Last Monday I posted an article by Dr. Clay Stauffer, a pastor in Nashville. He compiled a list of concerns that are currently appearing in several blogs written for pastors and church leaders. I suggest you and I need to consider this concerns because we need to be ready to align our library ministries to changes brought on by the pandemic. Otherwise, I fear many libraries will be left out in the cold. 

Let's grapple with Stauffer's fourth concern today:  (In case you missed the article link last week, read more.)

4. Difficult theological questions must be asked and explored. 

Why does God allow a pandemic to happen? Why didn’t God stop the pandemic? How is God working in the midst of the pandemic? How is the faith community being called to serve those who are hurting?

Yes, publishers are providing books that are helping churches/synagogues deal with the pandemic. However, I am thinking we already have books and DVDs on our shelves that deal with these questions in a broader sense. What are ways we can step up and help our pastors/rabbis, leaders, and church/synagogue communities deal with these questions? Yes, we can display books and DVDs that address these types of questions. What about other aspects of our ministries? How can this concern become a window for us to show our leaders that we are on the same team with our pastor/rabbis and leaders?

Perhaps these questions are prayer concerns asking God to open our hearts and minds to what He would have us be and do that we are not being or doing right now. Let's prayerfully tear down the walls that keep us on the sidelines.

Jearldine Tolson asked me to post a recommended book:

The Last Orphan byJeffrey Lowder

• The Last Orphan is a wonderful historical fiction about the orphans who were rescued from a train during the Arkansas massacre in 1857. The story is about a search for an orphan child by his grandparents. Jeffrey Lowder has developed the characters well and who are very relatable.

An important part of what we face as church and synagogue librarians is connecting with what is happening in our faith families. Dr. Clay Stauffer is pastor of Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville. In Saturday’s Tennessean, he was the author of an interesting article about predictions about where we may find ourselves as a result of the pandemic. Lots of bloggers are doing such postings right now for pastors. Dr. Stauffer provides us with a collection of these predictions. Click here to read his article.

Let’s consider implications of these predictions for our library ministries. We need to be thinking ahead just like our church and synagogue leaders are doing right now. 

What implications do you see in this article that library ministries must embrace?

Are any of these predictions possible windows for our library ministries to consider moving what we do out of the shadows in to the light of filling possible gaps challenging our faith families beyond the pandemic?

Every faith family is unique. What are you already seeing in your own faith family?

Join us in this conversation through comments as we grapple with the future.

What are you reading and hearing about the importance of relationships in our churches and synagogues? Seems like that is a no-brainer question due to our COVID situation. But does “no-brainer” mean we should accept the obvious as well? Right now kids and youth ministries are moving a way from building programs and keeping attendance to focusing on building connections that result in relationships. If COVID is changing our longtime ministry models,you and I who serve in our churches’ libraries need to give some serious thought to how our library ministries need to adjust and align to the new models. Have you had a serious conversation with age group ministers/leaders in your church/synagogue? Does not matter what other churches are doing. Each of us need to find out what is happening in our own churches/synagogues.

In the comments, let's grapple with the impact of shifts in our churches and synagogues on our library ministries.

With heavy hearts, we embrace the passing of our leader, author, and friend, Maxine Bersch-Lovern. She passed away last Sunday afternoon, September 13 at the age of 101. The family will have a graveside service Monday, September 21 in Richmond, VA. A memorial service will be held in October. An obituary will be available at that time.

A longtime friend and fellow church library trainer, Pat Brown, shares her recent memories of Mackie with us:

Remembering Maxine Bersch

Maxine loved life and God gave her 101 years to enjoy it. Maxine loved people, and all of us who knew her felt that love. Maxine loved words. She loved God’s Word and often spent hours searching the Bible for just the right Scripture passage to share through storytelling. (As in her Esther monologue.) Maxine loved teaching and anyone who sat in her classes went away with a new understanding of the art and importance of telling a good story.

My favorite “Maxine Memory” took place at a hotel in Dallas several years ago. We had been leading library conferences and everyone else had returned home. We spent one more night in Texas before we each flew home the next morning. We decided to have a 5:00 dinner in the hotel dining room and get a good night’s sleep before our early flight. When we entered the dining room, there was a display of the most tempting desserts I have ever seen. With her memorable giggle, Maxine said, “Let’s just have the salad and dessert bar for dinner so that we have room for one of those luscious desserts!” It sounded like a plan to me!  

So we were seated and Maxine began telling a story about her childhood in West Virginia. Her mother was often a part of the story. Her stories were always warm and personal when she talked about family. As she talked, we drank coffee and sampled more than one of the wonderful desserts. Maxine would laugh and say, “Which do you like best?  I don’t think I have ever had pineapple filling in a fresh coconut cake!” So the cake and coffee and storytelling continued until one of us checked the time. It was 8:00. Maxine began to laugh!  “Do you mean we have been eating dessert and talking for three hours!” Yes, we had. With long breaks from the dessert table while Maxine continued to tell her story, we would return to the desserts for one more “sample.” The three-hour dinner (dessert party) was always mentioned when Maxine and I were together after that.

Last October, Maxine phoned my home around 3:00 in the afternoon. She said, “Frank (her son) and I are on I-40 about three hours from Nashville. We have been home to Richmond and are on our way back to Texas. I told him we can’t go through Nashville without seeing you and Robert. Will that be convenient?” I replied that she could stop only if they agreed to have dinner with us. And so they did. The four of us enjoyed a wonderful time together as we shared a meal and Maxine’s stories. She had celebrated her 100^th birthday earlier in the year, but her mind was still filled with wonderful stories to share of how God had blessed her. Her laughter still punctuated every sentence.

I am thankful God blessed me with one more dinner with Maxine—but I can’t remember what we had for dessert!

_______________

Pat Brown serves with the Crievewood Baptist Church library in Nashville. She served for many years with the Church Library Department at the Baptist Sunday School Board and as director of the LifeWay Library until retirement.

Those of you who knew Mackie are invited to share your memories through the comments here.

Lorene Lumpkin's family gave the Enrichment Center her collection of Jennifer Chiaverini quilts novels. Lorene was still enjoying these when she passed away at age 102. Now I am hooked on these just like Lorene.

A couple of weeks ago I completed the book The Quilter's Homecoming. I did not want it to end! Loved how Chiaverini developed the characters and the story line. 

Wish I had organized the books before I read the first one. Now I am reading them in the publishing order. Just started reading The Quilter's Apprentice. 

Ken Satterfield just contributed an update of an article he wrote a few years ago for the CLN. His article is a great launch for a conversation about the future of church libraries in Collection Development. From your experiences now and in the past where do you see the future of church libraries? Have you discovered interesting articles about libraries in the future? Even though Ken's article is focused on technology in planning collection development, let's broaden the conversation as to the future in general terms.

Click here to read Ken's article: Strategic Planning for the Church Library

Let's use the comments here to share our thoughts about the future.

Thoroughly enjoyed Kate DiCamillo's book, Because of Winn-Dixie. Someone donated the original hard copy which is no longer available. First published in 2000. Newbery Award winner. Would love to see parents read this book with their children. The target audience is 9-12 years, but I am going to recommend it to adults as well. The story gave me lots of reflection thoughts in my own life. 

Now we will have a place to share with each other what we are reading. Great way to find recommendations for our collections as well as our own reading lists.

Follow these steps to write your library team’s story. 

1. Start your new page by clicking on the tab Let's Read.
2. Then click on red box with plus sign then fill in the form.
3. Title your post with the title of your book.
4. Tell us why you like the book in the content box.
5. Inserting book cover is optional. Place cursor where you want to place the cover. Click on image icon in the toolbar on the content box. Follow the prompts. For width use 200 pixels.
6. Key in the title of your book in the content box, highlight the title, click on the toolbar link then insert the url to your favorite bookseller website for that item.
7. Follow the prompts to post.

NOTE: As you read through the recommended books, be sure to consider your church library selection policy. 

Here's a place on the CLN for us to share what is happening in our library ministries. We can learn from each other in lots of ways such as through the Q&A and The Circle where we share ideas. We can also learn from each other through our stories.

This new tab is a place for us to write about our church library experiences as we live out opportunities God planned for us and our teams. Let’s encourage each other as we share our stories and pray for each other. 

Follow these steps to write your library team’s story. 

1. Start your stories by clicking on the tab Our Journeys.
2.  Click on Add Blog Post (Red Box Plus Sign) on right side above module.
3. Post the start of your story in the first page then thereafter, share what is happening with your ministry by using the comments. That way the rest of us can see all the pieces of your story as they happen.
4. And each time you add a comment, we will see that you are adding an experience to your story on the CLN main page’s left column -- Latest Activity. You can also choose to follow your post. You will get an email when someone writes a comment.

Yes, you can comment or ask a question on anyone’s story. 

Totally loved her book, Before We Were Yours. This book is just as informative in teaching me about the lives of slaves in the United States in 1875. I can't wait to add it to our collection! 

 The Book of Lost Friends

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You will find lots of articles here for your consideraton in light of your library. Here are a few actions to consider:

1. You can print any article by using the right click on your cursor then click print in the dropdown box.
2. You can write an article or add an article you have already written by clicking on Add Articles (Red Box Plus Sign) on right side above module. Your article will appear after the CLN team approves it. 
3. The articles are organized by categories. You will be asked to identify a category for your article when you post the article.

We call our blog posts The Circle because we think of ourselves sitting in a circle sharing ideas and experiences. This tab would be the place to share what you did during VBS or a book club or book recommendations.

1. Simply click on the tab The Circle
2. Then click on Add Blog Post (Red Box Plus Sign) on right side above module. Your article will appear after the CLN team approves it. 
3. Be sure to click on Allow Comments and allow everyone to view your post.
4. You can also click on Follow Comments so that you will be notified through email when someone writes a comment. 

When you click on Create Page, your post will be sent to the CLN Administrator to accept your post. That will be done as soon as possible.

Hello To CLN:
FYI, check out Masonboro Baptist Church (in Wilmington, NC) website, Facebook or YouTube to see our Children’s Ministries Director Tracy Brewer feature our Library & read a book virtually last week. I think she did it on Zoom but not sure.

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgvYt-TINyo

If anyone is interested in the details, let me know & I will send her contact info.
In His service.
Joyce Lucas
Retired MBC Librarian

Before You Close "It": Consider Making Disciples

Did you take pictures of your Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, and other holiday displays? We would love to see your ideas!! Click here to post your pictures or you can post pictures in a comment.

On my journal of our transition we are making in my church with our Enrichment Center, I just posted about our launch of a Topic of the Month Strategy. Click here. 

Are you doing a Topic of the Month approach of some kind? If so, please share your approach and experiences.

Carolyn Walker shared how her church encourages people to read the Bible through each year. Click here to read her article. How about your church? How does your church's library support an emphasis on reading the Bible?