Pastor's Greeting

Pastor’s Ponder – June 2021

Summer is here!  Happily it's here with much of the "normalcy" of past summers. The children are out of school.  The days are longer and hotter.  It's time for us to enjoy the pleasures of swimming and cookouts - with family and friends again!  In the church, we have arrived at the season of the year known as "ordinary time".  The name is misleading though.  While we will read along through the gospel of Mark - with forays into John - from now until November, it's anything but boring!  I much prefer to think of this season in the church as "growing time" - to match the natural growth we see around us in the sundrenched, rain soaked world!

How is God calling us to grow at Nativity?  How are we being challenged to expand our vision?  To extend greater hospitality and welcome in our community?  How is the Holy Spirit pushing us out of our comfort zones?  Into new ministries - and even more excitingly, new relationships?  As life gradually returns to "normal" I sense that the church in general may be poised to grow.  We, in the expanding areas of Winder/Bethlehem may be in a unique position to grow with the neighborhood.  My personal belief is that God wants to bless us - DESIRES to bless us!  How can we cooperate in that blessing?  How can we help it flourish?

Your Nativity Council will be having a mini-retreat on a Saturday in early August.  Between now and then - during this "growing season" of the church - I would like to get some feedback from you.  Be on the lookout for a questionnaire of some kind in July with ministry-growth related questions.  The information and insight you provide will help the council make decisions - and more importantly, form a cohesive vision for the next year or so.

During these weeks of summer, I pray we can engage in some intentional conversation within the church to see "where we are" and "where we hope to go".  Thank you for all that you do and the love you give to one another!  I thank God for each and every one of you.  You are a blessing to me!  

In Christ,

Pastor Julie