Memorial United Methodist Church

Theological thinking: According to our biblical creation story, God created for six days and rested on the seventh. The question then is: How does God continue creating after God’s Sabbath?

Elizabeth O’Connor, in her book, The Eighth Day of Creation, says the Spirit offers gifts to each person and God keeps creating through these gifts. The responsibility of the church is to help people believe they are gifted, discover their specific giftedness, and find where in the world their gifts are needed. For Christians, we see in Jesus the one who most fully shared his gifts as a “person for others.” We also believe  that our relationship with Jesus offers us the power to share our gifts in the same way.

Implications for leadership development within MUMC: In the United Methodist Church, the leadership-development committee of each congregation – formerly the nominations committee – nominates people for positions. The process usually looks at open positions in the congregation then seeks people to fill these positions. It begins with the institution and its needs. The Eighth Day of Creation proposes a different starting point – the giftedness of each of Memorial’s members and friends. The leadership-development committee would begin by looking at our members’ gifts and interests, then connect people to the places in which their giftedness is needed, within and beyond the congregation. Its focus would be on setting people free in the Spirit to live for the sake of others – not solely on meeting the needs of the institution.

Proposal: That Memorial create a position of leadership-development coordinator who will work with the pastor and the leadership-development committee to:

1. Refocus the congregation to consider the gifts of each of its members and where in the congregation and world these gifts are needed.
2. Create an instrument that enables people to consider their giftedness and where they want to give their lives.
3. Offer a once-a-year “gift-evoking” retreat that encourages people to believe they are gifted, discover their specific giftedness, and find where their giftedness is needed.
4. Encourage members to read two books by Elizabeth O’Connor – The Eighth Day of Creation and Journey Inward, Journey Outward – and other resources that can inform this refocusing.
5. Coordinate the involvement of all Memorial members and friends in the life of the congregation and in the world.

Let me know what you think.