A note from Stacey

Dear friends,

In the church year, we are making our way deeper into Lent, moving towards the events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday: the confusion, sadness, anger and fear that surrounded Jesus’ arrest, sham trial and execution. Our movement through these emotions and events is, of course, tempered by our knowledge of the eventual outcome: the resurrection of Jesus, the triumph of God over the powers of death and despair, and the offer of resurrection life to us, today, right now.

In the life of our congregation, we are also engaged in a journey. The congregation- al meetings of January and February have made it clear that some sort of profound change is coming to our congregation. We may not be entirely sure right now what that change is, but the challenges we face are so significant that there is no question at all that any choices we make will bring change.

As we go forward on this journey, another milestone will be Sunday, March 13. After the 10:30 service, we will have a time of clarifying our vision and values as a congregation. We will ask ourselves, “What is most important about First United Methodist Church?” and “How is God calling us to be in ministry and mission in the years ahead?” The answers to these questions will inform the decisions we make about our building and our finances.

Please plan to join us on March 13 after the 10:30 service as we listen to each other and listen to God. We’ll have pizza together, and child care will be available.

Easter makes it clear that there can be nothing new without a shedding of the old, and that trusting God means stepping into the future with only the certainty of God’s loving presence.

In Christ, Stacey