“Comfort, oh comfort my people,”
says your God.
“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem…

-Isaiah 40: 1

This week, we hear a word of comfort from God.  Through Isaiah, God tells the Israelites “It’s time to come home.”  He tells those living in exile, afraid, broken, hopeless, desperate, there is reason to hope.  God, the great shepherd is in control.

Sometimes life is easy.  And sometimes, life is hard, really hard.  War, recession, cancer, depression, isolation, exhaustion, loss, death, burden upon burden…it can feel as if we face our mounting and seemingly unending trials alone.  This Sunday is for those who are struggling.  Come and hear a word of comfort, from God’s heart to your ear.  Come and be fed, on the word of life, and the bread and cup of blessing.

I’ll see you on Sunday,

Pastor Heather 

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Charge Conference is over! Last night’s meeting was productive, thought provoking, conversational, and believe it or not, we laughed together. There was humor at Charge Conference! Something was different last night. I’ll be sharing some of what we heard and shared next Sunday, October 30, including a message from our Bishop. Before then, if you want to see some of the decisions we made, and the slate of officers we elected for 2012, or the reports about all the awesome things that have been happening in our church, pick up a packet on the radiator by the front door. It’s full of important information and reason to celebrate. Thank you to those who were there, and especially those of you who cleaned up. Thank you to those who worked so hard all year. I’m eager to see what 2012 brings.

This week, we’ll be hearing from the 2011 Rural Mission Team in both Praise and Traditional Worship. The text comes from 1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8. In verse 8, Paul tells the people of Thessalonica, We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did. In worship we’ll be hearing stories of how members of the Rural Mission team saw the gospel lived, and how they shared their hearts and lives with the people of South Carolina. Don’t miss it.

I’ll see you on Sunday,
Pastor Heather

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This Sunday, we offer two unique worship opportunities. In our Praise Worship, we’ll be celebrating God’s furry and fuzzy gifts in our lives, with the Blessing of the Animals. At 8:30, bring any appropriately leashed or contained animals for a special blessing. Feel free to bring pictures of current and past loved pets, or symbols that remind you of them, collars, toys, etc. Every animal will be blessed by name. We’ll also be remembering pets we’ve loved and lost.

Then during Traditional Worship, we’ll hear from Emma Henry from the Hampden County Women’s Correctional Facility. She’ll be sharing with us about prison ministry. If you’re interested in this ministry, see me for an application for a background check, the first step in the process for joining our prison ministry team.

I’ll see you on Sunday,
Pastor Heather

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Dear Friends
Today kicks off a 10 day campaign highlighting some of the awesome ways the United Methodist Church is making a difference in the world. To find out more, check out 10-Fold. Just by clicking on the link each day, a dollar will be donated to the project of the day.

Sunday, as we prepare for CROP walk, we’ll explore Matthew 25 and Jesus’ reminder that every time we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked and visit the imprisoned, we’re showing our love for Jesus and our neighbor.

I’ll see you on Sunday,
Heather

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Dear Friends,
This Sunday, we celebrate World Communion Sunday, a reminder of our connectedness to Christians around the world. We also begin our “Month of Mission,” a reminder of our connectedness to God’s children around the world. Come feast and explore the seemingly simple concept of neighbor. Our scripture this week from Luke 10, invites us to reconsider the easy to quote but hard to live laws of God. Love God and love your neighbor.

We’re also entering the season of nominations, as we seek to discern who is called to the various ministries of our church. We’re not just filling slots, we prayerfully listening and looking for the right people, chosen by God, to lead our church. Is it you? I’m attaching a “nominations survey.” We’ll also be passing them out in church on Sunday. But if you won’t be in worship, or rather not think about it in worship, would you please take a moment to fill it out and send it back to me. You can also just send a regular email with the info. The survey describes each of our teams and committees in our new leadership structure, and asks your willingness to serve. There is no guarantee you will be asked to serve, and if you don’t fill it out, we’ll still call. So please spend some time in prayer, and let me know where you think God might be calling you to serve.

I’ll see you on Sunday.
pastor Heather

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