I was looking forward to the cake!

When Judy Bauer called me and asked what was my favorite cake, I knew that my send off would be a good one! But you, the members and friends of Brookfield Presbyterian Church, gave me a wonderful cake and so much more! Thank you for the terrific good-bye. As you know, going out to lunch is one of my favorite activities so the after-church luncheon was perfect. I have already used the GPS that you gave me. My favorite command on it is “Home.” No matter where I am when I push that button, it directs me to where I want to be. The gift cards will be used for some fun trips with my family. Most of all thank you for your kind words, thoughtfulness and presence. I will miss you, I will continue to pray for you and I feel blessed to have been with you. Blessings on your journey forward.

In gratitude,

Rev. Anne Fisher,
Pastor on the loose!

I Do!

January 10 was a great day for Brookfield Presbyterian Church. When Rev. Julie Peterson heard the election results to be called as the next pastor of BPC she enthusiastically said, “I do!”

The process of calling a pastor is similar to that of a couple courting. The Pastoral Nominating Committee and Julie tentatively met through the “dating service” of The Presbyterian Church Leadership Connection.  They got to know each other and discovered that theirs was a match made in heaven.  And now the congregation is part of that romance.

For couples who are about to tie the knot, the one who is to officiate the nuptials insists on pre-marital counseling. The marital statistics for success are a bleak. Too many unions end in bitter divorce. Even couples with the best intentions run into difficulties when the pressures become too great.

Ministry in the 21^st century has its own set of pressures. Being a small mainline church in the suburbs is not easy. We know that people do not flock to church simply because we are here. Going to church on a Sunday morning is no longer the preferred activity in our culture. There are many more distractions and things to do than to gather in worship. Churches face diminishing resources of members and funds. When the pressures pile up,  there is tendency to find fault and many times the first salvo of blame is lobed at the pastor.

My husband, Gregg, is a Marriage Counselor, which leads to some unusual conversations at the dinner table.  One time, when we were talking about churches and marriages he said, “You know marriages do not start out to fail, but when the pressures come, the first signs of distress are criticism and withdraw.”

I know Gregg speaks out of a sense of frustration because often couples come to him when they are long past those first signs. They come when critical words are the norm and one of the partners has already checked out, and so it is often too late.

Pastors and churches can follow that same path. Members start to become critical which makes the pastor less inclined to engage with the congregation, or members criticize each other only to make members not wanting to be active or take leadership roles.

As you begin your partnership in ministry with Julie, be aware of these symptoms of stress on the relationship and consciously turn your impulse to criticize into an inquiry of curiosity. If she does something that appears perplexing, don’t rush to judgment but ask her questions and then be open to learn from her why she is doing what she does.  And the times when it seems the easier route to back away, turn the tendency to withdraw into renewed interest in the ministry that you are doing together. It may be an opportunity to grow in faith.

The Session and The Presbytery is aware this union needs to be intentional in order to combat the pressures that churches and pastors face. They with Julie have committed themselves to fund and participate in a program called Starting Strong; Staying Strong. A consultant will be retained to work with the congregation, pastor, and leadership for the first 12-18 months of Julie’s ministry with BPC. The goal is to provide a solid foundation for a healthy ministry together. Through congregational listening times, coaching for Julie, and congregation and leadership training sessions, Starting Strong; Staying Strong will provide a base from which all parties be equipped with mutual understanding in order to do ministry together.

January 10 was a beginning to a beautiful relationship. The congregation and Julie both gave an enthusiastic, “I do!”  May that relationship grow and flourish.

Blessings to you in this wonderful new chapter of the mission and ministry of Christ,

Anne Fisher Interim Pastor

Angels Abound

As Interim Pastor, I am privy to some amazing acts of generosity by the friends and members at Brookfield Presbyterian Church. There are people who quietly give above and beyond. Some give to a particular project or event while others give a gift. All these angels are adamant about being anonymous in their giving. While honoring that anonymity, I feel there is a witness and grace to what they do that should be shared.

Some but not all of the anonymous gifts in the last year includes a generous $10,000 gift  at the end of 2008 which not only helped us to balance our year end but sent us into 2009 in much better shape. Another member quietly arranged for gift cards to be sent to certain church members to add a little extra to their holiday meals.  Other members saw to it that we had the Dixieland Jazz band for our outdoor worship and picnic.  This year’s garden project had many angels fluttering about so that our gifts to the food pantry could be maximized.  The 50^th anniversary Prelude Concert and celebration supper was underwritten thanks to a generous member.  Our Advent Devotionals were quietly given by yet another angel.  I hope more angels will come to the aid to help our continued 50^th celebrations and other activities in 2010.

These spontaneous gifts have enriched our life together. They have given us a boost when the way seemed uncertain.  My hope is that those who gave received a deep sense of pleasure in their quiet unexpected giving.   I am grateful for all those who add to our life as well as all the ones who help to keep the light bill paid and to keep the snow plowed.  The church is funded one year at a time, as we face the challenged of 2010, let us be grateful and mindful of the many hearts and hands and gifts that make that happen.

In one of my former churches, I was greeted one Sunday by the news that an anonymous donor paid off the $350,000 mortgage. This gift made it possible for the church to use the $10,000 a year budgeted for the mortgage to go to the mission and programs of the church.  At the time that this amazing gift was given, the church was at odds with each other.  I challenged the membership to treat every other member in church as if they were the quiet donor who made that gift possible.  Likewise I challenge each of you to do the same.  Treat each member and friend of Brookfield Presbyterian Church as if they were the quiet angel who has helped us along our way. Chances are, with so many angels a foot, you will be receiving an angel unaware.

May your Advent and Christmas be a source of comfort and delight.

Blessings,

Anne Fisher

Not looking for a Lone Ranger

I hate to admit it but I am old enough to remember watching the Lone Ranger on black and white television when I was young. I never quite got the mask thing, but and I did get that he would ride into a town and fix what was wrong and then leave shouting, “Hi Ho Silver and away!” I wondered what those poor town folks would have done had he not shown up to help them. I now wonder what they did after he was gone. Did they go back to their old ways which got them into trouble in the first place? Did they secretly think that if they got into another jam, he would come in again and fix everything? Did encountering the Lone Ranger reinforce their helplessness rather than help them solve their problems?

The Lone Ranger was a hero to many. But that model does not work very well in a church. We cannot rely on one or two people to make things better and then think that we can go back to the way things were. The Pastor cannot right the wrongs and the elders alone cannot make sure that the wrongs stay righted. It takes all the members working together to make things happen in a church. The challenges that we face cannot be fixed by a few. In other words a church cannot look for a Lone Ranger to save them. Instead churches need partners in ministry. Churches need commitments from all of the members to meet expenses, execute programs and act upon mission.

No one can do this ministry alone. We need each other to make ministry happen. Our Stewardship season underlines the need for everyone to help in the financial support of the church. Because of the economics of our time, some of us need to give more because there are others who have to pull back. We need each other to pitch in and help in our giving in our Fall Cleanup and with BLAST. Everyone has a part in the success or the failure of being Brookfield Presbyterian Church.

As we look at the coming year we cannot wait for new leadership to fix things or think someone else will step up, we need to work together to meet the challenges, right the wrongs and to make the difference. Please look into your hearts to see your part in making Brookfield Presbyterian Church better in its ministry.

If the new pastor arrives riding a white horse and wearing a mask tell them we’re not looking for a Lone Ranger but a partner in ministry.

Blessings,
Anne

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” I Corinthians 12:12

Some Thoughts on Generosity

My daughter-in-law, MaryAnn, who is also a Presbyterian minister, was musing about giving habits which got me thinking about the concept of generosity. By some statistics, the United States gives more to help others than other country in the world. About 35% of our giving goes to religious organizations. If we add our tax dollars for foreign aid to that mix, our generosity as a nation becomes quite impressive. We are a generous country.

When I think about generosity I come up with more questions than answers. I am glad we are statistically a generous people. Are we a generous people in our hearts? I think about the widow’s mite. Is our giving considered generous in proportion to what we have? Does it matter how much we give or is it more our attitude toward giving? Sometimes I give with the attitude of what is in it for me rather than giving without any thought of return. Sometimes I am more generous when I am able to see the end result than when I do not know where my giving will land.

Thoughts about generosity have stirred within me as the healthcare debate continues. How do our ideas of generosity fall within in our opinions regarding of healthcare? When does generosity and responsibility collide?

Rachel Remen writes in her book My Grandfather’s Blessings about learning as a child the different levels of charity. These are from the doctor and rabbi Maimonides. At the lowest and most basic level of charity, a man begrudgingly buys a coat for a shivering man who has asked him for help, gives it to him in the presence of witnesses, and waits to be thanked.

At the next level up, he does it without waiting to be asked for help.

At the next level up, he does it openheartedly, not grudgingly.

And so on, until we reach the top level of giving, the purest level, in which the man openheartedly gives his own coat away, without knowing who will receive it, and the man who receives it does not know who gave it to him. No showing off, no waiting to be thanked. A humble heart. A grateful heart.

The young Rachel said to her grandfather after hearing all this, “I will only do it the right way.”

Her grandfather’s eyes twinkled and he asked, “But here is a special sort of thing. Suppose we all gave as the first man did—self-interested, wanting credit for the exchange. Would there be more or less suffering in the world than there is now?”

Rachel was confused, but she said, “Less suffering.”

And her grandfather replied, “Yes. Some things have enough goodness in them that they are worth doing any way that you can.” [1]

As MaryAnn’s musings stirred some thoughts in me, I hope mine do the same for you. I would like to hear your thoughts on generosity.

Blessings,
Rev. Anne Fisher, Interim Pastor

[1] Rachel Reman, My Grandfather’s Blessings, 2000

How to Live Longer and Better

Summer is a great to time do a bit of extra reading. I recently finished The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner. Buettner is a journalist who worked with National Geographic traveling to different regions in the world where a high percentage of people were over 100 years of old and were living active lives. He, along with a team of scientists, interviewed centenarians in four areas of the globe, Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Loma Linda, California and a remote area in Costa Rica to find out their secrets to long life. Of course there is no set formula for living longer and better, but there were nine habits which they identified that these long and well lived people practiced. One habit was regular exercise another was their diet, eating less meat and more nuts. The one that struck me was that in each of the groups studied, the spiritual community was very important. Buettner writes, “Studies have shown that attending religious services-even as infrequently as once a month-may make a difference in how long a person lives.” (The Blue Zone p. 251.)

Buettner continues, “If you already belong to a religious community, take a more active role in the organization. The longevity-enhancing effect may be a function of how you attend rather than the fact that you just attend. Getting involved in activities like singing in the choir or volunteering might enhance well-being and possibly reduce mortality” (p.254.)

I find it fascinating that Buettner, a secular journalist, is encouraging people to be active in church. It made me think about the amazing people in our own church and in other churches I have served who refused to sit back and retire but continued to be active throughout their lives. One dear saint who I knew was in charge of the meals and hospitality following Memorial Services. She did so with compassion and commitment as she neared her late 80’s. Another faithful church member celebrated his 90th birthday at Boys and Girl’s Club in Chicago and became an honorary member of the Club because of all the hours he volunteered with that organization.

As Christians, we are assured of life eternal and therefore death is not something to fear. And yet with that spiritual underpinning, statistics find that our life here on earth is enhanced and we live longer because our connection with the spiritual community.

Buettner also remarked that in all the interviews he conducted with the 100+ year old folks around the world he writes, “There was not a grump in the bunch!”

Maybe we have found a new angle for inviting others to join us in church. Try it; you will live better and longer if you do!!

Blessings to you,
Anne

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” – Hebrews 12:1,2

Rev. Fisher’s Vacation

Rev. Anne Fisher is away on vacation June 21st through July 10th. For any member care concerns, please call the church office or your deacon. Mr. Mark Bedford and Rev. Wayne Peach are available for pastoral care as needed.

The Golden Anniversary

“First there was the land; three acres of it purchased by the Board of American Mission of the United Presbyterian Church in February 1957. Then there was a public meeting on January 24, 1960 for all persons interested in organizing a Presbyterian congregation. They met in Brookfield High School (now Brookfield Central). Then there was a church meeting in Dixon School with its first worship service held Sunday February 28, 1960. Rev. George C. Weinberg was called to serve as the organizing pastor and the Organizational Service was held June 5, 1960.” *

Seventy-one people signed their names to the original charter constituting Brookfield Presbyterian Church in 1960. Now, fifty years later, we celebrate the church and its impact on the members, the community and the world. Three events are scheduled over the next year to commemorate BPC’s Golden Anniversary.

The first will be celebrated with a choir concert at 4:00PM on October 11th, at the church. Under the direction of Dr. Wallace Cheatham, the choir will be comprised of former, current, and interested choir members. A soup and salad supper will be served following the concert.

The second celebration will take place during worship on February 28th. Join us as we go back to 1960 and remember gathering for worship in Dixon School. A catered lunch will be provided following worship.

The final celebration will be in June, 2010, that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the church’s commissioning. There will be an Ice Cream Social following a special worship service.

Why do people pour their hearts and minds and souls into a hope or a dream such as forming a new church? What made those seventy-one folks sign their names to a concept of a faith community? One answer is in what Jesus tells the disciples with the Great Commission. We are called to go out, to baptize, to teach and to remember. Like those seventy one organizing member fifty years ago, we too are called to follow what Jesus tells his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Please join us in our Golden Year.

Blessings,

Anne Fisher
Interim Pastor

*Taken from Our Second Mile written for the 5th anniversary of Brookfield Presbyterian Church

Watching our Garden Grow

I am excited about our Garden project at Brookfield Church! This is a subject of much amusement to my husband, the true gardener in our family. Up until last year, I did not have much interest in a garden or in growing anything besides a few perennials. He was the one who planned and planted our peach trees, grape arbor, raspberry bushes, and vegetable plot. I stood on the side lines and pleasantly cheered him on, but did not invest much else into his gardening projects.

Last year two things happened made that gave me a new found enthusiasm for our garden. First, we were facing the reality of paying for college and that made me look into ways we could save money. Instead of the historical “Victory Garden, we dubbed ours the “NYU” Garden. Second, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Her book chronicles a year in which her family tries to eat locally and the challenges and joy that they encountered. With my new found enthusiasm I took a special interest in our garden. The results surpassed my expectations. From August through November I daily ate something from the bounty of our harvest.

With more enthusiasm than expertise, I suggested the idea of a Garden at Brookfield Presbyterian Church. This time my motivation was not a college bound daughter but it was threefold: First, Mission- to give the bounty or the proceeds to help feed the hungry through the Waukesha Food Pantry. Second, Education- to help our members and neighbors understand the benefits of growing our own food and eating locally as well as to make aware the insidious problem of hunger in our midst. Third, Evangelism- to invite the neighbors and those who pass by to join our Garden project and to join us as we make a witness to God’s presence on this corner of Brookfield and Benington.

The response of the garden has again surpassed by expectation. People have joined the project with creativity, good humor, and a desire to serve. Others have donated plants and materials so that it will be a garden that that we are proud to tell neighbors and friends about. And it provides an energetic buzz throughout the congregation. Our donated banner invites all who pass by to COME GROW WITH US!

I would never have thought the idea of a vegetable garden in of the church’s front lawn would provide so many possibilities! Maybe that is what happens when the Holy Spirit takes hold of a group of church people! The next question is how will this garden grow? Stay tuned..

Blessings,

Anne