|
|
|
| Cheering for G.R.O.W.T.H.Dear Friends:If Mark M. were a cheerleader, he would be shouting, "Give me a G!" (Stands for "Generating a passion to share the good news of the Gospel and to grow in Christian discipleship." "Give me an R!" (Stands for "Reaching out in ministry and service to our neighborhood of Pacific Beach and the greater San Diego community.") "Give me an O!" (Stands for "Observing the diversity of backgrounds and gifts we each bring to the body of believers." "Give me a W!" (Stands for "Worshiping in a way that is reflective of our faith in contemporary times.") "Give me a T!" (Stands for "Teaching our children, youth and adults with a Biblically based foundation exercised through daily living.") "Give me an H!" (Stands for "Holding one another together via small groups in a spirit of encouragement and support.") G R O W T H. What's that spell? Growth! Mark shared this acronym at the Visioning Retreat in January, and it continues to generate discussion and interest. One group of people continuing a discussion which began at the retreat has suggested that our strategic plan can be encapsulated under the headings "supporting growth" and "cultivating growth." Scripture advises that we, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever!" (2 Peter 3:18) Certainly, there is a great deal of enthusiasm at PB UMC for growing in faith and growing as a community as we share our faith we others and invite them to join our ministry. The various committees within the church (a better name might be "ministry groups") are always at work trying to advance our goals that we be a caring community, growing in faith, reaching out to others, and worshiping God will all our heart, mind, soul and strength. For example, at least two committees are currently planning a way for us to celebrate our heritage even as we look to the future with hope and new vision. On April 15, 2007, our church is going to mark sixty years of continuous ministry. The Worship Committee is designing a service in which we can re enact the signing of the church's charter (a ceremony not unlike the renewal of wedding vows!). The Member Care Committee is making arrangements for a festive lunch to be held after church on that day, with our charter members from 1947 as honored guests. Other groups may support the endeavor through offering some special seminars that day, or creating the opportunity for a memorial gift to the church, or looking for ways to really publicize our anniversary. When we all work together toward a common goal, amazing things can (and will) happen! Ideally, our sixty years of Christian service in the community will continue to inspire and inform our growth in ministry for many months to come. If you have ideas about how you would like to contribute to our church's collective efforts, please do not hesitate to get involved. The following ministry groups are always open to new members and volunteers (contact the church office for more information): Worship - Discipleship - Member Care - Outreach - Stewardship and Finance - Small Group Ministry - Youth Ministry - Sunday School - Tuesday Night Bible Study - Voices of Praise Choir - Gospel Choir - Children's Choir - United Methodist Women - United Methodist Men We're blessed to have people in our midst who cheer us on. We are blessed at PB UMC to have so many gifted and willing workers! Grace and peace to all, Pastor April |
|
|