Problems resolve themselves

(Project #1 will be in the next post).

I was worrying, back last month or so, about the Elder situation at church - one of our very regular, very reliable people (my friend, who is still hanging on, but still having health issues) had to bow out because of all the health issues. And another person, who uses a wheelchair but has some mobility (v. limited) to walk said he could no longer manage the stairs and asked to "retire."

So we were down to five people. I floated the idea, but then weather problems prevented me from ever bringing it to the Board (December's meeting was postponed until after I had left, and I missed this month's meeting, thanks to the Polar Vortex) of us going to one elder, rather than two, at the table.

My attitude was, and I actually told the secretary this: "If people don't like it, then people who can elder and have turned the Nominating Committee down, they need to step up and do it. Especially if they're the ones unhappy." And she agreed with me.

But, as I said, I never got the chance to float the idea. (Five elders is too few to have two at the table every week. Especially when a couple of them have to travel occasionally for their work)

Well, I guess sometimes if there's meant to be a solution to a problem, and you can't see it, it will present itself.

A couple in the church (they wish to remain anonymous, but I have a strong hunch as to who, not that it matters) donated a grand piano to the church. The most logical place to put it was right in front of the choir loft....where the communion table was.

As a result of the board's approval of accepting the piano, they also approved the idea of moving the communion table down to the floor - on a level with the congregation, which means there are no more steps to be mounted in order to serve. (My parents' church has had this arrangement for years).

I hadn't thought of that or suggested it as I thought the issues with people feeling physically unable to be elders were more than just "I can't climb the steps." But. The church secretary told me yesterday that two people who had resigned from eldering (including one who had asked to step down several years ago) had mentioned that they might be able to do it again. I'm going to e-mail them each this week and verify that, and also see where they want to go in the schedule. If the secretary is correct, that means the problem is partially solved. (It would still be ideal to have more elders, and especially to have a head elder - I am nominally it - who is less busy than I am and who is better at doing things like visiting the shut-ins.) This also may mean that one or two of those who turned down being nominated in the past might be willing to serve.