God is at work in and through our church – the Mingo United Methodist Church. We are taking seriously “Go be the church!” And I want to lift it up because of my passion around it and for the people who are praying and supporting these efforts for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom come!
Since coming as Pastor to the Mingo United Methodist Church, I – along with so many others – have been praying and talking about the support of programs, events and opportunities for “making disciples” which begins by building relationships with people – real relationships! When Jesus came into the world, He also talked and demonstrated building real relationships with people. Some of those relationships were with people who were not really deemed important. In fact, He pursued relationships with people that were invisible to so many – blind, possessed people, and even including those who were gathering water in the middle of the day trying to stay invisible. Jesus was all about relationships. In fact, the entire Bible is a story
about a God who knows the importance of relationships and set about to want a relationship with His ultimate creation – People. “I will be your God and you will be my People.” People – religious, nominally religious and even sinners were loved and pursued by God. And we are to follow in His steps – for God so loved the world and all the people He created and desires to believe in Him (to “be” in relationship with Him).
My thanks to the people – so many who planned, supported and participated in the successful Block Party to our community. This effort helped us be seen as the church in and for our Mingo com
munity. In fact, this was one of the many efforts that helped Mingo just be selected into a state-wide Community Visioning Program. This program and our church’s participation will help transform our community and the people who live here. Go be the church! Several weeks ago, Marilyn Matthews and Ione Cleverley helped plan and host an event at the Mingo Community Center for persons who are alone or restricted in access to come to the Center for a morning of gratitude, fellowship and refreshment. Connie and I attended and it was one of the most loving gatherings to those in our community who were so thankful for this event. Go be the church! This past week, some great people in our church launched a Potluck and Movie program that drew more than 1/4th of our Sunday attendance at this event for food and fellowship – building and strengthening relationships for God! (Not to mention the
community Sunday School we offer each week and one of the most loving and caring youth programs that are all about relationships – youth with God and caring for one another!). Go be the church!
Isaiah 43:19 says: “Be alert, be present. See, I am doing a new thing – something brand-new. It’s happening! Don’t you see it?” When I came as Pastor to the Mingo UMC, I heard two things: 1) We would like a pastor to stay more than one year and 2) We want to grow as a church. We want to grow in faithfulness to the mission of Jesus Christ in the world and especially in our community – Go be the church! God has started to begin the process of growth! I invite you to continue to be a part. I invite you and everyone to keep coming on-board in support of these many efforts and more. I invite you to dream the impossible… because nothing is impossible for God. What do you need to continue to support and do? How can you help to lead or attend? How can we build relationships with people who will join us as we Go be the church! We must continue to be changed into an open, caring, loving, relational church that are ambassadors for Jesus Christ in such a way that we help “draw people to God” by the love and example we live before others, with pure thanks and gratitude for what God is doing around us and through us! Here is what I invite our entire congregation (including the Pastor) to do – pray…pray and pray and then do something! Go be the church!
Next Tuesday will be our Annual Charge Conference at the Monroe United Methodist Church at 6 pm. We will be excited to share about what our church is doing. We invite you to attend if you are able, so when we introduce ourselves we can all together shout: “Go be the church!”
