It is said that opportunities have a tendency to arise at inopportune times. It is just about impossible for us to plan for an opportunity, then create it, unless we are a firm with a well-organized and financed marketing department (we aren’t). We do, however, seek to be faithful to the Spirit’s call and prompting. God’s Spirit, like the wind, blows where it will. With this in mind, I want to take a moment to talk about a couple of opportunities that have arisen.
The first concerns the Fourth of July holiday. We have been asked to join a couple of other groups in working a fireworks tent in Independence. We will share in the profit of the tent in proportion to the amount of hours we work at the tent. Depending upon the number of volunteer hours we can muster, we stand to make a fairly hefty amount of money. Our plan is to discern a purpose for the funds, whether an improvement in the physical plant, or seeding a new ministry. In all of this, we need your input. Are you willing, in the last week of June through July 4, to spend time working a Fireworks Tent? Additionally, where would you like to see the funds invested? Please let me, Brenda O., or Jill F. know your thinking on this issue.
Then, we have a couple of kiddos coming with some regularity. It is time to re-think children’s programming on Sunday mornings. We have curriculum that is video driven with hand outs and fairly straight forward lesson plans. So, what is needed are a couple of adults who have a heart for children, a heart for the faith, and a heart for the church. Is the spirit tugging on your heart? Would you be willing to answer the call a couple of Sundays each month? Contact Fran C. or myself if I have just described you. Of course, those adults working with children will need to be Safe Gathering certified.
Finally, on Saturday, February 11 at 10:00 am, I am convening a group to begin the conversation about our hospitality and welcome ministries here. In “church-ese,” we would say we are going to begin taking a look at what it means to move from an inwardly focused congregation to an outwardly focused one. How will we need to change our attitudes and practices to make this happen? I look forward to seeing you on Feb. 11 as we consider how we best move into the future as a congregation.
I am well aware that none of these opportunities may speak to you. Whether or not that is the case, I have an ask for each of you. Prayer. Please be in prayer for both these opportunities, that God will raise the proper leadership and that we will faithfully represent Jesus and his kingdom.
We are going to spend the next three weeks in I Corinthians. It may surprise you to know that the early church was conflicted in how to be faithful to the gospel. Paul’s instruction to the young church in Corinth is illustrative for us as well.
Please pray for NBUMC and, I’ll see you Sunday,
Paul