Dear Caldwell,
My main purpose in writing is to ensure that “the word” gets out to all who may not have been in church Sunday or read my newsletter column in the latest edition of the Caldwell Good News! So, below, I include that newsletter column that includes updates on the news about Caldwell House and Rev. Veronica Rogers’ recent announcement.
Also, because some of you have asked, I’ve finally gotten my sermon from last Sunday posted here.http://www.caldwellpresby.org/docs/sermons2012/120916_Poverty_Partiality_Problematic_Piety.pdf
If you have any questions about the content of the column below, don’t hesitate to call. (The rest of the newsletter will be posted on caldwellpresby.org tomorrow.) Otherwise, I will be in touch tomorrow.
In Christ, John
Newsletter column – September 2012
A year ago, when we mapped out the various activities of our Centennial year, the Centennial Committee, the Session and I agreed that these months of September through December would be a good time for thinking, praying and discernment about what comes next for Caldwell.
Our Centennial began with 7 months of looking back and learning more about the 100-year history of the church, trials and triumphs included. Next, we spent the summer looking at some current issues facing society and the church, including immigration and economic apartheid. Then, it seemed only appropriate that we would ask: Where might our Lord be leading Caldwell in its second century?
We didn’t know then how appropriate that question would turn out to be. Now, in the providence of God, we are being given more and more to think and pray about relative to 2013 and beyond.
A few weeks ago, Rev. Veronica Rogers informed us that she feels called to restructure her life to spend more time with family. Veronica’s season as a minister among us has been one of blessings too numerous to count. I join you all in being grateful that she will continue to minister where until early December. In the meantime, the Session will begin considering the church’s needs and the best and highest callings for where we might focus a second pastoral role at Caldwell.
But, as significant as that set of decisions is, it seems that is not all that we being called to consider. Last week, the Salvation Army, our partners in Caldwell House, informed me of their decision to wind down the operations of Caldwell House by the time our current funding ends in March 2013. While we had discussed extending our partnership until at least December 2014, changes in federal and local funding parameters have made it much harder to raise money for transitional shelters such as Caldwell House.
This news hits many of us almost as hard as Veronica’s announcement. Since its unexpected creation from scratch in August 2010, Caldwell House has become a central ministry that enables us to walk with women in need.
We have formed lasting relationships with current and past residents, whom we have seen successfully get their lives back on track and move into independent housing. We helped create a network of supporters, including businesses, churches and other volunteer groups. Together these partners have provided tens of thousands of individual night stays at Caldwell House along with hundreds of meals, dozens of self-improvement class hours, devotions and other activities. These activities will continue through March 2013, so it’s important that we keep that vital ministry strong until then.
As you know, Caldwell is also conducting a search for a new Music Director, someone who will play a key role in helping shape our worship and contributing to the staff and vision for the church. To add one more set of considerations, major funding challenges have postponed the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool’s ability to open classes at Caldwell this fall. Caldwell had applied for a $360,000 grant from the denomination to up-fit the Price Building for the preschool. We did not get the grant. We remain committed to the preschool, we cannot be certain what the future holds for our partnership as it relates to our campus.
The Book of Proverbs tells is that “for everything there is a season,” as Veronica cited in her recent letter to the congregation about her decision. Now it seems, God is calling Caldwell into an even deeper time of discernment, a time of prayer and openness to new possibilities.
I know that mourning comes with change, especially with change to things that matter to us. But when that mourning is over there is always the hope that comes with new possibilities for those who seek our Lord’s guidance with humility, integrity and true openness to what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.
I truly believe that describes the people of Caldwell.
May God go ahead of us and lead us toward God’s will for us and those we serve in the name of Christ.