Victoria Shipmaker

Thanks for this! 

There is another perspective I would like to share.  There are many of us who love our church and denomination and yet are not in the loop as to what happens outside our Classis.  Though I attend Classis and sit on a committee, read the Banner and keep in touch on the Network I am often clueless as to what the full context is for the discussion.  As engaged as I try to really don't know anything about the workings of the executive and don't know the individual people involved.  Yet it is hard to be a passive observer when so much discussion is now available in an instance.

Open communication is great - but without context it can be very easy to take a side and make a judgement based on emotion and misunderstandings.  For those of us not quite in the loop we may need to watch ourselves so that we don't judge others based on our limited exposure to them whether via the Network or a meeting.  I would not want people to know me only based on a few heated words said in passion.  In context people understand that there is more grace and kindness to me then what I may be showing in the moment :)

I will pray for the continual healing of the hurt that I have been hearing through different channels and to watch myself before I jump to judgement.

Blessings, Victoria

Fantastic idea for those churches that have some suitable land.  People are turning more towards scattering and natural burial.  I'm not sure how many congregations are ready to have these discussions though.  I'm interested to see what others think.