Faith and Hospitality to Bring God’s LOVE to all people.’ Our relationships of JUSTICE are outreach ministries of all kinds both locally, and globally. Our relationships of FAITH are worship and discipleship and small groups and faith formation both inside and outside the walls of our church. Relationships of HOSPITALITY are welcoming at the front door of the church on Sundays and throughout the week and going out into the community to nurture and care for intergenerational families, particularly families with growing children.

I have heard many of you want a larger space to gather, share meals, hold celebrations and potlucks and have fun together. Many of you feel the downstairs space is not well suited for gathering together due to accessibility and safety issues. Many of you are passionate about our feeding ministry on Thursday and want to see it expanded to provide other caring resources like showers, supplies for the week, clothing and other resources for getting into a home. There is interest in whether a preschool or after school program for children in our area would work on our campus and whether we have the capacity to move forward on this. A few of you have big bold visions of being a local hub for ministry and outreach. And many of you want more opportunities for classes and worship during the week.

As I mentioned, we have a draft of goals related to relationships of Justice, Faith and Hospitality and have started putting ideas for action steps down for the next five years. After we finish this step of our Ministry Action Plan, then we will look at the facility and other resources needed to accomplish our goals. In other words, how are we going to welcome new folks, join them in faith exploration and do good works in the world?
If you haven’t offered your insights and vision, don’t hesitate to email me or our church consultant, Mary Scifres. And please join us in prayer as we look into the future of the United Methodist Church of Vista!

Pastor Leigh Ann

Cable Outreach Foundation Luncheon

Posted on Mar 29, 2018 in Pastor's Monthly Blog |

Cable Outreach Foundation Luncheon

As most of you know, the United Methodist Church of Vista celebrated a partnership with 22 charities at a “You Make the Difference” luncheon held on the church lawn on February 24th. Beth announced each of the 22 charities with a brief description of their mission. If you couldn’t attend the event, you missed the opportunity to visually and spiritually see and feel what the UMC of Vista is accomplishing beyond “just writing a check”. However, a “Partnership” is only created when a minimum of two people work together to accomplish a goal and that doesn’t end with the luncheon or a check. We, the congregation, have to get involved with the charities that interest us, help them accomplish their mission, not just with money but time, effort and prayer.

Fortunately for me, I was approached by several of the Charities to come and see what they really do. On March 6th, Vic Johnston and I met with Debra Sallaz, Development Officer for Solutions for Change. She didn’t inform us about what Solutions for Change does but had one of their clients going through their program explain what Solutions for Change has allowed her to become. If you don’t know the mission of Solutions for Change, they take men with children or women with children, homeless, probably with an addiction and turn them around by building their self-reliance. Approximately 39% of their clients suffer from substance abuse, 36% fled domestic violence, 25% experience mental illness, and 17% have a disability. It is a 1000-day partnership with their resident families, which blends affordable housing, educational opportunities, employment training, and health-related solutions. The program follows a highly individualized plan that includes daily classes to address substance abuse patterns, mental health issues, histories of violence and trauma, and any other barriers to self-reliance. Upon graduation, they become responsible individuals in society. They solve family homelessness, one family and one community at a time.

I am extremely proud of the Cable Foundation’s fiduciary responsibilities that have provided the funds for the UMC of Vista’s Mission Outreach Program and, hence to the approved charities. However, funding is like “writing the check”. It is a part but not the complete circle. Forming a “Partnership” with a charity and seeing what they are accomplishing completes that circle. I know, for myself, personally witnessing the miracle that Solutions for Change has made on this one person’s life has completed that circle for me. And, they have accomplished this for 850 families and 2,200 children since 1999. Get the complete circle; make a difference; become a Partner.

-Warren Elsasser, President, Cable Foundation

Pastor’s Ponderings – April 2018

Posted on Mar 26, 2018 in Pastor's Monthly Blog |

Pastor’s Pondering – April 2018

The In-Home meetings have been great! More than 65 people have attended and shared their vision for the future of our church. Each gathering was asked, ‘if you had all the money and resources necessary, the best pastor and the perfect facility, what ministry are we called to do?’ Among the comments and wisdom is a desire to invite and welcome more by having a kitchen, and a large variety of programs and opportunities for younger people. You’ve shared that you want to be a church that speaks to people’s soul, offers friends and fun, and shares our faith life together!

As we look into the future, making space for others who speak different generational experiences may be important. Recently I talked about the Millennial generation and their strengths, but I thought you might enjoy hearing the generational experiences of some of our staff. I’ve asked them to share just a little to give you a snapshot of who we are and invite you to share your perspectives with us and one another. Growing into the future will require us to make room for all kinds of people.

“I, Pastor Leigh Ann, was born in 1970 and am a part of the so-called ‘Generation X.’ My generation is known for growing up as ‘latch key’ children and that is my experience. Both of my parents either worked or went to school all of my growing up years. Since my Mom was not at home, I made dinner regularly and we seldom ate at the dining room table. Sesame Street first aired on PBS two months before I was born. The best musician of my generation is Sting. He plays rock, and jazz and speaks to issues of love, social justice and world concerns.”

“I, Pastor Frank, was born in 1949, and am an early part of the “baby boomer” generation. My generation is known for living through significant social unrest and change, I was aware of and participated in various movements for social equality, racial equality, rights of women, and immigration for instance. Both of my parents were teachers, as was my adult brother who lived with us, I stayed in after-school programs and came home at the same time my parents did until junior high school, then was a bit of a latch key kid. My favorite music was classical and Broadway musicals, partly because of my brothers musical tastes. My family ate most meals at the dining room table, brother Don usually cooked, a variety of menus, from stuffed peppers to beef stroganoff. Sunday dinner was important, a hold-over from both parents being farm-raised kids. My generation has seen significant change especially in technology, I was born the year the first jetliner flew, saw the moon landing live, did math by pencil, was 16 before I had a portable calculator, now sitting at a desk with a computer with two terabytes of memory, I’ve lived through all of it.”

“I, Paula Amaro, was born in 1958, and am a part of the baby boomer generation. My generation is known as the first TV generation. My experience as a young girl was watching Walter Cronkite and The Wild Wild West (TV series). My favorite music growing up was country music. Our family didn’t eat together all the time but I cooked a lot of Hamburger Helper. One of the changes I’ve seen is that when I was under age 10, I would be gone all day playing everywhere and walking to school by myself; now parents drop their kids off at school and they are watched carefully when playing outside, not roaming all over the neighborhood.”

“I, Susan Kronoff, was born in born in 1949, and am a part of the baby boomer generation. The Vietnam War was a significant event for my generation and I thought we had an honorable reason for being there, but our politicians wouldn’t let the military fight to win. My brother was on his way there when our National involvement ended. The Beatles and always classical music are my favorites. I remember having “breakfast” for dinner: scrambled eggs, pancakes…. and Spam! When I was young, the family was the center of life; then it morphed into community; then the individual was most important. It’s all cyclical.”

Next Month… Watch for some more staff by the generations! Thank you for sharing your life at the church, as we offer God’s grace to our community and world! Blessings to you as you celebrate the Risen Lord!

Happy Easter! Pastor Leigh Ann