Messenger Mailbag: Rally Day
We received this text last week: “Hi. I’ve been visiting SUM and enjoying it so far while minding my own business. What is Rally Day? By the way, I am skittish about trying a new food, or starting a new Netflix series, or doing pretty much anything else new in life.”
Well, dear reader, thanks for your question and your candor. Rally Day is a great opportunity for people who are a little worried about joining something to feel much more comfortable. You can ask around in a warm, friendly setting and find a good mission fit for you right here at SUM.
So you’ll know better what to expect, below are some selected conversations from last year’s Rally Day. They were between people, tentatively edging their way around the booths in Wesley Hall, and church leaders valiantly trying to make eye contact with them.
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“So, Fred, do you have any unique skills? – If so, we can probably find a good spot for you.”
“I’m wicked good at putting a blade of grass between my thumbs and creating a biodegradable kazoo. Want to step outside, and I’ll show you?”
“No, but I’m immediately thinking Chancel Choir for you. Our patient, welcoming music director performs miracles with all kinds of people, and you’ll feel right at home in the bass section.”
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“Pleased to meet you, Elwood. Do you have any talents, any particular gifts?”
“Well, sometimes I’ll be happily chit-chatting away with a person, and they’ll say, ‘Uh, Elwood, you, uh, you really like to talk, don’t you?’ And I’ll just close my eyes and say, Yes, I do. Yes, I do.“
“Hmm. You could become an Exhorter.”
“Is that where, if somebody is 10 years behind on their pledges, I go out and hit them in the kneecap with a three wood?”
“No, no, heavens, no. That’s Stewardship. Exhorters give well-planned, heartfelt sermons when the pastor is out of town.”
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“So, Stella, what about SUM interests you this year?”
“I’m not sure. I’m just a humble older person with gorgeous silver hair. What could I possibly contribute?”
“Now, wait a minute, Stella. Our older members provide valuable wisdom to the great benefit of younger members, especially when they listen. You know, been-there-done-that. And, hey, meanwhile, you could join our spiffy new internet outreach team.”
“Oh? What is the internet outreach team?”
“Well, when you show up for church, the ushers will precisely position the silver-haired people in the pews so the tops of their heads will spell out ‘Hi’ to the people watching on YouTube.”
“Yeah, I’m not doing that. Put me on Finance or SPR.”
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“What can I tell you, Gisele, about opportunities here at SUM?”
“I’m fairly new in town, having lived all my life in the Midwest. Can I possibly fit in with all these Connecticut Yankees?”
“It may surprise you to learn that most SUM members are not lifelong Connecticut citizens. Midwestern transplants have often been great contributors, working hard alongside others to make a real difference in the world, in an unassuming manner.”
“Can I still say Midwestern things like ‘don’tcha know’ and ‘hankering’ and ‘tough tomatoes?’”
“You betcha. Just go easy on ‘schnockered.’”
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“Tell me, Hubert, what do you like to do in your spare time? Maybe, we can find a match of some sort.”
“This might sound a little quirky, but I love to pull steaming hot coffee mugs out of commercial-grade dishwashers. Don’t judge me.”
“I think we can accommodate you.”
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“Any questions about SUM volunteer activities, Inez?”
“Yes, what if I sign up for some sort of committee or team and I miss only one meeting or event ever due to, say, an emergency appendectomy – will I be publicly humiliated?”
“At SUM, we understand that a person has to weigh conflicting priorities, can only do so much, and sometimes, reluctantly, has to say 'no.’ That is why you will be humiliated at only one of our three Sunday services, and you get to choose which one!”
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“So, Kelly, any questions about volunteering at SUM?”
“Let’s say I want to be on just one activity team and absolutely nothing more, and I do a spectacular job making a huge difference, while inspiring those around me to be even more joyfully productive. Will I be prodded, begged, and guilted into joining additional activity teams against my will?”
“Certainly not. No way. Less than a 50-50 chance of that happening.”
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So, dear reader, hopefully, this little sample has given you the confidence to explore a bunch of mission opportunities this Rally Day and for the year to come. See you there!
Bruce Hale