I like to write about spirituality, and I like to share what encouragement I find in
scripture with others. But Church newsletters have always been hard for me.
Invariably the end of the month comes, and I know I must produce an article for
you all, but I sometimes don’t know what to write about, and I wonder who reads
these and if it is really worthwhile. I sometimes ask others what they’d like to read
if they were in the mood to read a church newsletter. Sometimes, they tell me they
are never in the mood. Ouch! Sometimes they aren’t in the mood for a sermon
either. But they get it anyway.
Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s word doesn’t return void, but “it shall accomplish that
which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” I believe that the
extent that I speak the words God gives me, that they mean something, but it
doesn’t make the task of sitting down to write a newsletter article easy. So, usually
I end up sitting back and asking myself, what is it that Homestead Methodist
Church needs to hear right now? And I wait.
God is with us as a congregation, and we that God cares for us. I know church, and
our church along with many others, is facing challenges right now. Whether we like
to admit it or not, we are an aging congregation, and post Covid-19, some of the
folks that regularly warmed the pew next to you are not in worship anymore. This is
not unusual, a year of not going to church regularly and other times of restriction
broke the worship habit many people had. All you need to do to affirm this is look
around you while sitting in your pew. Those of us who remain after the covid years
are increasingly called upon to keep the ship sailing.
As your pastor, I am keenly aware of the challenges of keeping things running.
When there is a lull in congregational giving, I feel it. In this post pandemic world, I
don’t take it personally. The fact that giving is down is more to do with sheer
numbers and expenses. But here is the thing, I don’t think that God is done with us
yet.
I am grateful for the way that Homestead Methodist Church inhabits our
community. It is so surprising each month to see the sheer numbers of people in
our community and surrounding communities who are served by our Homestead
Community Food Pantry. In a post-covid world, I am excited to see all the ways that
HMC meets our neighbors with the love of Jesus. I am extremely grateful for those
of you who sacrificially give so that the ministries of this church can continue to
fund that.
The question that stays with me as a pastor is this: What kind of differences does
our church make for the community at large? I believe that God still has a plan for
us and that our church can make a real impact in the life of our community. Do you
believe this? We have reached a new season in the life of the church at large, that
requires imagination, discernment and awareness as we seek to meet the needs of
our church AND community. And I FIRMLY believe that God is with us as we step
out in faith!