March 3, 2012
-
Up way too early with much on my mind....
Up way too early on this Saturday morning....in fact, if you counted the "sleep in time" by my clock, I slept in a whopping 12 minutes.
It's going to be a long day.
Too much on my mind for it to rest and let me sleep. Lots of big issues and situations coming around all at the same time.
Our building is being renovated in the near future. This has required many of us to gaze into crystal balls (figuratively) and try to imagine the needs of our area for the next 30 years. Try that sometime. In a technology and print driven area like libraries, that requires an ability to guess the future. If you are old enough, think back to the last thirty years. Now try to imagine the types of changes the next 30 will bring. Then try to imagine how your space will be used. Try to imagine how to use that space and use it diminished by 40%. The space will become a multiple level library with an eye to the future. Decisions made now will have an impact far into the future. Just a little bit of pressure, wouldn't you say?
In meeting with the architects yesterday, major decisions were made, some of which I will have to live with. In certain things, the IDEA law (Americans with Disabilities Act) trumped other decisions. For example, anyone who works with teenagers knows that you do not leave them hiding places, and yet, to fulfill the requirements of laws, the new library will have just that....the design isn't what I would have liked but it was a matter of do it this way or have it the way you want but lose 12% of the shelving/storage space. It became a matter of what's best for the kids. In that realm, more room for storage/display trumped the design of the shelving. There are going to be multiple places for kids to hide, which will make policing the area more difficult. Tradeoffs. Thus, the pressure to do what is right for the common good.
Leaving that situation behind, today I turn to our church family and what the future of our linked churches can do or will have to do.
We're meeting today to decide the direction of our churches. We have declined in membership, as the area ages, young people leave for work opportunities and college. We were a parish of 4 churches, which may soon become 2. Financially, we cannot afford a full time pastor. We meet today to figure out with the church hierarchy just what our options are. This may also become a matter of doing what is right for the common good. And for the common faith.
Why do I think this may be harder?
Comments (4)
Those both sound like beautiful subjects for work and prayer - I hope the people-wrangling aspects (nor your lack of good sleep) don't weigh you down. I imagine that the increased openness and welcome towards folks with disabilities will more than outweigh the nefarious teenager activity. And much good can come of joining parishes and re-imagining how church is done (it's more than time for most of them to do so anyway.) Nonetheless those can be hard conversations. A good time to listen carefully as people air their fears, sometimes they need do so before they can embrace change.
Loved your last post as well ....just wanted to start there.
I'm seeing a lot of what you're experiencing with your church situation. I kind of think it's God's way of changing it/us so that (among many other things) we become more community minded and less institutionally minded. I kind of think we forgot how to do that along the way.
Blessings!
@gayXianmom - Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I will keep them to ponder.....
@BookMark61 - Thank you for commenting. I haven't been so deliberate in my posting lately and wasn't sure anyone was still out there. :>) You are right....God is moving...we just aren't sure of the path yet. We will get there....but we need to be careful in thought and prayer...
Boy, I'm glad it's you and not me making those library decisions. What are they doing with the two libraries? Are they still having two or combining (EEEEKKKK)? Did the architect still want to put in space for a card catalog? Remember how Peggy had to battle with them over that issue. I'm sure you will make good decisions in both of your conundrums. Little churches, little public libraries and little schools just can't seem to make it any more. Sad commentary, isn't it? Call me if you need help in the library design. I'm not an expert, but I still have lots of opinions, ha. Liz
Comments are closed.