It is Earth Day today, with all the promise of spring and the summer to come. Do you plan ahead for trips and activities? Or do you prefer going with the spur-of-the-moment possibilities and staying flexible? I do a combination, and it keeps me from staying home all the time. I like to have something to look forward to. And I like being spontaneous. There’s a satisfaction to taking advantage of circumstances to experience something different.
It was a spontaneous circumstance that happened to me about three years ago. Three men asked me to come to the minister’s office because they had a question for me. Would I be willing to serve as President of the Church Board?
Of course, I was flattered. It’s a very visible role. And I was wary. I told the Rev. that he couldn’t retire on my 2-year term and he agreed. And so began the adventure of the last three years.
Right off the bat, our administrator resigned. She was moving downtown to serve as a full time administrator for the larger church. One lady stepped up to help in the office, and later another administrator came on board.
Then, in August, just before the beginning of our church year, our Director of Religious Education (DRE) resigned for personal reasons. We wished her well, and scrambled to find our Acting DRE to launch the fall season and begin the search for a DRE. Our new DRE was seated the following May
St. Nikolas Orthodox Church in Juneau, AK
There was Calling our Minister and Installing our Minister – that was a real treat for the congregation and the minister. Seeing all those robed ministers processing around our tiny church really added dignity to our festive occasion.
There was revising the by-laws. Fifteen minutes of every board meeting until it got done.
One year ago, the nominating committee was struggling to find a willing candidate for the president’s position on the board. Right about then, the minister announced his retirement. I offered to serve another year. It would mean finding an Interim Minister, and managing all the occasions of celebration and loss that go with saying goodbye to our friend and locksmith.
Then, late last summer, an alternative high school needed space in East County to start their program for two local school districts. They rented the entire facility; house, parking lot, main building, and basketball hoop. It was our first venture as a landlord, and it didn’t turn out bad at all. A lady who is still a member, still pledges, and never comes to service, was the link that brought the alternative high school to us. Another school district has followed, and rents the house 4 days a week.
And the 179th Avenue house: Now the Warren James House. To buy or not to buy, that was the question. Even as our budget was clearly a reality check, buying the house was a leap of faith into the future. How else do we learn to fly?
St. Nickolas Orthodox Church in Juneau, AK
So, I thought the church ship was in for smooth sailing with the arrival of our Interim minister. Close. Except that the part-time office administrator accidentally
found a full-time job with benefits, and of course we wish her well. Hiring another administrator was a good process with a good candidate. . . who also found a full-time job with benefits and turned us down. It must have been fate, because we found a third candidate, and she is doing a great job for us.
May 8th will be my 36th and last board meeting as President. May 22 will be the last congregational meeting (an evening, dessert pot-luck meeting, just for fun). New leaders will be serving on the board, and many changes are afoot. Some projects still need work, and some are cruising right along on autopilot. There is a lot of excitement as people step up to help in areas that may be unfamiliar to them. It’s our love for each other and our affection for this little church that makes this little ship sail along smoothly. I’m grateful to be part of the adventure. I hope the leadership continues to have fun and enjoy the accomplishments as they come along. I’ll be cheering from the sidelines for awhile.