Church Conference: Wins

Dear Minooka UMC Found Family,

Church Conference was a success! We gathered last week for, as Methodists have historically called it, Holy Conferencing. Meaning it was more than a business meeting. 

Though it was a business meeting too. We handled all the required items:

—We passed our 2026 budget

—We elected our chairpersons and members of committees

—We affirmed our Certified Lay Speaker Chris Vause and Local Lay Speaker Kim Nave

—We approved my compensation package. Thank you! I truly enjoy being your pastor and it is a privilege to do so as my full time job. 

More than anything else, however, we spent time celebrating ways the love of God encountered in Jesus has transformed our lives and the lives of others in our congregation and throughout our community. 

I asked our committee chairpersons and the leaders of our various ministries to offer a narrative reflection on these three questions: 

1) We’ve celebrated wins all year. As you look back over your ministry in 2025, what wins stand out the most?

2) We’ve adopted an attitude of experimentation. As you look back over your ministry in 2025, what challenge stands out?

3) We continue to be people guided by hope. As you plan your ministry for 2026, how will you embody hope?

I encourage you to pick up a copy of the 2025 Church Conference report to read all their inspiring responses. I’ll use the next couple weeks to share my answers here, beginning with that first question about wins. 

There are so many wins, I cannot pick just one. A win is all the people who started regularly participating in Sunday worship services over the last year. We have seen 30 people attending consistently. Some we see exclusively at worship experiences; some joined small groups; some led events; some became members; and some will join committees in 2026. There were Sundays I looked out at our congregation and realized that one-quarter, or even one-third, of those present started attending in the last year. 

Another win is all the special projects we accomplished in the last year: opening our North Wing fellowship area; upgrading our video camera and media center; and installing our amazing new electronic sign. Each project enhances our ministry. For example, a teen recently attended our Youth Group because she saw it advertised on our sign! 

Yet, all three project are also still works in process. We need to procure appliances to finish the kitchen. We are still experimenting with how to best integrate our new camera and equipment with our existing soundboard and equipment. We continue learning about and utilizing our sign’s full capabilities.

Another aspect of this win is that all three of those projects were made possible through the inspiring generosity of our congregation.
Inspiring generosity is the final win I must highlight. Our Finance Committee and Church Council were concerned when giving and gathering dipped in April and May. If that trend continued, it would put our finances in dire straights. However, following testimonies by Shari Millard and Gordon McCoy that were at once reasonable and impassioned, both gathering and giving rebounded very well throughout the summer. We went from scarily underwater in May to receiving more than we spent in both August and September! The generosity of our congregation is truly inspiring and so very appreciated. 

Plotting Goodness,
Pastor Dave