Happy New Year, FUMC Family and Friends!
Perhaps you have seen the meme floating around social media, which says an alternative way of looking at the new year is “2020, too.” Let’s hope not. With everything we have endured in the past couple of years, I want to acknowledge how proud I am to be your pastor. Through moments of uncertainty, tumult, and any number of challenges, our congregation has remained a beacon of hope for one another and our community. From that good news, we set our sights on a new year together.
This Sunday, we will begin a new sermon series entitled New Year’s Revolution: Building for the Future. With our IMPACT renovations only a few weeks from completion, and with a new year upon us, we can celebrate all that God has been doing in our midst while also setting some new goals for 2022. We often refer to these goals as New Year’s Resolutions, but we all know the difficulty in maintaining goals for 365 days. Sometimes, we set goals that are so lofty that we disappoint and shame ourselves for not maintaining a New Year’s resolution. I propose that we look together at resolutions that lead to revolution by focusing on what Christ has resolved to do day-by-day through grace. I will be saying more about this on Sunday, but here’s a teaser: For 2022, what if we resolve to allow our lives to revolve around the grace of Christ present through the church? In other words, let’s focus on the long view of faith development by remaining connected to Christ through the church. Sure, we might decide to exercise more, break a bad habit, or be more kind, but if our top priority for 2022 is to intentionally organize life around the places where Christ’s grace is most present, then we will find meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and holiness. These resolutions can lead to a revolutionary movement in our city to give others hope through word and service. I hope you will commit to being present in worship for each of the topics listed below.
Finally, in addition to setting our sights toward holy living in the new year, I want to thank those who have made a pledge to the 2022 operating budget while inviting others who have not yet done so to join this movement. We rely on pledges to plan ministry for the coming year, so this is a practical way we all can be in ministry together by pledging toward the 2022 budget. See below for how to do so.
For those of you completing your 2021 giving for tax purposes:
1. The Church office will be open until 2:00 pm on Friday for those wanting to drop off a check
2. Checks mailed must be postmarked before or on December 31
3.
Online giving by midnight December 31 is available either on the Church app with Pushpay or on the website
here.
Thank you for your faithfulness and support of FUMC and our ministries. May our 2022 be blessed as we set out to bless others.
