NAC

In June the Annual Conference launched a campaign called NAC or "New Annual Conference". The crux of the campaign was to convince the members that as two annual conferences have merged, now is the time to rethink who we are and how we do ministry. In other words, now is the time to change.

However, it would seem that we simply refer to NAC and what it stands for when it is convent. When we want others to change their ways of thinking or being, not using it as a tool to reassess and change ourselves.

Change is a tricky thing. Often even those who are enticed by change, do not want to undertake the hard work of changing themselves. To paraphrase a thought that was once shared with me - no one really likes to change, they just like the thought of change.

Being new in ministry means that everything is constantly changing for me. Each day I experience something new, something that impacts my ministry now as much as it will impact it in the future. And that can be scary at times. I am in a time that is marked by transition. I can only imagine how much more frightening change is during times that are to marked by stability. So when we aren't living into being NAC as much as I would like us to be, when we only use the acronym to get others to change as we still stick to our old ways, I am reminded that changes is hard work, and requires much grace and patience. May we all be a little more patient, and show a little more grace in the midst of risking change.