WHES, Next Steps?

With the successful initiation of a partnership with West Huntsville Elementary School (WHES) on our anniversary weekend, the question falls to what’s next? For sure, Libba Nicholson our coordinator is working with WHES on some of the things identified during the weekend and planning some follow on activities.

Two analogies come to my mind when thinking about the longer term possibilities. The first is emerging from a mountain pass and seeing a new frontier overflowing with possibilities. The other is like a kid walking into an immense candy store…with only a dollar in his/her pocket!

With the candy store being the wealth of choices and Libba being the single dollar, we’re not going to be able to buy much candy! (Although Libba is more like a 10 dollar bill!) Libba, by herself, cannot coordinate and guide the effort. The question is how do we organize to approach this missional opportunity? The first Presbyterian answer is to form a committee. Let’s not go there! There are good and bad committees but this brings to my mind a business like approach simply determining tasks and finding bodies to fill them. But if we are called to a missional approach, we are being called to build relationships.

Both the emerging culture study and Faith’s own “A Covenant for Shaping Our Future” indicate a community based team approach is what’s called for*. This type of team approach promotes building community with others through bible study and work while trying to discern what that work is called to be. I believe such a team of WHES volunteers is what’s called for to steer the WHES efforts, support those in the ministry, and usher new folks into the ministry. (Love, Grow, Gather, Send)

But wait!

We are supposed to be partnering and building relationships with WHES; faculty, students, and parents. How do we include them, or perhaps more appropriately include ourselves in what they are doing? Can we merge with existing team efforts thorough some of WHES’s other church partners? What other possibilities are out there if we can get past just getting the job done? What will we learn about ourselves? What will we learn about those we want to serve? It’s about the journey with Christ on the way.

This is a new frontier. Libba and Frank are our lead scouts. But if we are truly called to this effort it is an effort that requires a community of disciples. I for one do not have the guts or gifts to commit to such an effort alone!

* See the Emerging Culture Report, particularly Appendix V.