We are entering the seasons of Advent and Christmas. It’s the time we focus on the coming of Christ — as an infant in Bethlehem, into our hearts and lives today, and at the fulfillment of time. It’s a time for receiving anew or the first time the most important gift of life in Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It’s a time for giving — giving love to God and to our neighbor.

How are we to give love to God? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” (Luke 10:27a) As I think about what that means, it means giving my whole life, everything I am and everything I have to the Lord in response to his great gift of salvation. It involves giving Jesus my total devotion — spending time in worship and prayer both personally and corporately. It involves giving my mind over to study God’s word, to think about its meaning and apply it in my life. It involves giving Jesus my strength in the form of service.

How are we to love our neighbors? “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27b) We are to give love to others as we give love to ourselves and our loved ones. Each Christmas I think about Mike Slaughter, pastor of a large United Methodist Church in Ohio. He and his
family decided years ago to give away as much at Christmas as they spent on themselves. He is now encouraging the church to do the same. The last several Christmases they have taken a “miracle offering.” They’ve used the money to make very real differences in Darfur.

As I think about giving this year, I’m thinking about giving time and resources to our mission trip to New Orleans, Feb. 14-22. We’ll be driving to New Orleans on Feb. 14-15. We’ll work for 5 days then drive back on the weekend. The trip should cost about $350 each. There will be things for all levels of skill including office help as well as home rehab. Youth 14 and older can go when accompanied by an adult. I am hoping several of you will join me in this as part of your gift to Jesus this Christmas. Let me know if you need more information or want to go. We’d like to have the team in place by the end of the year.

We are always giving ourselves to/for something. The question is it the right/best thing? Giving love to God and neighbor in concrete ways is the best and most fulfilling. Choose this Christmas to live beyond yourself.

Have a blessed and joy filled Advent and Christmas.

Anne

We have completed our five week study of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase. We’ve been reminded about the importance of radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.  We need to be vigilant in practicing these five things as individuals and as a congregation.  The “Discover Your Spiritual Path” brochure is intended to help each one of us be more intentional about our faith development.  I pray you have taken the time to use it and are actively taking the next step(s) you identified.  I have and am.  If you don’t have one, the brochures are available in the gathering area or by calling the church office.

On October 26, we began another church wide study called Living Beyond Myself.  It focuses our attention on the practice of risk-taking mission and service and how we can live more fully for Christ who will transform our lives and teach us how to make them really count for something.  This four-week series has a small group component that you won’t want to miss.  If you are not currently in a small group, any of the existing small groups would be happy for you to join them for this study.  I also will be starting a new group on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 PM beginning October 28.  If you’d like to be a part of this new group, give me a call (663-3665).

I’m also very excited about a new opportunity we have this coming Christmas season to make a difference for Christ.  In addition to our continued participation in the White Gift program to bring God’s love to people in the Rochester area, we will be offering the opportunity to share God’s love with people throughout the world.  In August, at the Willowcreek Leadership Summit we heard from Gary Haugen.  Gary is a lawyer who quit his regular law practice to start an organization called International Justice Ministries.  This is a ministry that works to secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.  They are making a real difference.  When people have been freed they receive counseling and are helped to reenter society.  They need jobs.  This is where Trade As One and Better Way Imports come in.  These are two organizations that market products made by these people and others that live in extreme poverty.  The youth will be doing a fund raiser selling handbags from Better Way Imports.  This is a great opportunity for us to support the youth and help others who really need our help.  As a church, we will be involved in project H.O.P.E. through Trade As One.  The H.O.P.E. project will enable us to purchase Christmas gifts for our friends and family that they will enjoy and use from the products marketed by Trade As One.  It’s a win-win opportunity to make our Christmas purchases make a double difference—bringing joy to our family and friends and joy to some of the poorest of the poor by helping them to have meaningful jobs.  You’ll be hearing more about this in the near future.  If you’d like to join the team putting it together, please contact me soon.  Together we can help bring justice to some of the least and the last.  This is, after all, part of our mandate from God.  “God has shown you what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8)

Blessings,

Anne

We are in the midst of a five week study of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase. None of these practices are new, but from time to time we need to be reminded about the importance of radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity. The study is intended to give us an opportunity to look at ourselves and our church, celebrate what we do well and take the next step toward being more faithful in our life with Christ. There is a
daily devotional that goes along with the study. If you have not picked one up, be sure to do that soon. If you have one, I pray you are
using it and finding it a meaningful addition to the Sunday messages.

Among other things, I’m celebrating those who serve at Aldersgate. Last week, I had a conversation with someone. The person told me “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” From that simple conversation I was reminded how blessed I am to be in ministry with all of you at Aldersgate. There are so many of you, many working behind the scenes, that make a huge difference for me personally and for the church and ministry as a whole. You may know how much you bless me and others when you say something like, “don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” or when you see a need and take care of it, but you do! I’m not going to name names because there are so many of you and I know many of you would be embarrassed by the recognition. The little things you do add up and make a tremendous difference. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! God bless you! “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Beginning the last Sunday in October, we will start another church wide study called Living Beyond Myself. We will be focusing on how we can live more fully for Christ and how that will transform our lives and teach us how to make them really count for something. This four-week series has a small group component that you won’t want to miss. If you are not currently in a small group, any of the existing small groups would be happy for you to join them for this study. I also will be starting a new group on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 PM beginning October 28. If you’d like to be a part of this new group, give me a call (663-3665).

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God that God has chosen you.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)

Thanks be to God!

It’s been feeling a bit like fall these past few days with cool nights and moderate days. Vacations are over. The college students are already heading back for the fall semester. Golf leagues and softball leagues are winding down. The fall schedule at church will soon be in full swing. And what a fall we have planned!

On September 2, the Senior High Youth Group will start up again and on September 5 the Middle School Group will begin meeting again.

On September 7, we officially welcome to the Aldersgate staff our new youth pastor, Kim Hines, our Contemporary Team Worship Leader, Kevin Brown, and our new Contemporary Team Administrative Leader, Debbie Simm. Also, on the 7th, the children’s Sunday school will be starting a new program where the children will be involved in different learning stations such as science, art, cooking, games, storytelling, and others.

On September 20, we will join with the Emmanuel UMC to host our first Fiesta Latina BBQ. You can learn more about this and how you can help in the September, 2008 issue of the Aldersgate Hinge.

On September 21, we will begin an exciting 5-week series on Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Everyone will receive a daily devotional to help him/her get even more out of the series. Teams and committees dealing with hospitality, worship, faith development, mission, and stewardship will be encouraged studying their area more in depth.

Of course, there are the ongoing ministries as well. All in all it’s shaping up to be a great month.

It’s my prayer that all we do will bring glory to God and the light and love of Christ to our community.

Blessings,