Reflections From 2009

It's New Year's Eve 2009. In a few hours it will be a new day, a new year, a new month, a new decade. Wow.
The past year has been like most years - mixed with good and not so good. As far as the church goes we started the year very strong. Finances were in great shape - Attendance jumped in the first months of the year. We kept ahead of pace for six months. The sermon series on the Shack touched many lives. The message on forgiveness made a difference.
Then we seemed to lose our pizzaz. The summer months saw attendance drop off a bit more than usual. At the same time our stewardship held steady.
While we were doing ministry day in and day out it seems there were many great works being done. We had more people involved in mission - people kept gaining new insights to faith.
By the time we came to the fall things began to pick up once again. This year our financial drive found more people pledging more dollars than in previous years. We purchased a net for Nothing But Nets for each pledge card received. We really are getting more and more missional.
We ended the year moving forward until the blizzard hit us on Christmas Eve. Our attendance for these services was down about 30% but still saw 1400 people participate in a Candlelight Service.
During a year when we read and heard so much about our economic recession we ended the year on a really good note. We are truly blessed with some extravagantely generous people.
So now we turn the page. I sense the Lord leading us to emphasize a few things. For instance: Here is a updated mission statement:
Our mission at PWUMC is "to build an outward focused Christian Community of full participants in the life of grace."
I see us being even more intentional about being outwardly focused than we have been. This translates to increased work with mission, ministry to others and faitih sharing evangelism.
The part that intrigues me is the idea of being a full participant in the life of grace. It seems like I have been learning fresh things about grace during the past few months and look forward to ways of sharing these insights in the coming year.
We are going to take time to learn this year. Our leadership and especially our Staff Parish Relations Committee will have a learning opportunity in February as we seek to better understand how to be faithful and fruitful in this larger church setting.
We are going to have a "violence symposium" in February where we will seek to learn about some root causes of violence in our city and discern one or two initiatives our church may participate in.
We are going to launch a new small group ministry where we will grow deeper in grace.
We are going to practice hands on faith and minstry with a service day in May. (Rather than everyone come sit in church we are hitting the streets to serve our community in the name of Jesus Christ.
That's the first half of 2010. My sense is that God is up to something among our church and the Holy Spirit is stirring our hearts.
I anticipate placing increasing influence on being missional, relational and incarnational in 2010. These priorities are inclined to attract more participation in worship, giving, learning and serving.
As I think about you on New Year's Eve 2009 I pray the "blessing prayer" for you.
"May God bless you with long, abundant and fulfilling lives that bring glory and honor to God and peace and joy to many."
Looking forward to the morning - new day, new month, new year, new decade, new life!
blessings.
steve