pastor’s column (Page 7)
From the pastor…
Missional.. Transformational…. Accountable….. These are words that we are creeping into the daily language of churches. The words can mean many things, but for us, I believe they are leading us to be the church, the progressive open caring church for all of God’s children. They are about growth and change. They are about God’s transforming us to be the church that God is calling us to be. They are about the world that is changing so quickly that we…
From the Pastor…
“A symbol is something that represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. Personal names are symbols representing individuals.” ( Wikipedia) We have been talking about symbols in our Lenten time, the children and young people have created some symbols, and the adults have talked about how we talk our faith and that includes symbols. We have many symbols that represent our lives, our faith,…
Lent…. from the pastor
On March 1, Lent begins. Lent is a time of focusing on prayer, fasting, living simply and moving closer to God. We observe Lent for 40 days, excluding Sundays, beginning with Ash Wednesday, which is March 1. On March 1, at 7:00PM we will gather in a service of worship. We will be reminded of a Lenten discipline of fasting, praying, and giving. We will share in the Lord’s supper and remember that Jesus was tempted. Lent is a time…
From the Pastor
Gratitude and thankfulness go hand in hand… Jeff and I are so blessed and filled with gratitude and thankfulness for all the wonderful gifts of time, talent, and treasure that you shared with us for our wedding. The cookie reception, with all the wonderful cookies was amazing. The hospitality that you showed our family and friends was filled with grace. The gift of money, that got used at the beach, as we didn’t have to worry about if there was…
Credo….
Dear Church, My friends, my church family, Grace and peace and love to you this day. May God continue to bless and feed us as we grow and transform together. Credo means I believe… In the context of my experience, thanks to the Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ, it is also “an intentional Christ- centered community, work of the heart, mind, body and spirit, a living stream with a sustainable spirit, a lifelong process of Identity, Discernment,…
From the Pastor….
Grace United Church of Christ Love, Leadership, Fun/Joy, Faith, Welcoming community Experiencing God’s grace, Seeking God’s mission, Sharing God’s love… From the pastor… Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Easter blessings abound… Grace United Church of Christ is a great place filled with family, friends, and fellowship, love, mission, baptismal promises, and worship. We gather to hear God’s word of hope and we share with our actions, God’s deeds. Our mission statement: Experiencing God’s grace, Seeking God’s mission,…
From the pastor….
Experiencing God’s grace, Seeking God’s mission, Sharing God’s love…. Love, Leadership, Fun/Joy, Faith, Welcoming community From the Pastor… Romans 12:9-16 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with mutual affection, outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, preserver in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, extend hospitality to strangers. Bless…
Some thoughts
My dear Grace UCC family, What a year this has been… one filled with grace and love, one filled with compassion and wonder, one filled with faith and growth, one filled with God. I was called by God many years ago to ordained ministry, as Pastor and Teacher. For a while I didn’t listen to God’s call on my life, I didn’t want to. I wanted to do something else, be something else, live something else. But God is a…
Wonder
I wonder as I wander out under the sky, How Jesus the Savior did come for to die. For poor on’ry people like you and like I… I wonder as I wander out under the sky. … .written by American folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles. I have been doing a lot of wondering this season of Advent, Christmas time and as we move into 2016. Wondering about the world in which we live, wondering about peace and love, wondering…
From the Pastor…
A Note from Pastor Mindy…. 200 years ago, Grace United Church of Christ was formed…so what does that mean? For me it means…. Covenant and Commitment…words in the thesaurus that are used as synonyms are: Promise Pledge Vow Obligation Assurance Dedication All are very strong words that say that when we are committed to something we give our trust to it, when we are in covenant we follow through. When we are committed to God, we give God our all.…