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Copyright ©2008 • First United Methodist Church • Palestine, TX • 903-729-6205
Pastoral Conversation
Happy New Year! 2009 has come quickly. Hopefully most of you will receive this newsletter Visitor before January 4th. I believe we will begin the New Year in an exciting and appropriate manner. We will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. We will also use the John Wesley Covenant Service from the UMC Book of Worship to dedicate our goals and mission statement for 2009.
I want to thank Bill Copeland, Marc Robinson, Kirby McCord and Donna Green who helped me organize the Administrative council Retreat last August at Lakeview. We had twenty-three of our council members and staff come together to work together on our 2009 ministry needs and goals. We watched a video produced by the Conference staff with Bishop Janice Huie challenging us to be fruitful in ministry in 5 important and vital tasks. They are: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Faith Forming Relationships, Risk Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. This fall we have been passing out the retreat suggestions in our committee teams and work areas. I particularly want to thank Dr. Ken Kuykendall who has been very helpful in this part of the process of compiling the goals.
December 15th we approved these goals for 2009 and on January 4th we will dedicate them for God to anoint us with the blessing of perseverance to accomplish the goals for God’s Kingdom through First United Methodist Church.
Practically speaking, as we begin working out the action steps to accomplish these goals, I am sure there will be “tweaking” and “adaptations”; this is typical as we work together. However, I believe it is exciting we have “mapped” a “game plan” for what we believe God is calling us to do.
So, as we enter into the season of Epiphany –keep our church in your prayers as we step forward in faith for the making of disciples and transformation of the world. Remember our church’s mission: To glorify God by being a living body of Christ through worship, discipleship, and loving service around the corner and around the world.
Sunday the Communion offering will be for our FUMC Scholarship Fund for our college scholarship students.
Your Pastor and friend,
Bruce Hay
Club 502
