Three Weeks Into the Water

I have been with you for three weeks now. Much has happened in this short time. We have been worshiping at Lovely Lane UMC since the flood (may God bless them for their hospitality!). Now, on the first Sunday in August (3rd) we will gather for worship at our Salem East location (the former Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church building). With the change in location we will also change our worship time to 9:30 am. We will continue to have one service for the rest of the summer at 9:30 am. Our location, time, and single service are all temporary. Please know, there will be changes. The stability and tradition Salem enjoyed has evaporated with the flood waters for the time being. That means, as a congregation we need to be patient, flexible, and light on our feet. Following Jesus isn’t easy but it is an adventure!

While we are preparing to begin worshiping at Salem East, the real estate agent selling the building has been showing the building to several people. Potential buyers have shown quite a bit of interest. Given the need for space in Cedar Rapids and the current interest in the building, it is at least possible it could sell. If that happens, we will need to move on to another gathering space within sixty days. Therefore, we need to figure out now where we will move next. We affirm that the church is not a building. It is the people, the disciples of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, we are going to prove that in the coming months! Salem is a church without walls.

Because we need to have efficient communication and decision-making, I have formed an Executive Lead Team. I have asked the chairpersons of the administrative committees to serve: Linda Curson (Ad Council); Dave Clark (past Ad Council); Mark Minger (incoming Ad Council); Dan Kendall (Trustees); Richard Pankey (Finance); Dave Jandik (SPRC); Dick Talbott (Lay Leader). Besides communication, we will be able to make necessary decisions quickly and lay the ground work for larger decisions. All major decisions, however, will be made by a church conference wherein all Salem members are invited to attend and vote. For instance, whether we return to our downtown location or move somewhere else will be decided by the congregation.

One of the ways I communicate with with this blog, a personal journal that includes links, images, videos, and gives you the opportunity to jump into the conversation by adding your own reflections and comments for me and others to read (you will need to sign in to leave comments). The blog site also keeps all the previous articles (called “posts” over there to the right), so it is an up-to-date listing of all that has been written. This is a great way to communicate quickly and efficiently. You can also subscribe to my blog (the simplest way uses your web browser). By subscribing, the new content of my blog is automatically “pushed” to you. Just scroll to the bottom of the blog and click on “subscribe to posts.” Then, whenever I add a new post (article, news, etc.) it will show up for you immediately. I won't have a new post every day, but I will post at least weekly or perhaps a couple of times each week and whenever we need to get some news out quickly.