"Gospel Merger" in Greenfield Letting go yields "a new church; a new work of God " Diane Kurkulonis Saints James & Andrew, Greenfield
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e called it “Emerging Sunday.” It seems incredible that it has been four years since the parishes of St. Andrew’s in Turners Falls and St. James in Greenfield came together as one. And emerge we have! We are stronger, more adaptable, and better together; we are a place where love, joy, hope, and healing abound. We began with a new name, a new vision, and a new mission statement. We incorporated new leadership chosen from both congregations. We listened and continue to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We asked,
Pentecost 2019 in Greenfield. Photo: submitted
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ABU NDANT TIMES
“God, what do you want us to do? Who do you want us to be? What might you have planned for our two congregations? What is your will and what might we do better together?” Merger is not easy. There is grief and loss on both sides. The people of Saints James and Andrew will be the first to tell you that there have been growing pains in the process of becoming a new parish. Change is never easy. But our merger was between two churches with a desire to become one stronger church, better together with a stronger presence in our community, with more effective
outreach, and a better utilization of the resources that God has entrusted to us. For this to work, the leadership of both churches needed to be in philosophical and theological agreement with each other. Compromises were made on both sides in order to make a healthy transition. When one congregation keeps their building, there is almost always a feeling from “the other side” that the church isn’t really theirs. We worked hard to alleviate this feeling by offering new liturgies and adding familiar altar furniture, stained glass, and icons from the church building that was gone.
