Outside the Box with Pastor David Christy: Making our Shared Ministry Stronger

Dear Fellow Ministers,

Pastor Susan and I had the remarkable privilege of being “on-boarded” by staff and lay leaders last week. We were led by Rev. Amy Coles, Assistant to Bishop Carter, and it was amazing. We know much more about needs, desires, and history than we did before, and it is our prayer that this work will make our shared ministry stronger. Mostly, however, it was a chance for the leaders of the church to say whatever they felt needed to be said to your two new clergypersons. It was a holy privilege to have these groups pray for us, and we assure you of our prayers for you!

Through our on-boarding, we got to see a great example of what Christian community is. You show that daily in ways you may not realize, but it makes a difference. I was talking to someone recently who is a part of MUMC who said, “I love my small group because I don’t agree with everything everyone says in there. But I am welcome to express my opinion, and we all know we love Jesus.” Praise God! That is church! We invite you to watch our most recent expression of community through worship here, and please note the special announcement about our gratitude towards Chuck & Karen Wilson with this special announcement, which you can also watch below, from Sam Hatcher.

The sad reality, however, is that not everyone has experienced community through church. Some people have been hurt by the church and our attempts to grow the Kingdom of God. I have often told people to please not judge God by the way we Christians act. It is important for us to recognize the hurt we all carry (for many different reasons) into Christian community. We are going to be talking about what it means to be a trauma-informed/healing-centered church in coming months. We are so blessed with the gift of Stephen Ministers who can walk alongside folks who need a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.

As we continue on in our series, Christian Community In A Me, My, Mine World, I hope you will read through Hebrews 10:19-25 as God forms a sermon in us. We will be talking about what it means “provoke one another to love and good deeds.”

As always, thank you for your ministry of living out your faith through MUMC. Thank you for your patience in our sanctuary renovation (see updated pix and video update), and most of all, thank you for showing the love of Jesus to a hurting world. God is up to something! I look forward to doing ministry, with you, outside the box this week!

In Christ’s Service,
David

Did you know that volunteers from the New Directions, Parousia, The Word and Faith Sunday Morning Groups gathered Saturday morning for Beautification Day at Greenway Park Elementary? Thank you for making improvements to the courtyard and to the campus for this Global Impact partner!

Did you know that seven people are now in Kenya to visit the six Zoe Empowerment groups supported by MUMC? This team travels from Sept 9-19 and was commissioned by our congregation in worship this past Sunday. Please be in prayer for Terry Bauer-Brown, Frank Brown, Kelly Smith, Fred Ashford, Jennifer Credle, Patrice Mason, & Beverly Steele.

Check out all that is happening at Matthews UMC by reading our weekly Celebration News!