ITLOTC
(In the Life of the Church)
(I would like to say a word of thanks to Craig for writing this blog with care and passion while I have been gone.)
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown
Philippians 4:1
My latest Netflix has splurge has been The Wonder Years. I remember watching it as a kid, then again my senior year of high school when I'd come home from Lindsay's house in the evenings and now I'm watching it again. Each time it seems to teach me something new, undoubtedly true because I've changed, not the show. The Wonder Years most notable character is Fred Savage, but I think that the show is consistently stolen by a face we never see. Daniel Stern is character you probably best know as Marv Merchants, one of two burglars who was twice warded off by the defensive prowess of Macaulay Culkin in the Home Alone films. But Stern is also the narrator in The Wonder Years. He is the voice inside Kevin Arnold's head.
One reason I find Stern's role so vital to the show is because he helps see the world of Kevin vividly. When Stern speaks, we listen. The pitch of his voice teaches us to tune in. When he interrupts the dialogue we know to listen closely because there's usually some kind of life lesson about to unfold.
I don't think it was intentional but at some point in my own journey I let Stern's voice become my narrator as well. Like Kevin I would rehearse life's lessons in my head and often I heard Stern making sense of things for me. It'd be his voice that sealed the most important truths in my mind.
One of those timeless truths I learned from my father. He used to consistently tell me that "people are your treasures." Whenever I would be tempted to lose sight of the fact that people were what mattered most, Stern's voice would interrupt my thought pattern and remind me that "people are your treasures."
This summer I was given an incredible gift by this community. A chance to rest. When you rest, great things can happen. You have time to pay attention to yourself. You begin see more clearly. Anxiety begins to fall away. Wounds become exposed... it's a chance to get healthier. You see your failures more clearly... you see your successes more clearly... you are given a chance to be more honest about yourself. You get time to see what matters. You are given a chance to hear Stern's voice remind you that "people are your treasures."
I got to do and see so many thing this summer. I could probably write about those experiences for a year. I went to Montana, Yellowstone, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Ireland and so many places in between. I got to see old friends. I got to remember, process, forgive, move on, recharge, rest and renew.
Interestingly before this summer I had only ever been out of United States once. A fishing trip to Ontario before 9-11. It barely felt like I left the country. Because of this I think my expectations for the places I was going were very large ... maybe even bit unrealistic.
I want to tell you about a Stern moment I had on my Europe trip. About half way through I was in London. By this point I had seen the best Italy had to offer including St. Pete's, Vatican City, the splendor of Rome, vast portions of the country side, Lake Como, and the southern foothills of the Alps. I had seen most of Switzerland with it's sleek cities and breathtaking glacial lakes fixed in the Alps. I had seen about half of London including Parliament, Westminster Cathedral and Abbey, the Shard, and St. John's Cathedral. Towards the end of my second day in London I made my way to Buckingham palace. It was nice. The guards were entertaining, but to be honest it just looked like another building. I don't blame Buckingham Palace. I was tired, hungry and beginning to miss my family acutely.
Buckingham Palace is nestled between two beautiful municipal parks. My exhaustion was an excuse to make my way across the street to St. James Park Lake. There I found an interesting piece of architecture that can best be described as a fountain of sorts. It looked like a half diamond sticking out of the ground with a thin layer of water running across it. A few tourists had taken of their sandals to rest their feet in the fountain. I joined them.
I was there for about 20 minutes when I noticed a little girl who began to play in the water. And in that moment something happened to my heart. Perhaps it was because I was missing my two little girls thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, but in that moment the truth of Genesis 1:27 was confirmed. It was Stern who whispered it my head "in His image he created them."
I think it is a special grace when we further understand one of God's truths. As I watched that little girl play I realized that she had done more for my heart than any building and landscape that I had seen in Europe. People are your treasures.
Scholars guess that Paul wrote Philippians while sitting on the floor of Roman prison cell awaiting a verdict. We hear it in his uncertainty in chapter 1. "I don't know if it's better to be here with you or with Jesus." Both real possibilities for Paul. But it is from there that he affectionately calls his community "my joy and my crown."
I never had paid much attention to Paul's salutations, but as I was away from our community with time to reflect on all of you and be thankful for you, Paul's pining began to make more sense to me and take on new life.
The people of UBC are it's greatest treasures, and I am so excited to be back with you. See you Sunday!
This Sunday
As our veterans know this Sunday is the first Sunday back with Baylor students. Please be generous and eager help those who may need it.
HR and Finance Teams
We are approaching that time of year when some of our faithful members of both the human resources and finance teams are due to rotate off. As such we are looking for capable and willing UBCers to step and replace those people.
We are looking for 1-2 new human resource team members and 1-2 new finance team members.
Interested persons in either serving or nominating another UBCer should email josh@ubcwaco.org
A description of each role and the qualifications for each have been copied form our bylaws and pasted below.
Human Resources
The Human Resources/Staff Support Team shall exist for the following purposes:
- To establish procedures for the hiring of ministerial and non-ministerial staff, and to enact those procedures when advised by Leadership Team to do so.
- To advise Leadership and Finance teams on issues regarding long-term staff needs.
- To create and implement staff review procedures.
- To advise Leadership and Finance teams on matters regarding staff compensation, benefits, grievances and termination.
- To be a liaison between the congregation and staff during times of conflict after all attempts at personal, one-on-one resolution has been made.
- HR/Staff Support Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for no less than one year, have received a bachelor’s degree (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in personnel management, ministry, or other related field,) and have a demonstrable understanding of organizational management.
Finance
Purpose. The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:
- To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church.
- To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.
- To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.
- To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.
- To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.
- To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.
- Qualifications. Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.
Work is Worship 8-24-14
Mug Cleaners: Kayla Larvins & Michael Scott
Greeters: Paul & Linda Taft
Coffee Makers: Logan & Allyson Bayer
Leadership Team
If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members.
Chair: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com
Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net
Kaley Eggers: kaley.eggers@gmail.com
David Wilhite: david_wilhite@baylor.edu
Jamie McGregor: jameson.mcgregor@gmail.com
Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu
Teri Walter: terijan@gmail.com
UBC Finance Team
Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.
Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu
Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com
Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com
Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu
Tom McCarty: tomjmccarty@gmail.com
UBC HR Team
If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.
Lacy McNamee: Lacy_McNamee@baylor.edu
Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu
Jeff Walter: jeff_walter@baylor.edu
Michael Heins: mheins@hot.rr.com