“If you want to build  a ship, don’t drum up the men and women to gather wood,  divide the work, and give orders.  Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”  

Long gone are the days when you could build a United Methodist Church and count on people to come and fill it up.  The mentality was, “if you build it, they will come.”  And that worked for many years.  But not so now.  Even those who live on our street and the surrounding neighborhood don’t come. Our neighbors say things like, “I’m too busy,” or “the church is irrelevant,” or “the church is too judgmental.”

We can no longer wait for them to come to us.  We are past the days of doing special events in hopes that we will attract new congregation members.

Today’s Vision

In order to fully engage our community we must make sure we find and embrace a vision rooted in deep love for all of God’s people.  One of my favorite prayers is a simple prayer; “Lord, help me to see your people the way you see them.”  Such love pulls us forward, giving us courage and the willingness to go wherever God leads.

So, I ask today, do we have a heart for all God’s people – even the people not personally known to us?  Even the people who reject Good or reject us?  Even our enemies?  Do we see all the people?

Transforming our community and our world begins here.  It begins with a deep and authentic love for every child of God.

“For God so loved the world…” and so should we.

“They will come” when “they” see we have embraced a vision that mirrors God’s love.

Through the lives we lead, and the ministries we offer are we creating a yearning for the vast and endless sea that is God’s love?

Your Pastor’s Prayer

It is my prayer that we will recover that Wesleyan passion and burden to reach a new generation of believers.

May your love for our community become as deep and wide as God’s love for us.  May it be like discovering a love and yearning for a vast endless sea.

Peace,

Pastor Hoyt