Live among God's Faithful People

Dear Partners in Ministry,

As we gather for worship this weekend, whether in-person or on-line, I want you to know that our staff continues to pray for you and for our gathered community on a regular basis. We cannot afford to take one another for granted!

In essence, that’s our primary focus this Sunday as we continue our series on “S.P.L.A.S.H.,” specifically the “L” this week, which represents the baptismal commitment to “Live among God’s faithful people.” What does that phrase represent to you? As I’ve reflected upon it this week myself, it’s intriguing to discover two realities: first, that it’s surprisingly hard to find much in the background information on how that particular commitment “came to be” in the first place, and, second, how presumptive and wide-ranging are the treatments on it published since!

Along the way, we’ll be doing a little exploring of how Jesus himself viewed the people of his home congregation in Nazareth and how their own perceptions of him swung from one extreme to another! I hope that you can join us for this step into appreciating what our baptism in His name implies for us as modern-day disciples. See you in worship!

Meanwhile, I would invite you to make a point of participating in this Sunday’s Adult Forum at 9:30, where staff and Visioning Council members will once again host a “Q & A” session about the Annual Report which is available for pickup or electronic delivery upon request. With many important issues to discuss prior to our Annual Meeting on Feb. 6th, it’s critical that we have as much opportunity as possible to recognize both the opportunities and challenges we face. In the end, it’s simply one more way in which we are asked not to take one another or our community as a whole for granted! Make a point to participate this week if you missed last week’s gathering.

Sharing the Mission,

Pastor Tim