Anyone have thoughts on how to get UMC membership books back into order from a state of general chaos? My secretary and I have been kinda sorta working on this for three years now, and I need a better strategy. There has been no chronological roll kept. If I want to start one, where do I start? Do I include in the chronological roll members who have died? We don't have family cards. We don't have a preparatory membership list. Chaos! Add to this the fact that our oldest membership book is in German (St. Paul's was an Evangelical United Brethren Church once upon a time, and was very German), and you get an idea of the mess we are in. Help appreciated!!
Sermon 11/26/17 Mark 1:1-8 Hope: A Thrill of Hope Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Is the glass of life half empty, or half full? My mom and I have gone back and forth about this a bit over the years. She’s wildly optimistic about most things, and sometimes I would say her optimism, her hopefulness borders on the irrational. If the weather forecast says there’s a 70% chance of a snowstorm coming, my mom will focus very seriously on that 30% chance that it is going to be a nice day after all. I, meanwhile, will begin adjusting my travel plans and making a backup plan for the day. My mom says I’m a pessimist, but I would argue that I’m simply a realist , trying to prepare for the thing that is most likely to happen, whether I like that thing or not. My mom, however, says she doesn’t want to be disappointed twice, both by thinking something bad is going to happen, and then by having the bad thing actually happen. She’d rather be hopeful, and enjoy her state of
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You could probably find someone prety cheap to start a fire in the church office that could be contained to a very small section of the office. Then come in just at the right moment and put out the fire before it gets out of control.
You look like a hero - excuse me - heroine. And the problem is solved. Ask everyone who attends if they are a member or not and start anew.
Can you tell I've thought long and hard about this..... :)
I know this isn't the answer you were hoping for, but I've got nothing better. I know just how you feel.
The church I attended most often in Albany actually had the problem of the membership books. Many were missing and those that weren't were either illegible, falling apart, or too old to really matter anymore. They basically did what bobm suggested and asked anybody and everybody if they were members (and if they knew of any members who didn't attend anymore and how to contact them).
A whole lot of people who attended regularly but never actually joined all ended up joining at one time, in fact, just so they could be on the new permanent books ... and we had a huge party as only UMs know how to have!
it always raises its head at the charge conference but... well I wonder what is the point ????