Hello Church!

October is here, and with it comes a season of learning, connecting, and growing together!

This month in worship, we are beginning a brand-new sermon series called “Say What? Explaining Church Words.” Have you ever heard a word in church and wondered, What exactly does that mean? Sometimes we use words so often that we forget we may not actually know where they came from or why they matter. Throughout October, we’ll unpack some familiar church words and discover how they connect to our faith and how we live it out every day.

October is also an important month as we look toward the future of our churches. Charge Conference will be held October 22 in Atlantic. This annual gathering gives us an opportunity not only to take care of the business of the church, but also to celebrate our ministry and continue discerning where God is calling us next. I look forward to sharing all the wonderful ministry action plans and goals that we have set for our coming year here!

One exciting place God is already leading us is into a closer relationship with our friends at Bridgewater and Massena United Methodist Churches. Beginning this fall, Pastor Deb Parkison and I will be tag-teaming worship services as we begin working together across our churches. There will certainly be some learning and adjusting along the way, but I am excited about the opportunities this gives us to build relationships, share ministry, and discover what God can do when we work together.

Our Faithful Connections will help us do just that! Not only are we connecting with our youth here at this church, but we are also starting a Faithful Connection: Across the Miles program to connect with our new sister churches. If you haven't signed up yet and would like to participate, please do so ASAP so we can get everyone paired and start making those connections.

And finally, we get to end October with some fun! On Halloween Night, stop by the church while you're out trick-or-treating. We'll have treats for the kids along with free hot dogs and drinks for everyone. It is a simple way for us to open our doors, welcome our neighbors, and share a little hospitality with our community.

A lot is happening this October! From new things to learn, new relationships to build, ministry to celebrate, and plenty of opportunities to be the church together I know that God is in it all!

I am excited to see where God leads us as we step into this next season together!

Blessings,

Pastor Jess