May Letter
Dear Friends,
A colleague asked, “So how are things going at the Church?” and I started to tell of all that has been emerging around us this Spring:
  1. I spoke of the 13 members of this year’s confirmation class and how they expressed their faith with so much eloquence and confidence in their meeting with the Elders. It has been wonderfully refreshing for my faith to have spent this year in their company. I hope you will be with us on Sunday, May 4, to welcome them into the adult membership of our congregation and to congratulate their parents for jobs well done.
  2. I spoke of the Camp Warwick Work Day on May 17, of the enthusiasm that Bob Valinski has ignited within our congregation, of the eagerness of so many to be involved in that day’s tasks.
  3. I spoke of the pancake breakfast that the Youth Group is holding before worship on May 18 as we conclude our Church School year with thanks to the teachers and helpers and the distribution of Bibles.
  4. I spoke of the cell phones being collected and “transformed” into calling cards for our troops overseas.
  5. I spoke of the Penny Jars (yes plural, the one was overflowing) that will be soon counted and a check presented to Tom O’Leary for the ministry of SHIP to those who are homeless and the working poor.
  6. I spoke of the Coffee House evening coming up in June under the guidance of Donna Harding as artists will share in a night of song.
  7. I spoke of the special gifts that people have given so that particular passions for music, youth or the buildings could be expressed.
  8. I spoke of the work that Chris Heitkamp has done with us this year and of the anticipation as we look to his return in September for a second year.
Then I paused, thought about the ways in which so many people are stepping forward, presenting ideas and being willing to take ownership of them and I said “In all of my ministry there has never been a time when this congregation, in all of the things that really define what a Church is, has been doing so much, so well, for all of the right reasons.” Since last summer this has been who we have been and I suspect, as Karen Carpenter put it “We’ve only just begun”. So get on board or let us know what you want to do for God and we’ll help find ways for you to do it and others to do it with.

Shalom,

Jack