Janus
Janus is a great word (and a great backpack). In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of doors and passageways. He was depicted with a face on opposite sides of his head. He looked forward and backward.
A janus is a transition point. It’s a place where you look back and you look forward.
Restoration is at a janus. We are five years in to this life together. On January 25, 2009 we gathered for the first time in corporate worship. 5 years in, we are no longer a ‘church plant’. We are about to have a multi-million dollar facility that we need to steward. We have a critical mass of people who want to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus, who want to find friendship, who want to serve those who are most vulnerable. We are grateful for what has happened.
And we are anticipating what God will do in the next five years. We look backward and give thanks for God’s great faithfulness to us. We look forward with excitement about the thousands of lives who will intersect with our church in the years to come.
Our new vestry will meet for the first time tonight. They gather on the 4th tuesday of every month. This first one is always special as we get to know each other and figure out how the meetings will flow. We usually spend 4 hours together– starting with dinner, reading the Scriptures, praying for Restoration, working through business, and closing with Thanksgiving. The meetings are intense but the minutes fly by. I am grateful for how hard this team works.
On Friday, the vestry will slip away for our annual 24 hour retreat. We have spent almost 8 months working on a strategic plan for the next season of Restoration’s life and we are praying for clarity as we finish this document. Would you pray for unity around a North-Star-like goal that will guide our plans as we seek to face the critical issues that face Restoration.
We can’t wait to update you on this plan at our parish meeting on March 2, after our 5pm service. Please make plans to be there.
Give thanks to God for janus moments, for a strong vestry, and for a church that has been faithful in our first five years and is excited about the years to come.
-David
