Becoming the Presbytery Owl

 

Lately, I have been putting effort into writing vision and job descriptions for the Presbytery Owl…which, it turns out, is one of the roles I have been asked to play for the presbytery.  Writing vision descriptions is necessary, because the presbytery voted in October to reduce my work to 10 months per year.  It has become necessary to define which roles the executive presbyter will play in presbytery leadership, and which he (I) will not.  Since the first of those blocks of time away from the office will be this month, it is high time to decide on what ministry roles the executive presbyter shall fulfill. That is the role of the vision description.  A job description describes the duties included in fulfilling that vision. 

According to the Presbytery Leadership Team the executive presbyter is called to play two roles within the life of the presbytery.

First, the executive presbyter is to serve as pastor to the presbytery.  This means that the executive presbytery is to serve

·      as pastor-to pastors,

·      as first responder, along with the stated clerk, to crises and problems as they arise in the presbytery.

·      as the “face” of the presbytery, showing up in each region and helping interpret the mission of the presbytery,

·      spending two weeks out of eight on-site in the villages pursuing specific goals.

·      and as holder of the presbytery vision when staffing committees.

It is when we talk about the second role the executive presbyter plays that we find ourselves describing the Owl to the Presbytery.  The executive presbyter is not caught up in one congregation or community, or even just in our presbytery.  The executive is to rise up and look at the big picture, as if from an altitude, and asked to challenge the presbytery to not lose its own perspective on what God is doing. 

Some scholars [like Ron Heifetz] call this “leading from balcony space.”  However, the Joint Parish members commented in February that “balcony space” was truly not descriptive in a land with almost no balconies; they wanted a better definition for this role than that.  As that conversation progressed, one person finally spoke up and said this is more like the owl.  It hovers over the tundra with sharp eyes and sees with wisdom.

Since then, different groups have thought about the executive presbytery filling the role of Owl to the Presbytery and have shared some creative thought on how this image helps the presbytery.  I want to share some of that creative thinking. \

Before I do, though, let me share one personal thought:

I have never really liked the title executive presbyter.  I always have to explain what it means, and the explanation is not very exciting.  However, given the two roles the Leadership Team has asked me to play, I have been toying with the title Pastor and Owl to the Presbytery.  Now that is a fun title!  Anyone want to add it to our personnel list?

Living the Solutions

Living the Solutions
Garden Ministry at Immanuel
Immanuel Presbyterian Church of Anchorage recently met to discuss putting legs on their vision statement for ministry.  One ministry they have decided to design is some form of Church Garden ministry.

Nationally, garden ministry has been gaining attention as it allows the church to reach out in ministry to people beyond the local church, especially low income people who do not own land.  Some of the benefits of garden ministry include these:

• Garden ministry increases family independence by allowing people to grow their own food;
• garden ministry helps congregations to connect with low income people an form better relationships in life and ministry;
• and garden ministry increases helps congregations to learn and teach about the environmental value of growing food locally (no CO2 emissions for transportation), as well as methods for growing things in more environmentally friendly ways than what happens in most commercial farming.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church has only just decided to begin designing their own Garden Ministry approach.  This year, they hope to continue developing the plan, and to make the preparations needed to be ready for next year's growing season.    

Building with Local Materials--Clay Straw-build at Bioshelter
Experiments on living into sustainable life can sometimes result in a more efficient and comfortable life, as well.  That is the hope of Cindee and Curt Karns at the Alaskan EcoEscape Bioshelter and Permaculture Center.  This summer they are offering classes on building with locally harvested clay and straw.

The classes will offer a "hands-on" learning experience at the Bioshelter near Eagle River.  Participants will learn about the breathability, thermal mass value, and ecological benefits of clay construction. They will then practice, first by making the clay slip and adding the components necessary for proper construction, and then by acutally constructing a wall in a new, clay-straw greenhouse.

The first class will be June 1 and 2.  The instructor will be the well-known clay-straw builder, Lasse Holmes of Homer.  Classes with Lasse Holmes cost $250 for the weekend.  There are still two slots open

A number of participants indicated they could not come on that date.  Therefore, a second class will be held on June 8-9.  Cindee Karns will be the instructor, following Lasse Holmes' teaching.  Classes with Cindee Karns cost $50 for the weekend.

For information on the classes, email: alaskanecoescape@yahoo.com

For a meditation on how the Karnses see this as a response of faith, see Curt's Blog From the Bioshelter, reflecting on the Lord's Prayer and Philippians 4:8.

http://curtkarns.blogspot.com/

Earthcare Concern
NOAA--400 ppm CO2 -- May 9 marked the first time in millions for so much greenhouse gas
One of the most important faith issues of our day: how will humanity respond to the catastrophic impact humanity's current lifestyle is having on life today, and will have for future generations.  In Alaska Kivalina, Nowtok and Koyukuk already stand as poster-children for the impact it is having in our own state.  But the projected impact on all life in the lifetimes of young people alive today, and for their children, is hard to believe.

http://researchmatters.noaa.gov/news/Pages/CarbonDioxideatMaunaLoareaches400ppm.aspx

Since Earthcare is the most urgent global concern for people of our generation, this blog would love to hear what disciples of Jesus Christ are doing to live into a different, life-sustaining way of life.





Possibilities for the Future
The Economics of Happiness is an informative video exploring economics that do not exploit or overconsume land or people.  The video has become available on a pay-per-view basis through VIMEO. 

Although The Economics of Happiness is not from an explicitly Christian source, it is a thought provoking video.  The video can be used by groups interested in exploring the signs of the times we are in, and interesting possibilities for the future.

Changing Things Up

 

This week marked a major change for the Presbytery of Yukon.  April 30 was Jan Burger’s last day as administrative assistant, and May 2 marked the first day for Melissa O’Malley to be the new voice and the face that greets you from the presbytery office.  To be sure, Melissa actually began on April 12, and Jan has been training her since.  Still, April 30 felt like the true boundary moment—a true changing of the guard. 

The Personnel Committee and office staff held a retirement party for Jan on her last day.  Thirty people gathered in the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage to celebrate Jan’s nine years of service in the presbytery office.  There was lunch and prayer and symbolic gifts and stories, as we celebrated Jan’s graceful presence in the office, and her faithful work that helped the ministry in so many ways.

One turn of events added an ironic twist to the whole event.  The Personnel Committee arranged for a piece of walrus ivory artwork to come from the village of Gambell as a gift for Jan.  The gift did not make it by party day!  Somehow, this seemed rather humorous, given how many times Jan has made arrangements for many of us, or for our supplies, to travel only to discover that the weather preempted her best scheduling.  Such is life and travel in the Presbytery of Yukon.

Melissa comes to us from Eagle River.  She is Southern Baptist, so she is scrambling to learn what Presbyterians mean when they talk about Teaching Elders, Ruling Elders, and other such jargon.  However, Melissa wanted a part-time job that would allow her to serve God through God’s church and to be home with her kindergarten-age child for a good part of the day.  The Presbytery of Yukon administrative assistant position makes a good fit.

However, Melissa was not hired to do exactly the same job Jan has been doing.  The Presbytery voted in October to change the job from a 20 hour per week job to 12 hours per week.  With this in mind, Melissa’s main roll in the presbytery office will be to facilitate communication through appropriate technologies, and to serve as travel hound dog for the presbytery—that’s my term, not the personnel committee’s J.

Cutting the Administrative Assistant’s hours will mean a number of changes.  Probably what will be most noticeable at first will be that Melissa only works three days per week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  For those who travel to presbytery, you will also notice that Melissa will not normally be present at face-to-face meetings of presbytery. 

All of this will require some adjustment from all of us. For instance, you can still call the presbytery office on Mondays and Wednesdays and leave a message.  Sharon or Mary or I will check for messages regularly, so that we can reply to your needs as promptly as we can.  However, we ask that you bear with us as we all begin to learn new patterns for working together.

If you get a chance, please send Melissa a call or email to welcome her into this work through the Presbytery office.   Her email address is the same one Jan has been using: office@pbyukon.org.

Peace,

Curt Karns