Newsletter - September 2022

Newsletter – September, 2022

Greetings from the desk of the Pastor! Another summer has come and gone – it’s hard to believe. To be honest, this summer has been unusually stormy – both physically and emotionally, but as things draw to a close I am extremely excited about the upcoming fall schedule and I have a few things I want to make sure you know about!

First, LABOR DAY! We are continuing the 10am worship schedule that we used for the month of August for ONE extra Sunday – September 4, 2022. A Holiday weekend seemed like a great opportunity to gather together as one body once more before we launch into the fall schedule.

Second – the Fall Schedule! September 11 is RALLY DAY where we kick off most of our Fall Programming. We will return to our normal service times – 8:45 and 11:15. Check the welcome center for information on Sunday School and Life Groups, Youth Group and more!

Third – and this may be the most important piece. September 18th we are having a Town Hall Meeting at the church at 4pm. This is an open conversation and it is INCREDIBLY important that everyone come to this event. If you are a part of this church, member or not, your voice is welcome. THIS IS NOT A VOTE. But this event will greatly inform the leadership of our church as to the decisions we make in the near future. As you may have heard the denominational conversation about LGBTQ+ inclusion and the Global Methodist Church has reached a peak and we need to have a discussion as a congregation about what we want to do in the future. I will present a brief history on the topic, explain the present situation and the decisions we need to make, then I will offer an impact report of what it will look like if we stay with the UMC and what it will look like if we move to the GMC. There will be a time to answer questions and offer comments – where anyone is welcome to speak. And we will conclude with a 5 question anonymous survey for everyone in the room. My hope is that every single person associated with this church will be in attendance. We will have overflow seating set up as needed. This town hall is not your average “pizza with the pastor” event, and it is not a Charge conference. It is a place to find understanding out of all the chaos that is going on, and a place to make your voice heard. There will be a zoom link sent out for this event, for those who are only able to join digitally, but it will not be livestreamed or recorded. Please carve out the time for this event – it will help our church immensely for everyone to be on the same page with clarity and compassion.

Fourth and finally, in the month of September we will be doing a sermon series called WITH. It will be based on a book by Skye Jethani of the same name. (You can find my review of this book elsewhere in this newsletter). I read this book a few months ago and I do not think I can recommend it highly enough. I hope every person who is able manages to pick up a copy and read through it. Skye gives an overview of the various ways in which people approach their relationship with God, and shows how each approach is a little bit right, and a little bit wrong. The ultimate goal in each of our lives as Christians should be to pursue a life WITH God. It’s a four week series, and each week we will explore the scriptures used in a different chapter of the book. If you get a chance – go pick up “With” by Skye Jethani and get a head start for this sermon series – you won’t regret it. Here are the dates:

Life WITH God

September 18 Life UNDER God John 9:13-22

September 25 Life OVER God Numbers 20:1-13

October 2 Life FROM God Luke 15:11-24

October 9 Life FOR God Luke 15:25-32

In this time of uncertainty and strife, I want to encourage all of you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep the main thing, the main thing. If we keep our eyes up, everything will come together as it should. We will make it through this yet, but until then – I am looking forward to the future. Pastor JJ