This Way or That Way
May the peace of God be with you.
Let me express deep gratitude to all the region for an outpouring of cards, letters, emails, and phone calls that extended prayers, care, and sympathy during the passing of Jasmine’s father. This generosity continued and overflowed to include special efforts by our regional clergy, staff, and leadership. Our Regional Moderator, Rev. Dr. Norm Williams was firm for my focus to turn toward my family’s well-being. Once more, I am grateful for all the understanding and patience as we continue to improve our response times and availability.
It is hard to believe that almost a year has passed since our Regional Assembly. Amid pandemic, we were already responding to multiple changes and challenges in mission and ministry. Our congregations began discovering and embracing “the new and living way” for their communities. While we are still in a pandemic, there has been a lot learned and gained. Also, we have had many painful losses and change. This year’s Regional Planning Committee challenges us to consider our parts in “Continuing on the way.”
Every day, like many of our pastors, our regional staff is searching, learning, and considering ways to encourage new forms of mission and ministry. All our congregations are unique, and a one size fits all model will not work (as if it ever has worked for us with one way). We do know for some it can be this way and still for others that way. What we should work to avoid is losing patience with the new and returning totally to what was before the pandemic. We need to keep a healthy sense of the congregation, working to keep this “new and living way” by “continuing on the way” that lies ahead.
One thing I would like to ask our readers to consider, our pastors have continued to provide us care and leadership amid one the most difficult times in ages. Please consider writing or emailing a note of gratitude and if you’re a congregational leader, why not suggest the church board provide extra paid time off for some rest and renewal? If you’re a CC (DOC) Clergy person, please consider a new service designed with you in mind provided on behalf of the Pension Fund for your better health. For more information please visit: www.pensionfund.org/learntolive.
Please continue to keep in prayer our regional clergy, staff, and leadership in these difficult days of transition and changes. We continue to keep you, our pastors and all our congregations, here and across the wider church in prayers as well.
Blessings,
Richie