Dear Friends:

May was a month when we celebrated the confirmation of seven students.  This was their passage into full membership in Christ’s Church.  They are now adult members who have willingly accepted all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of membership – voting at congregational meetings, becoming a member of one of the church’s commissions, giving of themselves in various ways to the life of the church, and, being a conscious disciple of Jesus Christ among God’s people here and throughout the world.

This past month they worked on their statements of faith, which was an insert in the bulletin on Confirmation Sunday (May 22).  The writing of that statement took place over a period of meetings between the students and their mentors, who helped formulate their thoughts and beliefs into words.  They met with the Session to present their statements and discuss them.  And, finally, they stood before you, the congregation, and professed their faith.
This past month was a month of Teaching Moments for many of us, confirmands and adult members alike.  Jesus used such moments to teach some of his most meaningful and complex life issues, often using the tool of parable to convey the lesson.

Paul Cunningham, an organizational expert for denominations and congregations, has written about some organizational teaching moments, which I’ve adapted to the local church and individual members.  Here are some teaching moment opportunities for you to consider:

• Teaching moments can happen anytime, anywhere.
• Teaching moments are interactive in nature and allow/expect questions to be asked and, more importantly, answers to be heard.
• Teaching moments can help set the tone to a relationship.
• Teaching moments can help people “see and understand” another viewpoint in a constructive and non-threatening way.
• Teaching moments can provide an atmosphere for “ah-ha” moments to arise and become puzzle-solving experiences.

When you take a moment to welcome these seven young people into full membership in the church, I hope you will consciously take time for it to be one of many a teaching moments. It may just astound you at how much you can take away from that conversation.

                                                                       
Have a great day and a wonderful teaching moment,