We joined LCC in 1995. We were new to the suburbs and Tommy had just been born, with Maddie soon to follow.  Between starting a new business and starting a family, time was scarce and church/church activities weren’t always the top priority.  We had some involvement, but it was probably best described as passive.

That continued for many years – we came when it was convenient, had good but superficial relationships, and were generally happy with the situation. But then Pastor Dave retired and the church struggled for a few years. It was a period of uncertainty, departures, and unrest. 

We considered looking for a new church in town, one where the kids would have lots of school classmates and there was more stability.  The greener grass on the other side of the fence. And then it finally dawned on me – I had become a user of the church, not a member of the church, and was really just on the outside, looking in. I had contributed financial support, but what had I done to try and help the other issues? Not much. Before running from the problem, I realized I had a responsibility to become more involved.

We started by teaching children’s Sunday school – a fun and rewarding way to get involved and be with your kids at the same time. That also helped us get to know the other parents a little better, and the curriculum has always been easy to follow. 

Since that time, I’ve also been privileged to be on the LRP committee and Council. I never thought I had time for this, but now I realize that time wasn’t the issue, it was my priorities that were the issue. There are still many things that compete for my time, but now church is more balanced in that competition.

As a result of my involvement, I’ve found that I have deeper relationships here at LCC, I have a higher sense of belonging, and I have a much better appreciation of the challenges of keeping a healthy church and the role each of us plays in that endeavor.

Council has been involved in the Natural Church Develop-ment process, with a focus on "Empowering Leadership." We have been working on enhancing programs, creating more fellowship opportunities, and making it easier to get involved on committees and activities. We are hopeful that we will see some new people with fresh ideas this fall as the nominating committee gears up for 2007.

We are fortunate to have so many wonderful people that volunteer so much of their time and talent to make LCC a better place, and a fantastic staff that coordinates everything. If you are like me and feel stretched thin on time, perhaps a little shifting of priorities is all that is required. They can use our help, and I’m sure you will benefit personally as well.

It's kind of ironic that I set out to help fix things and be a part of the solution, only to realize that what got fixed was me! And I found the grass is pretty green on this side of the fence.