A New Year and Renewed Resolve

Beloved People of God,

Have you made a New Year resolution this year? Have you already broken it?

Last year, I shared a definition of resolution is, “To decide to take action, to solve a problem, to untangle a mess, to see clearly, like resolution on a computer monitor.”

As a congregation, we have resolved to live into our vision and mission. Our vision is to be an exceptional community of believers, committed to sharing Christ’s love so that our priorities more closely reflect the Kingdom of God. Our mission is to help you experience God’s love so you can grow to love like Christ.

Thanks to your shared resolve we were able to achieve some major goals in 2019. First, we were able to hire Jimmy Oakley and Lydia Brooks as our part-time Director of Children’s and Family Ministry and our part-time Director of Youth and Family Ministry. Second, we called Andrew Potsko as our Pastor of Outreach and Mission. We were also able to hire Jimmy Oakley as a second organist/musician to continue to help us reach even more people with the love and grace of God. And, we were able to help refresh some of our learning spaces.

As we look toward 2020, I find this to be an incredibly exciting time in the life of our congregation. I’m also mindful that every decade we have taken on a new challenge to reach out to our community in a new way with God’s love and grace. In order to do that it will take our further resolve to continue to share in our mission and develop new ministry and reach new people. We need your energy and enthusiasm. We need your care and compassion. We need your leadership and willingness to serve. We need your financial and prayerful support.

I invite your special attention in four special areas for 2020. First, together we want to welcome Andy to our ministry team. He will begin officially on January 15, 2020. We will celebrate his Service of Ordination on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 4:00 pm. I encourage you to introduce yourself to Andy and make he and his family feel part of our family. Show them, “Where love lives!” Second, we will continue to explore possibilities for adding an additional worship service. Third, we will continue to find unique and creative ways to expand our ministries to our community’s children and youth. Fourth, we will continue conversations with our friends in the Canton Parish in order discern possibilities for shared ministry.

It’s an exciting time to be the church and I invite you to share the enthusiasm by resolving to continue to live into our congregation’s vision and mission in 2020 and beyond!

God bless you in this new year!