On our home wall next to the coat closet is a frame with the following text; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The verse is Jeremiah 29:11 and “plans” occurs three times in that short verse. It’s a reminder for me each time I leave the house that God is a benevolent planner. While God was directing this message to the whiny prophet Jeremiah, I believe that God has no less of a plan for the rest of us.
Our Presbytery has plans that we attempt to discern with God’s help. So, who am I to bring you an update on our plans? I’m Michael McLane, a Ruling Elder from Trinity in Arvada, and 2021 is my 4th year serving on Council. I Co-Chair the Relations & Communications Workgroup and previously served on Committee on Ministry and was a Commissioner to General Assembly for Denver Presbytery. I’ve been an appointed Commissioner from Trinity for many years after adopting this Presbyterian denomination. My wife and I moved to Denver in 2005 after growing up in the Reformed Church of America and serving as an Elder, Deacon, and Lay Worship Leader. Serving in the church has been a significant focus in my life. Obviously, God had that plan for me, despite my whining.
In my career, I spent a lot of time planning and I can tell you from my experience that plans are needed to accomplish all but the simplest of efforts. But plans need to adapt when unexpected forces erode the assumptions that are foundational to that plan. We had a plan, and then 2020 changed our “normal.” So, our plan has changed. Rev. Justin Spurlock, our 2020 moderator, outlined that transition two weeks ago in his update message to you.
Justin presented the new plan for a Vision Nominating Team and outlined their role to nominate members for a Vision Construction Team. That nominating plan has already produced the anticipated fruit and is about to conclude with the introduction of the Vision Construction Team members to Presbytery. And here is something you don’t hear every day; that nomination team, while being keenly focused on representation dynamics of gender, geography, etc., as well as the need to work with haste, had fun!
The nominated Vision Construction Team consists of Rev. Paula Steinbacher, Rev. Lemuel Velasco, Elder Daphne Rice Allen, Rev. Chris Spotts, Rev. John Yu, Rev. Russ Kane, Elder Kendal Mullins, and Elder Rob Habiger. Elders + pastors, city + rural churches, female + male, older + younger, all accepted the invitation and all are ready to craft the vision and strategy for our road ahead, and create a job description for our next Presbytery Leader. Council appointed each of the above to the Vision Construction Team at a special called meeting on Tuesday, January 19th and is looking forward to introducing them to you at our Stated Assembly on the evening of Tuesday, January 26th. You’ll want to be there to share in this initial opportunity to think about and consider our future together.
There is more to our plan than appointing teams to undertake focused task(s). Council approved a series of efforts and actions that outlined in a timeline that you can review here. The plan isn’t cast in stone and we will continue to tweak and revise it as circumstances and opportunities become apparent. It is divided into six chapters: Onboarding, Speed of Trust, Curate and Generate, Tangibilitate, Traction, and Installation. While the chapter titles may not give you an immediate understanding of the plan, it is a short, two page read that you can review at your leisure.
I invite you to review the first two chapters, Onboarding, and Speed of Trust. We have already completed Chapter 1, Onboarding. That was primarily focused on engaging with our consultant, Corey Schlosser-Hall, Council, and staff in defining the activities and timeline for the plan.
Chapter 2 titled Speed of Trust is where we are currently engaged. I found that title a bit odd at first since I find trust to be something that grows out of repeated experience with someone or something. However, in reading through the chapters details, I find that it really is addressing that same repeated experience needed for me to build trust. That plan includes this update as well as the previous update you received from Justin. It means you’ll continue to receive updates from other Council members. It means that we’ll meet, COVID safely, to present what we know and listen to your questions and concerns. It means that we are being purposeful in making the process and plan an open book. It means that we want you to join with us on this journey, our journey.
Change is hard. Not knowing what is happening is frustrating. We’ll do what we can to help alleviate the frustration of not knowing. And if you can resonate with God’s message to Jeremiah, maybe you can find solace in the difficulty of this change. God does have a plan for Denver Presbytery.
Grace to you,
Ruling Elder Michael McLane
Denver Presbytery Council