Last month, I talked about discernment. I said that the Holy Spirit was blowing through the life of Zion and that we needed to be open to that Spirit. In listening for that voice of God, the council was asked what their hopes were for the future. Here are their responses:
· People would remain involved for the sake of Christ
· We would remain a welcoming church
· In considering staff, we would complement our ministry
· We would be guided to make the right decisions
· We will celebrate our 300th anniversary
· There will be joy, involvement, and clear ministry goals
· Zion will stay mission and future oriented
· Zion will grow
The list is a good one and captures much of the conversation within our congregation at large. Can we hear the voice of God? On August 4, we will begin our anniversary year. There is much to celebrate. We have a rich and treasured history, but our future holds as many riches and more. We have just begun to explore the possibilities. We have opened the door to serving at Faith Kitchen, which has been a blessing for everyone involved. We are continuing down the Road to Discipleship. We will be addressing our staffing needs. We will be exploring the use of social media as a platform for proclaiming the gospel. We have witnessed the launching of Edna’s Haven. We have a year’s worth of special events and celebrations in connection with our 300th anniversary, starting with our trip to Germany on September 1. We are restoring the church and parsonage. This is just a partial list. As a congregation, we have been serving Christ for 300 years, but the truth is we have only just begun. I look forward to the coming year and all the years beyond our 300th. May we remain open to the blowing of the Holy Spirit and may God continue to direct and bless our ministry together.
Peace,
Pastor Summer
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