Questioning

We have often used the disciple Thomas as the example of one struggling with doubt in the midst of his faith journey. Each year, just after Easter joy, we hear the story of Doubting Thomas not believing Jesus was resurrected till he had more proof. When the resurrected Jesus came to him with holes in his hands and told him to believe, Thomas believed. Thomas becomes for us a symbol of hope when we have doubts of our own.
The Advent story also has an example of one who had some serious questions about who to believe. John the Baptist, that locust eating, repent callling prophet is usually the sign of one completely committed to his belief. He called out with such conviction from the wilderness that even those living in unholy high places were shaken by his power. In fact, his message was so strong it eventually got him thrown in jail. One would have thought not even this would have caused him to wavier in his faith. In fact it didn't. Jesus was the one making him question his faith. Jesus was not acting exactly like John the Baptist had imagined the Messiah to behave. The corrupt were still in power, the world had not yet been turned upside down. So from his jail cell, John the Baptist wanted to know if he had gotten it wrong.
I talk about this in the sermon for December 5. But here I simply give thanks for the image of a doubter, one with serious questions in the midst of this time of year. It is a tough time for many of us to not have some questions. We struggle with moments less than perfect, holy or even acceptable. For some there is not enough money. Others have too little health. There are those who have not received justice. Some of us have plans, hopes and dreams that are not coming true. At least, not in the way we can see or according to our time line. We have some questions too. Jesus, are you the one? Jesus, why is this happening, did happen, not happen?
For those of you with these questions, for us with these questions, we come to an Advent story that says have faith. Be patient. Wait on the promise of God to be fulfilled. It will. It actually is even when you can not see it.
Our choice is to trust, believe and act on the hope or give up and live in despair. Jesus are you the one? The coming weeks will tell. We will learn a lot about Jesus and ourselves soon. John the Baptist pointed to one who eventually established a new kingdom and showed us a new way to live. His life circled around to another doubter and said, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
May we be so blessed.

Unplanned Holiness

I hope your Labor Day weekend was great. Let me tell you about a great story about a Labor of Love that happened this weekend.
Last week, one of our members fell and had a severe break of her leg that will require her to use a wheel chair for some time. She and her husband live in a beautiful farm house but there was no handicap access into the home. The challange was to figure out how to get a ramp built into the home before she was released to go home for a long recuperation.
That is where the amazing part of this story begins. As this Labor Day weekend began, Jeff Smolek found out about the dilema facing this couple. He sent out an email to the United Methodist Men on this past Friday that said the following.
"(The husband) is overwhelmed with finances, time and concerns. Plain and simple I volunteered to get the ramp built. I honestly do not know where I will get the time and help, but with His help it WILL get done....I am sending this e-mail to the Thursday Night guys, Friday Morning guys, Methodist Men and possibly even SNL high schoolers. The timing stinks with a holiday weekend coming up and the SNLers going back to school, but I am sure (the wife) did not plan this misfortune...(I am not sure how but)....I darn well know the Lord has not made something too big for Him and us to handle.
Within two hours, volunteers with love, tools and compassionate hearts responded. A total of 15 men spent time this weekend working to build the ramp. It is now Monday night, three days since the email, and I just got off the phone with Jeff. The ramp is done.
I spent time with the couple last night in the hospital and they were so blessed and touched that so many could care so much with tangible acts of love. It is a simple story of need, someone who saw the need and cared enough to ask for help and the response of God lived out in the hands, talent and willingness of those who made this weekend an unplanned act of holiness. Thanks be to God!!!!!

Holy Stories

If you heard the messages on Righteous Mission Sunday, (August 1) you heard powerful testimonies from people whose lives were changed this summer. (If you missed it, go to the home page and search out the videos you find there. ) Donna Couture spoke with emotion on the impact of working with children in Flint. She also spoke about the connection of grace and love the 60+ adults experienced during the amazing week of service at Whaley's Children Home.
Austin Klebba gave witness about the new life starts (including his own) that occured at the mission site he worked on with others on the High School Righteous Mission week. Paul Anderson's description of experiencing the overwhelming grace of Jesus Christ he has come to know since entering this ministry in the past two year was a beautiful witness. He is a young man not raised in a faith community and now can speak with holy eloquence and encouragement to the Body of Christ.
Duncan Bone thought he knew what he was getting into when he came on board as a youth ministry intern this summer. We had expectations of what he would do for us in this area. All of us experienced divine surprise when we saw what God had planned all along. Duncan touched more lives for the sake of Christ than anyone fully understands. The call God is placing in him became more clearly defined. He has left us to finish school and prepare for what God has in store next for him. He nor our youth ministry will be the same again. Because of the success of his role as intern, we are hiring another youth ministry intern for this fall. God has opened up new doors and we, in faith, are walking through them to new adventures.
I write this on Labor Day weekend as I think about the summer past and the fall to come. Most people think of churches slowing down and not doing much in the summertime. That has not been true for us these past months and I pray will never be true again. For God is always calling, blessing and challenging the faithful to meet human need and fulfill holy plans. Thank God for the summer past and a fall of even more amazing blessing to come. To God be the Glory!!!!

Turning Point

As I write this, I am looking out over the sunrise on Houghton Lake. It is a peaceful and beautiful setting. The coffee is brewing and a cool breeze is welcoming me to a beautiful day. I am away from the office for a few days. This time allows me the chance to gain persepctive on what has been occuring at the church this summer.
For those who do not know our immediate history, let me share with you. In 2005 our congregation adopted five core values. These core values were what we believed God was giving us to shape our ministry and vision. Everything we do, all we stive to accomplish are built upon these foundational core values. They are: Committed to Christ, Making Disciples, Worship that makes a Difference, Transforming Mission and Biblical Hospitality. Some of these we were already moving to accomplish, others were areas we needed to develop and strengthen. They are intended to live in holy support of each other. We claim not to be exceptional at any of these. But we are committed to strive in each area to mature and live out more perfectly tomorrow than yesterday their intent.
Now five years later, our church has arrived at a turning point. What we once hoped for is now being surpassed by our experiences. Our dreams are becoming every day reality and we can see glimpses of the future God desires for us.
This fall, we will hear more of how the best of our past is leading us into a dynamic future. There are several key moments in the next few months I will alert you to in future blogs.
Today, I sit here looking a the lake and give God thanks for what God has been doing for us and through us. Our church is at a turning point not of survival, but of vitality and holy impact.
I will share over the next few days, some stories of this summer. I will give you examples of transformational change occuring in our midst. We are living in a blessed and holy time.
I remember learning as a child our state motto: If you seek a Beautiful Peninsula, Look about you. I am and it is.
In that spirit I offer this: If you seek a changing, dynamic and blessed church, look and listen to what is happening in this ministry. Praise God!!

Training Time

Today concludes a week of Vacation Bible School. Every morning we have had between 180 -200 children and countless volunteers. Every corner of the buidling and much of the yard has been used. The sounds of excited children and energized leaders fill the halls with chatter, songs and laughter. Annette Siminski tells me around 60% of the children are regular attenders of our ministry and 40% are new friends from the community.

Vacation Bible School is such an important time. It is a powerful expereince impacting the lives of the children. I have a lousy memory but I still have snapshots of times at VBS in my childhood. It is a time when the images of a church being closed and unable to have fun are confronted with the truth. The Bible, snacks, water balloons, songs, cotton candy and bounce houses all become vehicles and experiences of joy and grace. They are a way to share faith through teaching and expereince.

This week I am locked on to the story of the prophet Elijah passing the mantle of prophetic leadership to Elisha. It is found in 2 Kings 2: 1- 14. Of all its great lessons, the key one is this. Faith is not to be lived and then hope someone else picks it up. It is to be handed off intentionally. It requires mentors and mentees. It requires teachers and students. The faith has always been one generation away from extinction.

VBS is one way to provide time and experiences to share faith with others. It is not however, intended to be the aberration . Faith is a life style where believers care enough to prepare others to pick up the mantle of faith in the world. Who are we preparing to become those who will speak, act, witness and serve God in the world?

Three down, Hundreds to go....

Our church has now finished three of the six mission trips for this summer season. It is not even mid-June and already we have had members of this congregation serving in Illinois, Louisianna and Washington D.C. The faces of those who have gone out to serve in Chirst's name reflect different ages and tenure in this ministry. Some are grandparents and some just starting college. The projects undertaken were different. The stories they bring back to us are different. Yet in them there is a common thread.
Illinois was a time of profound bonding and fellowship. Louisianna was a revelation to the ongoing devastation and divine grace still existing years after Katrina. Washington D.C. was an over the top experience of the mighty power of God's touch blowing through those who went to serve and found themselves the recievers.
We still have three mission events to go. Soon we will launch our junior high youth in a week long introduction of mission in the local area. Eighty plus youth and the adults who will accompany them are headed to Indianapolis in July. Our first Adult righteous mission will be privledged to serve in Flint in just a few weeks.
The trips taken and those yet to come will provide a rich tapestry of witness to the amazing salvific acts God is doing through Christ in the lives of individuals. On August 1 we will give God thanks for the privilege of serving and tell some of the stories. I invite you to continue to keep our mission in prayer.
I also invite each of us to seek out our own mission and service for Christ in the summer ahead. The mission trips of 2010 will not be defined by the six this summer. They will include all the ways we go as a congregation throughout the year to serve Christ. Cass Community, Grace Centers of Hope, Blood Drives, Relay for Life, and so many more events will add to the witness of this congregaiton. Perhaps even more importantly, are the ways individuals will act to help others motivated only because in their hearts they are led by Christ to act.
We can count the mission trips for this summer but never fully capture their impact on the lives of those who serve and are served. We can feel the character of this congregation shaped by the transformational change living in mission we have experienced. We will never know about every act of kindness, mercy and service rendered for the sake of Christ by this congregation. But the world will feel their impact. Christ will bless each one.
If any of you would like to share a story or moment from your mission experience, please tells us by commenting to this post. Thanks in advance for sharing!!!!!

What to say

This afternoon, I am taping a welcome messsage for the web site and to place in the welcome packets we give to visitors. It will be a 3-5 minutes message. What should I say? What is most important to convey to others? What do others need to hear? What questions do they want answered?

In such a brief message, there is only so much content I can share. Talking about just one aspect of our ministry could take all the time I have. So what can be shared in a few minutes?

As I wrestle with the answer, I wonder what you would be prepared to say if someone asked you about the church? What ministries would you tell them about? What would be the take away you would want them to have. I have to have my answer in a few hours. Soon you will be able to look on the website on the visitor page to hear what I had to say. You may have more time to come up with your answer. Or maybe someone will ask you about the church you attend today or tomorrow. What will you say?

A New Thing

Okay, I have been away for a while from blogging. I have not yet put it into my DNA to share thoughts not yet clarified. But now I have a few things to say.

We are part of an amazing ministry!!! Sometimes when you live next to the amazing, it can begin to seem average. We might even take it for granted. When I walk the beach along Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, I am constantly amazed to see all the residents do not go to the beach every morning for sunrises and sunsets. Yet I get it. Sometimes even the most amazing becomes the assumed or even taken for granted.

I am writing this as I sit in a session of Annual Conference of the Detroit Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. This includes 450 United Methodist churches. We have heard many amazing stories of creative ministries, changed lives and inspirational examples of God’s mercy. These come from large, medium and small membership congregations. I celebrate with them and feel encouraged by them.

Further, as we have listened to these witnesses, I have felt my mind spin as I listed ministry after ministry, life after life and mission after mission from our own congregation. I wanted at so many moments to shout out, hear what Clarkston UMC is doing. That may sound self serving, but it isn’t. It is not a witness about me or even for the glorification of this congregation. It is a continuation of what the church has always done, tell the story of God’s amazing grace touching people in the name of Jesus Christ. When this is done, others have been lifted up by witness and the church has expanded in even greater work.

I will make a more concerted effort to tell the stories of amazing grace in this ministry. No list I could begin now would cover adequately even half of all the good news. Yet I will begin and I encourage you to tell what you know about the blessings God is pouring out upon us and around us. We will tell what we can not only to each other but to others. All this to the Glory of God and in the name of Christ.

In the next few weeks I will tell you about such ministries as:

• The Six Mission trips for every age from middle school to our 50 and over ministry that are already underway.
• The individual witnesses of people changing the world for the sake of Christ.
• The growing and impacting ministry of the 611 service.
• Launching of the Leadership Academy beginning this fall
• A dynamic Men’s ministry.
• Deepening of Congregational Care for all persons
• The Study Committee that is getting perilously close to seeing the Vision of God for our next steps in ministry.

Our State Motto has always been one I have loved since my youth. It is, “If you seek a beautiful Peninsula, look around you!” In that spirit, and in the name of the Spirit, I tell you; If you seek an dynamic church making a change in the life of individuals for the sake of Christ, then look around you.” It is here. Thanks be to God!

A Better Way

When were we taught the best way to deal with difficult issues was to draw up sides and attack each other?  Blame, slander, and vilification of those we disagree with seem to be the order of the day.   Recent debates on health care reform have taught us that some have never matured in the way to resolve differences.   No matter your opinion of whether the bill for reform should have passed, is there anyone who feels good about the spirit of the discourse among our elected leaders?  

Of course, this is not a slam on either political party.  It is on all involved.  Unfortunately, the inability to deal with difficult decisions and controversial issues is not limited to our state and federal elected leaders.  I imagine you might be aware of some other examples also. 

So why would I write about this in the Chimes?  It is because there is a better way.  Matthew 18.  Matthew 18 is a powerful chapter that gives a foundation on how to deal with conflict.  It makes some basic assumptions like respect, forgiveness, honesty, speaking to each other rather than about each other and so much more.  Even when conflict gets to the height of brokenness, Christians are called to treat those we are in difficulty with like tax collectors and Gentiles.  Of course, we know what Jesus did to them.  He died for them; for us. 

I recognize there is a great deal of cynicism as to the possibility for us to positively change the level of debate in our country.  My hopes are not that high. My hope is we will all take time to read and pray Matthew 18.  (Maybe there will one day be a sermon series on it!)  When we have taken this teaching of Jesus to heart, then we can be the voice of faith and holiness when all others are only angry and blaming. 

After all, it is not up to us to save the nation.  It is our work to be faithful to the one who can. 

 

Packing for the Journey

This week I am at Lake Huron Retreat Center, 12 miles north of Port Huron. I am here as a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry for the Detroit Conference. Our primary task this week will be interviewing persons who believe they are called to ordained ministry. It will be a time of discussion, prayer and decision.

We interview candidates on Tuesday and Thursday. On those days, there is an expectation we will dress in a professional manner. For the rest of the time, casual attire is appropriate. The preparation for decision and discernment began at home as I tried to decide what to pack to bring with me. I always over pack for every retreat, no matter where it is or how long it will last. I was determined to bring only the essentials and no more. I may run out of clothes by the end of the week, but at least I can know I felt good about bringing in a small bag!!

Our spiritual life asks us to always pay attention to what we are packing. Are we carrying too much baggage? Have we laid at the foot of Christ what only he can carry and then resisted picking it up again? Are we carrying agenda others have put on us that is taking us away from what God is expecting of us? Are we equipped with prayer, Biblical clarity and holy community?

This Lent is a time for us to prepare ourselves to be equipped for the journey we are on. It is time to be certain we are traveling light enough so if the Holy Spirit calls for a response, we will be ready. It is time to make sure we have in our life what we need to sustain us for times when the journey is in wilderness. I pray you pack well and we all travel faithfully in the days ahead.

Getting Up

I often wonder what my sleep schedule will be when I retire. My life now has so many different schedule and time demands. When I go to sleep, how long I will sleep and when I get up is not always in my control. So when my work demands end, anywhere from 11-18 years from now, I wonder when I will go to bed or get up.

Lately, I have been waking up a lot in the night. Odd hours like 3: 30 a.m. 4:11 a.m. and 5:07 a.m. I am not sure why. Male menopause? Stress? I don’t know. This morning I woke at 4:11. Wide awake. I laid in bed and considered what was so important I had to wake up then. Should I get up or try to force myself back to sleep? I thought of young Samuel and how the voice of God kept waking him up in the predawn. I asked God to speak to me if it was his desire. Were the thoughts in my head from God or from me?

I do not know. Perhaps I will find out in the days ahead as those thoughts are placed into action. Maybe God will speak to me more clearly tomorrow or maybe not at all. All I know is I am up and when I quit trying to figure it all out, I become aware how still and quiet everything is now. No one is around and it quiet enough to hear a pin drop, or maybe even for God to whisper. I am not sure why you got me up God again today this early, but thanks for this moment of peace. For now, it is gift enough.

Sin thoughts

As I am preparing for Sunday, I have been immersed in thoughts about the character, definition, impact and confusion about sin.  Sin, it appears, is one of those topics that is easier to define when you don’t really consider it.  Those who first heard Jesus teach thought they knew what sin was.  They could describe it and name those who were guilty of it.  But Jesus saw sin as something different from what others thought.  His teaching in word and action suggests sin is not a simple list or act.  Perhaps the greatest sin of the church is what we have taught people sin is and help people so easily label others as sinners.  Anyway , I am looking forward to sharing on Sunday  and the conversations that come from it.  Here are a few interesting thoughts others have had on sin over the years….

 

·         “Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful”  Benjamin Franklin

·         “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity”  George Bernard Shaw

·         “Should we all confess our sins to one another we would all laugh at one another for our lack of originality”  Kahlil Gilbran

·         “A sin takes on a new and real terror when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out”  Mark Twain

·         “Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.”  Henry Ward Beecher

·         “Sin is sweet in the beginning, but bitter in the end.”  The Talmud

·         “Few sinners are saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon”  Mark Twain

 

What do you think sin is?

 

Sin has been givng a bad name

Jesus confused the religious of his day.  They were clear as to what was right and wrong.  They knew the things they needed to do and the things that were forbidden.  When you failed in your obligation or committed an act deemed against God, you were sinning.  Religious education became, in essence, learning what was right according to the Law and what was not acceptable.  Jesus learned these things as a boy. When he became a man, he continued, it appears according to the Gospel record, to observe these commands.  He went to Temple, read from the Torah, and observed the high holidays. 

But he also hung out with people that were considered unacceptable.  He did not keep basic understanding of fulfilling commandments (working on the Sabbath) or prescribed holy practices (such as washing hands or not eating with the unclean).  Jesus was seen as a blasphemer.  He was considered to be in violation of the Law and practices of God’s chosen people.  So he was considered a sinner by some.

Others saw him as a Savior, a healer, a teacher and a Redeemer.  He was to some a Messiah.

When we consider who Jesus is to us, we are sooner or later forced to deal with the question about sin.  There is too often only two choices offered.  Either it is when we do something bad, according to a list the religious have, or it is only in the eyes of the beholder.  One is conforming to practices we are taught that are right or wrong, and the other is letting our own judgment determine for ourselves what is right (ethical, moral, holy) or wrong, (immoral, unethical, sin).  Both definitions miss the point and give sin a bad name.  Each take partial truth and run with it until the truth is lost in practice.

This Sunday, I am preaching a sermon titled, “Sin is not what they told you”.   I invite you to come and join in the conversation and consider perhaps what sin is from a third paradigm, Jesus.  See you in church!

Haiti Relief

Just a quick note to share with you the joy of your response yesterday in giving to Haiti relief.  We have collected over $6,000 in the special offering on Sunday.  We continue to offer our prayers for the people of Haiti and can still receive donations that will given to United Methodist Committee on Relief.  Thank you for your faithfulness. 

When doing the right thing is right in front of you

The religious can spend hours debating about proper theology. Worshippers can debate whether we should use organ or guitar. Those outside the church can point to our deficiencies and articulate the reasons they do not need the church. There are moments however, when the questions in front of us and the answers are quite clear. The Red Cross estimates 50,000 are already dead in Haiti and a desperate situation is getting worse. Haiti does not have an infrastructure to handle this crisis. As inept as we were in dealing with Katrina, our Haitian brothers and sisters do not have any of the resources that were at our disposal. You probably already know Haiti is the poorest country in our hemisphere. You may not know the United Methodist church shares a special relationship with Haiti. It and Liberia are the two nations the Detroit Conference churches have entered into a formal covenant of support and shared ministry. In fact, one of our Detroit area mission teams has been in Haiti since early January and is working there as of today, January 15. All members of the team are okay, You can read more about their work on the Detroit United Methodist conference web site www.detroitconference.org.

Right now Haiti needs our prayers and money. This Sunday we will take up an offering in church directly for the Haiti earthquake relief. The money will go to the United Methodist Committee on Relief. This is our denominational international relief organization whose integrity and effectiveness is proven One hundred percent given goes directly to the mission site. I invite all to pray for Haiti and its people. I encourage you to give what you can to help the relief efforts.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:42, “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Doing the right thing seldom seems any clearer.

Jesus and Religion

This past Sunday there was a discrepancy between the sermon title in the bulletin and the one on my sermon sheet. When I submitted the title for the bulletin back in October, it was “Why I like Jesus but not Religion”. By the time I got to write the sermon, I called the sermon, “Why I love Jesus and Hate Religion”. I think there is something here more than memory lost. I believe I may have just gotten more in touch with the emotions involved in this for me. The more you are in the fullness of God’s grace and feel the power of Christ in this world, like of Jesus easily grows to love. What passes for religion in the world people against a willingness to get close to God, the more disgust grows. The stakes of life are too high to be apathetic on this issue.

Life is short. Life is, at times, hard and painful. Life is intended for joy and all too often we settle for titillation, shallow intimacy and anemic celebrations. Jesus offers so much more, desires for us more and provides more. In the church, we have so much power to offer to the world. But when we offer ritual without meaning, organization without spirit or general fellowship without real friendship, people are not served and Christ is dishonored. The world is not interested in religion without power or meaning.

When we do share Jesus we find lives are changed, including ours. Unfortunately, we may feel the power of Christ but do not take the time to help others understand or gain the eyes to see his presence. We may be blind to the presence of Christ others discover and miss the chance to affirm the experience. But when we take the time to help others see Christ and see the Christ in them, Jesus is served and lives are changed. Those are amazing moments. When they happen, you can feel yourself growing in love with Christ. You can also become impatient and empty with anything less. I do love Jesus and I do hate religion. Mostly I hate religion when it is what I am offering to the world instead of Christ. Do you know what I mean?

Holy Community

This is a week when I do not struggle to show people what it means to be part of the Body of Christ.  Our congregation celebrates the life of two of its members, and in those celebrations also reflects the unique character of the church.  We began the week with a  celebration of the life of Jim Kreger.  In his service, we laughed and cried over his quiet ways, his interests and his spirit.  What came back to us from those in attendance, many not part of this church, was appreciation for the sincere faith shared in a genuine caring and meaningful way that spoke to their hearts.  Several called after the service to offer their appreciation.  On that day, ritual and expressions of faith mattered because they reflected the true power and love of Christ and were blessings even to those who are not familiar with them.

Tomorrow we celebrate the life of Emily Schmidt.  Emily was an amazing seven year old before she became sick.  During her illness, she continued to demonstrate character and compassion to all.  Her death has brought shared grief to her family, our church family, Emily’s school and the community at large.  Yet in the midst of this grief, the power of faith continues to be revealed.  Craig and Melissa, her parents,  give witness to experiencing the power of Christ’s mercy, grace and love throughout this entire experience.  Church members move forward with the conviction of faith and a desire/need to offer assistance.  All this even in the midst of some questions without answers we can understand.  Grief is  powerful, but is being shown to be a weak warrior against faith and the experience of the risen Christ. 

In the middle of all this, there are couples who want to get married, loved ones who are hospitalized, people dealing with significant life and family issues, and the details of daily church life.  In the middle of the mundane, profound, painful and celebratory moments of this week, Christ is present.  It is true everywhere, including in your life.  This week, I see it all around me.  I pray you will too.

Happy New Year

As we take the first few steps into the new year, I want to thank this congregation for the year past.  It was a year reflecting the lives in our homes and community.  It placed before us challenges unlike we have faced in a long time.  In the midst of those challenges, we discovered the miracles of God making a path of blessing for so many.  It was a time of discovering victory and successes brought about by a mixture of hard dedicated work and unmerited yet certain grace of the living Lord.

Each of us can reflect on a variety of ministry blessings that honored Christ and touched our lives and the lives of others.  Everywhere I turn, every room I enter, every face I see reminds me life and the ministry we share is a far more mystical and holy experience than we often realize.  As I talk with minister colleagues, I can share we met our budget for the year. We missed paying all of our apportionments by less than 10%, half of what many thought was possible when the year began.  I can also talk about the plans underway to define and act on a dynamic plan for ministry moving forward as a congregation.  But words fail me to describe fully the spiritual inner growth of individuals and this congregation in the past year.  I can point to fruits of that inner work, but to fully understand it you need to feel it. 

We enter 2010 not in need of new resolutions, but ongoing committed resolve to follow Christ, share Christ and trust in Christ.   That is what brought us through 2009 as a stronger, healthier ministry than we were a year ago.  It is what will look back and celebrate the most a year from now.  I am so blessed, humbled and grateful to be yoked in ministry with you.  To God be the Glory!!