Eastern Association News
January, 2008

FROM TOM’S TABLET

      2008 has arrived!  For many, a sigh of relief is shared so as to put behind them the many challenges that 2007 brought.  Others look to a new year as a time of new beginnings, building on the foundations that make those changes possible.  Still others look to avoid what new beginnings might mean - seeing change as something that will mean that things will never again be the same.  It becomes a matter of perspective.
    I'm with the middle category of seeing a new year as a time of new beginnings while building upon the foundations that make new life possible.  If things were to always stay the same, our lives in our communities of faith would be pretty boring and what I would term lifeless.  Obviously, the foundational aspects of our faith are firm and do remain the constants in our experience.  But we take those places and words that we have come to trust and use them to move out into the future with hope and promise.  God is always asking us to move in new directions as we seek to discern where our ministries are being led!  And if we are listening to that guidance and direction that are sent through the Holy Spirit, we will be attuned to the fact that change will be a part of our understanding of who we are to become.
    We know that the Illinois Conference is in such a time of discernment.  At the Annual Meeting of the Conference in June, 2007, a restructuring proposal was defeated by the delegates.  Since that time two of our Professional Staff members of the Conference Leadership Team (Rev. Mike Denton of CMA and Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman, our Conference Minister) have resigned in order to accept the call to serve in new Conferences.  The Conference is searching for an Interim Conference Minister and until that task is accomplished our Associate Conference Minister, Rev. Jorge Morales, has been asked to serve as Acting Conference Minister.  Rev. Rita Root, our Conference President since June, 2007, has resigned her position so as to accept the call to serve as the Interim Co-Minister for the Chicago Metropolitan Association along with Co-Minister Rev. Edward Goode.  Harold Harmison, who was the First Vice President of the Conference Council, now moves into the role of Conference President at the resignation of Rev. Root.   So, you can see that this is a significant time in the life of our Conference and our Associations as we all work together to take the foundations of our life together into the future so that we may hear God's call to serve in faithful and fruitful ways.  
    I would first like to ask of all of you that you keep this Conference and its leadership in prayer!  That is the first step toward discerning how we may move into new challenges and visions together.  I would also like to ask that you also discern in your own life how you can impact the work that we can do together.  The Conference, The Association, and each of your local churches depend upon the members who make up its core of disciples who seek to learn and grow as well as invite and sustain.  As God places challenges and visions before us, it's up to us to take our discernments and put into action the ministries that God is calling us to fulfill.  It is my prayer that 2008 will be a time for us to use the tremendous resources of leadership and energy that will lead us to "reform" the church for Jesus' sake!      

                                                                                                      Blessings,
                                                                                                      Tom Norwalk

     As a part of the contract for Professional Staff of the Illinois Conference, after five years of service each staff member is granted three months of sabbatical leave for refreshment and renewal.
     The second portion of Tom's Sabbatical experience will begin on the January 13th and will extend through the end of February in 2008.  Tom will be traveling from January 14th - 24th, 2008, with a group from United Theological Seminary in Minneapolis to visit Chiapas, Mexico.  This will  make connection with the work of the Maya Ministry Team of the Illinois Conference on which several of our Eastern Association members serve.  He will also be leading a group from St. John's in Mokena as they travel to Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, MS. to do hurricane recovery work.  Other sabbatical time will be devoted to personal and professional study and renewal.
     During this time away from the Association Office, other members of the Conference staff will be available to assist congregations with leadership needs.  Initial contact should be made through Linda Wagner, our Association Administrative Assistant - and she will make contact with appropriate staff members.