I experienced the memory of a lifetime on Sept. 29 when my daughter Caroline and I ran the Berlin Marathon. It was her first marathon and my sixth (though my last marathon was in 2011, so in many ways, I felt like I was going through it for the first time myself). 

One thing I forgot was just how much of a boost it is to hear people cheering along the route. The course at Berlin is set up well for spectators so Caroline and I saw our own little cheering squad (my wife, son, and niece) four times along the way. But the support of thousands of strangers was also a huge help with people clapping, yelling and holding up signs, the vast majority of which were encouraging…but not all of them. Two stuck out. 

The first one wasn’t terribly positive and I’m not exactly sure what the motivation of the sign creator was, but about halfway through the race, a person held up a sign that said, “You’re Not Even Close to Being Done.” It was such a disheartening thing to read and it was the last thing we needed when we, in fact, knew that we weren’t close to being done. But just a couple miles later, another sign-holder came along and it was exactly the inspiration we needed. The sign read: “Your Feet Hurt Because You’re Kicking So Much A**!” Maybe it was exhaustion, but I’m not exaggerating when I say I got choked up a bit when I read that sign. It was what we needed to keep going! 

Every day, we are surrounded by signs of both despair and hope. It is easy to latch onto the signs that sap and discourage us. In the church, we can’t escape the barrage of articles that trumpet the decline of organized religion. 

None of us should be oblivious to the numerous challenges we face as the church, both in our wider culture and in our own communities. In my role as director of congregational development, I am determined to, on a daily basis, do all I can to convey messages of hope and encouragement. My commitment is to do this by: 

• supporting leaders with resources that help their churches and wider communities flourish  
• helping churches discern whether there are new ways for them to come together with other UMCs through strategic mergers, adoptions, and cooperative parishes  
• inviting other leaders to share ideas on a wide variety of topics through biweekly webinars  
• creating strategies to start new churches and ministries  
• encouraging leaders to think about new ways to connect with those not interested in traditional church, through Fresh Expressions  

These are just a few of the ways I want to support the work of our churches. I am doing my best to build strong foundations that enable our leaders to create and continue vital ministries in their communities so that they can share the good, good news of the gospel.  

As a life-long runner, I of course hold Hebrews 12:1 as a favorite verse: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us . . .”  

Running the race is tiring and hard work! But be assured that I will cheer and hold up signs of encouragement for all of our pastors and lay leaders, no matter where they are along the way.