FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP

When the honeybee queen dies, the worker bees in the hive immediately take steps to ensure the colony's survival by raising a new queen. The process involves choosing a suitable larva and feeding it a special diet that no other larvae receives. It is known as royal jelly. This royal jelly is the nutrient needed to become a queen, and it is only this selected larva to receive it.

Honeybees have always fascinated me. There are many different roles that the worker bees take to keep their hives alive and flourishing. A worker bee can be on housekeeping duty, brood care (care of the larvae), attendants to the queen, guard duty, and comb building to name a few. The bees also switch their roles during their life.

This honeybee process reminds me of being a member of a church. The church is like the hive. The members are the worker bees, and the queen is the pastor. It is our role to do the everyday work that needs to be completed to keep the church running and successful. Do you know all the roles that need to be completed to keep your church running smoothly? There is the maintenance of the church, housekeeping, taking care of plants/flowers out front, stewardship, consistory, worship committee, education committee, and visiting ministry to name a few. Do you know how the church gets decorated for the holidays? Who updates the altar for the differnet church seasons or how are the candles filled with oil? Have you ever thought about who decorates the different bulletin boards in the church? Who helps to get the newsletter sent out or pays the bills or keeps our budget on par?

The list above can go on and on. I ask, what is your role? God has given us all a spiritual gift or two. These spiritual gifts fit into many roles that need to happen not only to keep us running smoothly daily but to ensure that it will be here in the future. The time commitment for these different roles is as different as the roles themselves but I assure you, there is a role for everyone.

The pastor (queen bee) is no longer with us and the search committee is doing their role in finding us a new pastor. This is a long process, and we are only in the beginning stages of the process. So, I ask my fellow worker bees...What role are you willing to take to keep Your church running smoothly? Remember, be the church so the church can continue being here for you, your family and your community in the future.

Blessings from your Consistory President

Heather Stone

1 Peter 4:10-11 "All believers have received at least one spiritual gift from God, and they are not to hoard these gifts but use them faithfully as stewards of God's grace."