September Blog
Did you know The Perfect Church exists? It does! It is in Atlanta, GA to be exact. I saw this church while on a mission trip and had to have a picture of its sign. What is the perfect church anyway? Is the church a place definied by its style of worship or programming? Is the church definied by its pastor's preaching style or the types of outreach it undertakes? How do you define "church" by what it is, who it is, or what it accomplishes?
The mission statement of our church is on the wall in the Fellowship Hall. The banner says: "Our mission is to reach out to and bless every child of God." This is a great mission; we do want to bless people's lives. The question is...how? What does "reaching out" look like? And how do we bless folks? How are we a vessel for the transforming power that comes through a connection with Jesus Christ? For the last few weeks we have truly been surrounded with the joy that comes when the Holy Spirit moves. As we enter into Fall, I trust God will continue to move in and through us as we examine who we are called to be.
My hope this Fall is that at least 100 of you will jump into a four-week "Catch" group. These four weeks will start us on a journey of transformation as a church, answering questions that will help us to be more invitational, hospitable, and connected (to one another, and to those we have yet to meet). You can sign up for one of the groups today by emailing me directly (bigrapidsfumcpastor@gmail.com) and we will have sign-up sheets for the next two Sundays. The groups will begin the week of September 15 and we will do our best to make this as convenient for you as possible. The Catch participant guides are available now and offer us a framework for examining God's vision for our faith community. These books offer daily readings and thought-provoking questions that will be discussed in the weekly gatherings. If you have any questions about Catch, please reach out and talk to me.
I am not sure I will ever pastor the perfect church (does that exist?), but my earnest prayer is that we will be a church filled with genuine (but imperfect) people, who reach out and transform our community with the love of Christ. I am grateful that we are on this journey together, and hope you know that you play an important part in God's vision for our church.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Devon
August Blog
How grateful I am for the many faces I have seen and stories I have heard this last month. Thank you for making time to share and pray with me. Don't worry if you didn't get to sign up, there is plenty of time! I have learned so much about our church, our community, and how FUMC has impacted your lives. The most exciting things for me to hear are the dreams and desires you have for us as we journey forward together. It is clear to me that we have a great purpose in this community, to share the love of Christ, offering hope and connection. I am often reminded of the blessing of life in a faithful community, and grateful that we are called to live this life in solidarity.
As we head into Fall, we are going to go back to some of the basics of what it means to be the church in our world today. I am hoping you will agree to be a part of a four week small group study (8-10 people) as we discuss who we are and what FUMC has to offer the community. Let's talk about: Who we are, how we grow, the unmet needs in our community, and how we might connect with younger people. Your presence in this process is crucial as your story is integral to our story as a whole.
Perhaps you'd be willing to host one of these small groups? This does not require a spotless house or a theology degree - only a willing heart and desire for our church to step courageously into the future! In fact, your small group could even meet at the church or elselwhere in the community. Please let me know if you would like more information, I'd like to have a minimum of eight leaders in place by August 21.
For the last few weeks in worship we have been focused on people who stepped out in faith, not really knowing what the future would hold. The Scripture above comes from the Book of Esther, if you haven't read it, take a look. It's not too long and reminds us that God can place us right where we need to be, at the time we need to be there. I am convinced that God has each of you in this place, at this time for a purpose. Exactly what will spring forth is yet to be seen and I pray that you are filled with encouragement and hope at what God is doing (and will do).
We have been made for such a time as this! May we step forward into this time of transformation with courage and hope!
Remember, my door is always open.
Be Blessed,
Rev. Devon Herrell
