From Pastor Jon

It was great to welcome new members Sunday and baptize/bless children! Pastors Mark Putman and Jonathan Kollmann brought the message about living a life without favoritism. You can find those messages by clicking on the "Watch on Demand" tab above.

This week we are looking at James answer to the question: Can faith without works save you? Your faith in the Lord is demonstrated by how you live, pray, and love others. The Bible Reading Plan is below. I will be speaking at 8:30 in the Sanctuary and 9:30 & 11 in the Worship Center. Pastor Jonathan will preach the 11 Traditional and Pastor SueLee will bring the message at the Salem Campus.

Our disaffiliation vote is this Sunday, October 23, at 5 pm. I encourage you to join us in a weeklong time of prayer and fasting. There is more information on that below. If you have not been to an informational meeting yet, we will have two open meetings: this Sunday October 23, 9:30 and 11 am in Room 17.

The afternoon of October 23, Please check-in at 4:30 pm in the Connections Center. Then make you way to the Sanctuary for the vote. (There will be assistance for those with mobility issues).Only members in attendance can vote per UMC rules. We are providing free childcare for the meeting. Email Becky Frazier beckefrazier@gmail.com with your child names and ages.

One of the great things about the small group meetings is that they give us a chance to receive feedback from you and make improvements where needed. After we shared about the voting process in the video last week, one of the groups suggested that we delay the approval of the bylaws until later this year, since we do not need them immediately.

Our Council discussed that last week and made two decisions. First, we will delay the approval of the bylaws until our regular Church Conference that will take place before the end of 2022. Until that time, the UMC Book of Discipline will continue to serve as our bylaws.

Second, we have assembled a team to create the draft of the bylaws. None of these team members are part of the Council or pastoral staff, which is important since these bylaws govern the Council and pastors. The team includes: Becky Costello (leader), Stuart Dornette, Bill Smith, and Mark Rowland. Mike Hirschfeld and Brandon Woodard have also provided input already, based on their experience as attorneys. I'm really thankful for the expertise and work of this excellent team!

The bylaws will be approved by the Church Conference (the membership of Anderson Hills) later this year, and we will share drafts as they are produced so that you can review them, ask questions, and offer feedback.

In Friday's video, I talk with Shane Bishop, Lead Pastor of Christ Church in the St. Louis area. Shane is one of the Foundry Network's founding pastors, and I am so excited about the possibility of joining this network of large, former United Methodist churches. Also, here's a link to some more info about the Foundry: https://andersonhills.org/the-foundry-network/

Check out our conversation below!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Jon

A Call For Fasting and Prayer

In preparation for the Denominational Disaffiliation Vote, our pastors and Church Council are calling for a time of fasting and prayer, now through this Sunday, October 23.

Faithful believers throughout the Bible sacrificially fasted from physical food for a period of

time and replaced it with spiritual nourishment, finding wisdom, clarity, and guidance.

Today, Christians remove worldly distractions from our lives to be able to concentrate on prayer that seeks God’s presence through the Holy Spirit to guide us in decisions with God’s wisdom and discernment. While fasting from food is biblical (to remind us that God is sovereign and our dependence on Him for everything), we have other options. The link below explains fasting and will help you to decide how and what you might fast from anytime (total or partial elimination) during this week. After the vote, we will break the fast together with food and fellowship in the Atrium.

How to Fast by Pete Grieg

Break Free Workshop Moved to Oct 30

It's not too late to sign up for the next Break Free Workshop. We moved it from October 16 to October 30. The class is 6 weeks on Sunday mornings, 9:30-11 am. In Break Free, you will learn that God truly wants you to live an abundant and fruitful life, no longer believing the lies the enemy tells you and dealing with the consequences. Lies that keep you feeling rejected, unloved, unworthy. Lies that keep you covered in shame and guilt, and holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness. It's time to let that all go and walk in God's love, peace and joy! Register here.