Outside the Box: Genuineness of Spirit

Dear Fellow Ministers,

You are living outside the box when you acknowledge God’s love in unlikely places. But that is exactly where God’s love shows up! Thank you for giving witness to that as you care for God’s creation in so many ways. I continue to be challenged by our Creation Care team and all of our justice ministries to be sure we acknowledge God’s love among all persons. What a gift that is! It becomes too easy for me to make relationships transactional… instead of seeking (and seeing) God’s unconditional love.

There is a genuineness of spirit that oozes through the essence of Matthews UMC. For that I am thankful. It gives me, and others hope. I hear from people every single week how much they have felt God’s love among the people of MUMC. That is a witness to the real and lasting love we know through Jesus Christ. Thank you for your willingness to invest in Christian community.

In this season of Lent, we continue to look inwardly and see our shortcomings. However, in doing so we also see places where God’s resilient love grows! Where are those places in your life? Where can you witness to how God’s love would not stop? We can, truly, trust in God’s love far beyond the moment in which we find ourselves. I hope you will read John 2:13-22 as God forms a sermon in us about Jesus “turning over the tables” in the Temple.

Remember you can participate in our Lenten Devotions each day by accessing our “homemade” booklet here. The devotions have become a central point to my daily walk this Lent. Thank you to all who contributed. And view all of our Easter Celebration offerings here, including Women’s Brunch, Butterfly Release, Family Worship, Jerusalum Marketplace, and our special Holy Week Services.

I hope you will invite someone to worship with you. You can invite them to watch our services online, and last week is a great one with Pastor Susan’s powerful message about the barriers we put up in our relationship with God. We also celebrated 18 new members! If you missed being with us, you can view it here.

Learn more about our church facility in my weekly video. I look forward to being in ministry with you this week!

In Christ’s Service,
David

Did you know that Kyle Havican has joined the team of First Baptist Campobello as their new Youth Minister? Kyle grew up at Matthews UMC, was very involved in Children & Youth Ministries and the Youth Praise Team. We know that Kyle will be a huge blessing in the lives of young people in Campobello. Congratulations, Kyle!

Did you know that Pastors David & Roldan serve as Chaplains of the Matthews Police Department, along with other area clergy? And speaking of the Matthews Police Department, they will host the Citizen Police Academy beginning April 7. The academy will meet every Tuesday from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, concluding with graduation on May 19. If you are interested in participating (& potentially becoming a volunteer after completing the academy), please contact Pastor David. He will then forward your name & contact info to the police department. You can also express your interest directly to the department here.

Did you know that our Youth Basketball Season wrapped up this weekend? More than 230 local teens, led by their volunteer (moms, dads & teachers) coaches played a total of 90 games throughout January & February – and only two of those teams were comprised of our very own youth!