LCH Stewardship 2012—Temple Talk by Josie Bidgood

It is a privilege to be able to speak briefly to you today about the kickoff of our church’s two-year capital campaign. As you are aware, the goal is to raise $250,000 so that we can refurbish the rear parking lot, install a retractable canopy over Hörmann Courtyard and fund for two years the calling of an associate pastor.

In support of this campaign, you will be hearing stories and vignettes from various church members about what makes them passionate about LCH. Today you get my story.

Shortly after we started attending LCH in the mid 1980s Pastor Don called on us at home to get to know us better. We were sitting on the deck chatting, when he asked conversationally, “So where are you on your faith journey?” No one had ever asked that question and my first thought was “No where” because it had been 20 years since I had attended any church on a regular basis.

A couple of years later in Adult Education, Pastor Fritz asked us to visualize where we were on our faith journey. I thought, “What is it with this faith journey question? Is this something they learn to ask in seminary?”

At least this time, though, I could pull an image of my faith journey...it was a long, hot, dusty road with no end in sight.

Over the past 25 years, thanks to you and those who have gone before us, my faith journey image has evolved. Now when I imagine it I see a country road that still has hot, dry patches but also has trees offering shade and respite along the way.

For me our capital campaign is a metaphor for what my faith journey has been thus far. We will take a rough, hot parking lot and make it a welcoming entry to our church. The Hörmann Courtyard will now have protection from the elements and, of course, we will provide one more pastor the opportunity to ask, “So where are you on your faith journey?”