Last year, my church voted to allow a smaller church to share its umbrella.
Now, it's been almost a year of being conjoined in finances, though still with the congregations divided between the two different locations, with services on Sundays at the regular times for each and given by the regular ministers for each.
As Talking Heads and Brian Eno would say: "same as it ever was".
Well, that seems to be about to change.
A survey has been sent to the members of both congregations, requesting input for a possible name change, in an effort to truly unite the people in a common mindset going forward.
I expect there will be a lot of pushback from folks at AMC, which means I will be in the minority on this issue... but that's nothing new.
They asked for a response and suggestions; I have provided both.
Interestingly, the new name popped into my mind last night, and I like the acronym formed by the new moniker.
Rather peaceful and meditative, as a religious experience should be.
(smile!)
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1) Do you think we should retain Asbury Memorial and Wesley Oak names and imagery as part of our new branding?
Me: To make a proper merger and have a true disconnect from the past as part of the UMC, a name change is definitely warranted.
Still, we also do not want to completely disassociate from the identities the congregations know and love.
I know that many people, when they leave home and go out on their own, tend to use their middle names as they forge their new lives as individuals.
With that precedent in mind, I suggest Oak Memorial Ministries.
2) What colors speak to you when thinking about our churches - which colors do you think we should avoid?
Me: I suggest the focus be on the colors associated with oak leaves: summer green, fall's yellow gold, springtime pollen orange.
I don't think any colors should ever be excluded; rather, they can be sprinkled in as accents to mark the passage of noteworthy events in the church calendar.
3) What ideas do you have for a new name?
Me: I know that many people, when they leave home and go out on their own, tend to use their middle names as they forge their new lives as individuals.
With that precedent in mind, I suggest Oak Memorial Ministries.
4) What ideas do you have for a new logo?
Me: The image could be a clown sitting amongst the upper branches of a live oak, or perhaps standing at the base of a live oak with one hand on its trunk.
5) Anything else you would like to share for us to consider?
Me: Every time a merger occurs, it is always one smaller party being absorbed into a larger party (and getting annihilated along the way).
The end result is that those who were part of the smaller party are left feeling slighted by the process, no matter the intentions of those in the larger party.
Keeping the image of the oak as part of the new logo would serve as an assurance that this is a union, much like a marriage, and not a corporate merger.
Semantics are important.
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