Noticing Matters

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”—Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

Church, I’ve been thinking deeply this week about something I read that really struck a chord. It’s from an article in the Harvard Business Review called “Why Employees Stay Silent When They See Warning Signs of a Problem” by Hyunsun Park and Subra Tangirala. While it’s written for businesses, I couldn’t help but think how much of it applies to the Church—especially a church like ours that’s trying to pay attention to spiritual health, community engagement, and yes, attendance.

The article says there are two kinds of threats: clear and ambiguous. Clear threats—like a burst pipe or a budget shortfall—are easy to notice and usually trigger quick action and even and over reaction. But ambiguous threats are harder. They come in whispers, not shouts: people stepping back quietly from ministry, a gradual dip in discipleship and prayer, subtle signs that something needs attention.

What makes these threats dangerous is that they’re easy to dismiss, and hard to name. People may notice something, but they often stay silent. Not because they don’t care—but because they assume someone else will take care of it, or they don’t want to seem like they’re complaining, or they’ve spoken up before and didn’t feel heard.

If that’s been your experience—if you’ve noticed something and felt like your voice didn’t matter—let me be the first to apologize, I want to listen what you have to say. I want you to know or perhaps remind you: your voice matters here, because God says that it does. We need each other’s insights, questions, and even discomforts to grow as a church.

The article from HBR also points out that in many organizations, when threats are unclear, people defer to leadership and expect leaders to figure it out. In churches, the same happens: the pastor or session carries the weight of spiritual, emotional, and organizational life—but the truth is, we can’t do it alone. The health of our church requires all of us noticing, praying, asking questions, and participating in solutions.

So how do we do that well—without turning concern into complaint or criticism into gossip?

Fostering a Culture of Vigilance in Church

Churches, like healthy organizations, need to build a culture where it’s safe—and expected—for everyone to notice, name, and act on subtle signs. We do this together:

At the Congregational Level: Cultivate Openness to Feedback

Let’s be a church that doesn’t wait for a crisis to reflect. We can begin by asking:

• What’s working? What’s not?

• Where do we see people drifting or disconnecting? These questions can show up in Sunday School classes, team meetings, hallway conversations, or coffee chats. Let’s listen deeply and lean into conversations that help us grow.

  
  

At the Leadership Level: Create Testing Environments

We are willing to run ministry “what-if” scenarios.

• What if attendance continues to change? What if giving decreases?

• What if key volunteers need a Sabbath? Just like some companies deliberately stress-test their systems, we too must explore how resilient our ministries are—and plan for how we can adapt with grace, not panic.

  
  

At the Member Level: Empower Spiritual and Intellectual Honesty

Please know this: you are allowed to challenge, question, and wonder out loud. Let’s create space for that together—maybe through listening circles or informal town halls. And when we do see change happen because someone spoke up, let’s share those stories. Let’s show that participation isn’t just welcome—it’s essential.

So What Can You Do?

• If you notice something, don’t keep it to yourself. Bring it up—with kindness, with love, and with a spirit of offering a hand, not pointing a finger.

• If you’ve already said something and nothing seemed to change, don’t give up. Try again—or tell me directly or any member of the Session. We want to hear you.

• If you don’t have a solution, that’s okay—but if you do, bring that too. And if you’re willing to help be part of the solution, even better.

  
  

Together, let’s be a church that listens well, responds early, and supports each other—not just when things are urgent, but especially when things are unclear. Ambiguity is not our enemy—it’s an invitation to pay attention, to speak up, and to serve with one another in love.

Let’s not wait for the fire alarm. Let’s respond to the whispers.

Importnat! We fished digitizing the information from the feedback sheets that you completed during our February Congregational meeting and the Session will begin to use this month during our stated Monthly meeting on Tuesday April 22nd... We will share with the congregational soon after that.