Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting may strike thoughts of boredom or at least avoidance in many people's hearts, but I wanted to attend at least some portion of our Northwest Conference Annual Meeting. For me, it's not really about voting or sitting in meetings discussing future plans.

It's about seeing old friends.

So, when I was told at work that I would not need to attend the Annual Meeting, I have to say I was a little disappointed. But, I held out hope. There was a worship service Friday evening, and I could bring Tim along.

Of course, Tim was working late Friday. Of course, we decided to get a bite to eat before the service started. Of course, my WATCH STOPPED WORKING at 6:40 (the service started at 7) so I thought we had plenty of time (the church where the service was held was only 5 minutes from our eating place).

I think we arrived ten minutes late. I saw familiar faces--mostly people/pastors that have been in and out of our office, or at the Leadership Forums I've attended.

At the end of the service, which was quite nice, our pastor found us and came over. "Are you guys delegates?" he asked. I replied, of course not, you'd know, since we would be coming from our church as delegates--although I suppose I could have slipped in our names at the office while tallying responses from delegates (which is what our pastor thought I might have done.)

Then, the moment I had been hoping for had arrived. Our former pastor at Trinity found us and we talked to him for over 30 minutes. (After introducing him to our current pastor who went on to greet another old friend of his.) He recently came back to Minnesota from Florida--he'd been pastoring a church there for several years after he left Trinity, but for the last 5 weeks or so he's been in Duluth at a new church (for him and his wife). It was so great to catch up--we stood talking in the sanctuary while everyone else left, and continued our conversation in the foyer while the custodian was vacuuming.

This was the real reason I wanted to attend--hoping to see Pastor Jeff. He and Tim had been pretty close during his time and Trinity, and I was glad we both got a chance to catch up with him. Now that he's back in the northern territory, away from hurricane country, I'm hoping we'll get to see more of him and his wife Gina.

Moving ahead with new ventures is always great, but I love reveling in the old and familiar. Sharing a history with people is comfortable (when they are accepting of you, at least!) and in our fast paced world, not as common as I'd like.

Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold. (I may have posted that lyric before, but it bears repeating!)

Till next time,


Suzi