Friends,

This Sunday we’ll be in Hebrews 12 looking at the first two verses of this chapter. Take a few moments sometime in the next day to read through the passage and listen to God as this section conveys deep truths about following Jesus. I’m excited about delving into this passage with you!

We’re also going to ordain elders and deacons during the service. We are grateful for the people who respond to God’s call for service in these vital roles. Ordination is a practice that recognizes a setting apart for service, and we do this as a congregation as an act of worship giving thanks to God for the gift of servants who convey God’s blessing through leadership and ministry. Come prepared to add your prayers in this time of commitment.

Immediately following the service, there will be a brief congregational meeting where we will vote on a motion brought by session to concur with Pastor Mike’s request that the presbytery dissolve the pastoral relationship between Pastor Mike and our congregation as he retires from a faith-filled career in ministry. In the Presbyterian Church, a pastoral call is a three-way commitment between a congregation, a pastor and the presbytery who all agree on God’s call for ministry. This reflects a fundamental principle of our church that we hear God best as a community all seeking to faithfully follow Christ’s lead. Many gathered last night to honor Pastor Mike’s career in ministry. It was an evening filled with joy and celebration as we reflected on God’s goodness and faithfulness evident in Mike’s life of service. As we go through the process of formally closing Mike’s call, we do so with a debt of gratitude to Mike and Gail who have selflessly served this congregation for 30 years, and we give thanks to God for his blessing on them and us.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I want to remind you that our thanksgiving service this year will be held next Sunday evening. We’re calling it “Short and Sweet.” We’ll have time to give thanks to God and then we’ll share some pie in the fellowship hall after the service. Our choir will sing, our children’s choir will sing, and we’ll delight in your testimonies of God’s goodness to you. It will be a great evening—don’t miss it!

On the horizon, we have new opportunities for ministry to share with you. We’re not done with congregational meetings yet! Stay tuned for more information about what’s next in the life of our church. We’re always glad for what God has done among us in the past, but as Christ-followers we’re always pointed forward to anticipate how God continues to lead us into the next season of ministry and opportunity planned for us. God is good all of the time! See you Sunday!

Warmly,
—frank