The church at its best is a church in motion. After his resurrection and just before he ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus gave one final command to his followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
We are called not just to gather and worship and take care of each other, but to go out and bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who are living apart from him. In Jesus Christ, we have what the world needs! Do you believe that? Does your relationship with Jesus make a difference in your life? Then tell a friend. Invite them to worship or another activity at church. And trust that God is with you to help you by giving you the opportunities and words to share the Good News.
Another part of going to make disciples is watching where God is at work in the world and joining God in it. There are many places we are doing that now. But there is more to be done. Late last fall many of us participated in a “360” that was intended to look at our readiness as a congregation to become more missional in serving our community. After some long delays, we are going to hear the results of that survey on October 13. We will gather with other churches that day from 9AM to 3 PM and review our results. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come. More details will be available soon. Please let me know if you can join me.
Thanks to those who have turned in the “Serving with Joy” cards and have put their ministry flag on the map. If you haven’t had a chance to do that, I encourage you to do that. Some of the places people are serving are the Greece Ecumenical Food Shelf, the Rochester General Hospital Stroke Unit, the Linus Project, helping an elderly neighbor, Mission Share, Focus Plus, Scouts, Unity Adult Day Care, Rochester Psychiatric Center, Asbury Store House, Family Advocates of Heritage Christian Services, Binghamton recovery, the Edgerton Community Center, and Aldersgate UMC. If you want any more information about any of these, let me know and I’ll connect you with the person or people serving there. It truly is a joy to be able to serve the Lord in so many ways and places!
Blessings,
