Category Archives: Doomed

Getting a Grip on the Numbers

Posted on April 2, 2016 by smaxreisert

Just before Easter, the website realclearreligion.org included a link to a blog post from the Institute on Religion and Democracy entitled, “Financial Crunch Hits the United Church of Christ” (written by Jeffrey Walton). The post described the crisis in the … Continue reading →

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What We Do with What Remains

Posted on March 1, 2016 by smaxreisert

Old South held its annual meeting at the end of January. As has become our tradition, the meeting was well attended, informative, and thank goodness, free from controversy. We elected a new moderator and made adjustments to our new governance … Continue reading →

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As They Die, So Do We

Posted on January 16, 2016 by smaxreisert

I attended a funeral recently at a United Church of Christ Church in Central Maine, not far from the church I serve. While the service included a couple of prayers from the Book of Worship at the beginning and the … Continue reading →

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At the End and In the Beginning

Posted on December 31, 2015 by smaxreisert

The end of the year brings the opportunity for reflection, and I have certainly found myself thinking about the year that is about to end. For my family, the big event of the year was my daughter’s graduation from high … Continue reading →

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Do I Hear the Fat Lady Singing?

Posted on November 2, 2015 by smaxreisert

In my last post, I wrote about a sermon that I wished had been preached at the recent Maine Conference United Church of Christ Annual Meeting—but was not. The scripture was Sarah laughing at the prospect of having a child … Continue reading →

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The Unexpected Consequences of New Life

Posted on October 3, 2015 by smaxreisert

I spend a fair amount of my time as a pastor thinking about the significant challenges of being church in the middle of Maine in the 21st century, while also considering what it means to lead a local church in … Continue reading →

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The Younger People Problem

Posted on September 17, 2015 by smaxreisert

Old South is an older congregation. Average age is probably somewhere in the low 70s. Like other congregations of its age and size, there is a general sense of fretfulness about our circumstances. How long will we be able to … Continue reading →

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You Can’t DIY Everything

Posted on July 9, 2015 by smaxreisert

One of my “younger” parishioners (just a bit older than I am)—I’ll call him Henry— came to chat with me a couple of weeks ago. Part of our conversation included the sharing of information regarding yet another Old South member—“Sally.” … Continue reading →

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We’re Doomed #3: No Joke

Posted on April 17, 2015 by smaxreisert

The Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Madison, Maine (about 40 miles north of Augusta) closed its doors at the end of last December. The building was then purchased and turned into event space. Last weekend, “Somerset Abbey” opened … Continue reading →

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We’re Doomed #2: The Problem No One Wants to Talk About

Posted on April 9, 2015 by smaxreisert

It’s post-Easter and perhaps not the best time to return to my take on our “doomed” problem. But, it’s something that I’m now thinking about almost all the time. In fact, I’ve lined up at least four weeks worth of … Continue reading →

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