It creates a bit of cognitive dissonance to have the ending and beginning of your year in June.  Our inner calendars are so culturally conditioned that we wind down in December and gear up in January, but our Conference calendar has us winding down at Annual Conference in June and gearing up a week or so later.  For those who are moving it is obvious as you say goodbyes and literally begin again in a new place, but for those who are staying put it is harder to get our minds in the mode of starting over (especially in the summer when the program is gearing down).  However, the sending forth service at Annual Conference represents for us a renewed commitment to our covenant with God to serve the Church as instruments of grace and truth.  For those of us who are returning to our appointments, the summer is a good time for self-evaluation and planning for how we are going to get better as a leader.  We may be thinking (and needing) vacation, but I think we also need at least a couple of days of spiritual retreat and time to plan how we will be more intentional about improving our ministry.
    Last year we focused our life together on worship and fellowship.  This year we will be more intentional about sharpening our skills through shared learning.  At Camp Meeting, Creede Hinshaw is going to meet with us to talk about preaching skills.  In our District Meetings we are going to read four books through the year:  "Getting Things Done", "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team", The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Leader", and "Bearing Fruit".  In addition we have the Conference Connectional Ministry Team coming to do a District Wide training event for laity and clergy. 
    There is no substitute for effective clergy leaders in creating effective and growing congregations.  The growing crisis in the United Methodist Church demands we get better.  The stakes are to high and there is no place for us to simply mark time, do things the way we always did, or resign ourselves that we are in a hopeless situation.  As I now begin my second year on the District, I am challenged to find ways that I can contribute to your growth and effectiveness as well as that of our local churches.  I covenant with you to work as hard as I can to get better and to serve effectively.  I have been challenged recently by my own study and preaching of the story of the woman who anointed Jesus before his death and Jesus description of her, "She did what she could, when she could".  None of us want to come to the end of an appointment, a career, or a life knowing that we didn't do what we could for Christ with the opportunities and resources we have been given.  (you can find that sermon at the following link if you are interested:   go to www.wesleyssi.org/listen and click on May 29 "An Epitaph"). 
    I look forward to this new year together, as "Iron sharpens iron" may we sharpen each other to be the best we can be for Christ and the Church.

Blessings,
Ben

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