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trends in our community. Third, SLI will help us further refine our FOCUS. During the year long process, we will identity our core identity, values and mission. Fourth, SLI will lead us toward a concrete and practical STRATEGY. Recommendations will be made and approved concerning future directions at BUMC. All of these recommendations will go through the established channels of our church. For example, recommendations about staffing will go through Staff Parish Relations Committee. Recommendations concerning facilities will go through the Trustees, and so on. The final compilation of SLI recommendations will be thoroughly shared with the congregation and formally adopted by our Church Council. Finally, the end game of SLI is TRANSFORMATION. By the end of this year long process, our church will implement a course of action that will build upon our great heritage, enhance our already strong current ministries, and lead us forward into God's exciting future for our church. I am extremely excited about starting up this process! Please pray for our SLI team. They include Sherrie Cavin, Susan Graham, John Halbert, Kaye Harvey, Leslie Hotzfeld, Rob Huckaby, Donnel Milam, Lucille Nabors, Mack Strange, Brent Turner, Andy Voyles and myself. Chancel Choir Update: Our Staff Parish Relations Committee, at the request of our Worship Committee, recently approved the hiring of an interim Chancel Choir director. Dr. Bill Caldwell, a highly competent choral director, serves as a choral conductor at Belmont University and has accepted the position at BUMC through December. By then, SPRC will figure out a permanent plan for this important job. Shannon Garrett will continue to direct the music department. Many of you know that Shannon was not hired to direct the Chancel Choir. But when David Keith left over a year ago and the economy tanked, Shannon agreed to add the choir to his work load, at least temporarily. This decision to hire an interim and eventually a permanent part-time Chancel Choir director will allow Shannon to focus on
his job as director of our worship and music team, and is a winwin for everyone. I'm delighted to have Bill Caldwell on our music team and hope you will warmly welcome him to BUMC. I hope to see you this weekend for the worship of God. If you are not currently attending one of our group-life gatherings please try one out this week. For more information go to www.bumc.net/grouplife or contact Eric Burton-Krieger at eburtonkrieger@bumc.net or 324-8207. Also, if you attend worship on Sunday, please consider parking in the Synergy parking lot and riding the shuttles as an act of "radical hospitality." By the way, this Sunday's communion offering will go to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) to help with hurricane Irene response and the ongoing crisis of poverty and famine in the Horn of Africa. Finally, it was good to receive Steve and Debbie Riley, Steve and Eve Berkebile, David and Valerie Morrison, Cullen Dennis and McCallum Baxter as new members. Welcome to our church family. In Christ's Love and Service, Martin