Spring is nearly upon us! Just days ago I heard of three feet of snow falling in the Minneapolis area. I bet those folks are really ready to welcome spring. In God’s creation we see new leaves growing on the trees, green grass springing up from the soil and our young people planning for graduation from high school or college. It is a season of new beginnings.
With the recent membership vote to enter into a new chapter in our 78 year ministry, joining with the Global Methodist Church, I’m reminded that the spirit of John Wesley is alive and well in the Methodist practice of our Christian faith. What does that methodology look like?
Here are five of the main objectives:
- Small Bible Study Groups
- Service to Local & Global Mission
- Faithful Stewardship
- Witnessing to Others
- Welcoming Worship and much more!!
Over the next few months I’ll tackle these topics and flush them out a bit from a Methodist perspective. Welcoming Worship is when we invite our neighbors to join us in services, fellowship meals and other events, to build them up in the faith, to share the love of Christ with them and to see their love of Christ transform them into their best person, glorifying God in the process. This includes us going out into the neighborhood sharing Christ and other venues inviting others to worship God.
Hopefully, you experienced welcoming worship when you first attended our church. This is something all of us can share with family, friends, co-workers and yes, strangers. I remember reading about John Wesley preaching to coal miners on February 17, 1739! He took the welcoming worship of God out into the community and we can too.
God bless you dear friends as we celebrate our New Beginnings! Pastor Jeff