Dear Friends, As I am writing this letter, I am still reeling from the news of the terrible tragedy that continues to unfold in Oklahoma. I am sure that all of you know that an F5 tornado devastated Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. At the time of my writing this communication, we still do not have complete information on the total number of fatalities and injuries. We do know that the damage can only be described as complete and total devastation. As I have watched the news reports over the past several days, I have heard people tell their stories. Over and over again I heard people say, “All I could do was pray.” “I prayed that God would keep me and my family safe.” On one report I saw a video clip that had been filmed by a person that was a safe distance away from the storm. As he taped the scene he witnessed the incredible power and destruction that was happening right before his eyes. The person audibly offered this prayer....
Dear Friends, Nearly two years ago we reorganized staff and the ministries of the church around our mission and our discipleship path. The mission of the church is “To make new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and the world.” For those who are already following Jesus and for those who are coming into the faith, we grow in our discipleship by: Connecting to God through Jesus Christ Growing deeper in the faith Serving in the church and in the community in the name of Jesus Christ Giving of ourselves and our resources significantly because of our love for Christ This reorganization has been an exercise in faith. In many areas the reorganization has helped make us more efficient as we do ministry for the cause of Christ. However, many times the first time we try something we don’t get it completely right. Whenever we are engaging in change, we have to be willing to tweak and change things as we go ...
This coming school year, we are going to do something very exciting and also very important for the students and their discipleship of Jesus. It is important for the students to build their faith on a firm foundation, on “solid rock” as Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-27. We are going to spend the next several months using material taught in a typical confirmation class to build that solid foundation. This is not the typical United Methodist Church confirmation class that ends in the students becoming members of the church. (That will come later – in the spring.) So, while some middle school and high school students may have already become members of the church by professing their faith, what we are doing in the coming months is still incredibly crucial in faith formation for all students. We will kick-off this exciting time on Sunday, September 10. All middle and high school students will attend worship that morning at 10:00 a.m. There ...
Comments
Post a Comment