An Message from the Pastor

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”                     - Isaiah 43:9

“See, I am making all things new.”                                        - Revelation 21:5

Happy New Year!  I hope your holidays were satisfying and meaningful.  A new year is upon us – a time for new things.

For several months I have been reading and praying about how we as a people of faith might reach out to our surrounding communities to help meet the needs of people who may not be connected to a church.  There are many things that we might do, but it seems to me that there is one thing the church can provide that no other social group or club can provide – guidance in spiritual disciplines, such as prayer.

I have especially been pondering an observation I recently heard about young people who might be interested in exploring what the church has to offer.  They sometimes comment that, if they were to go to a church, they don’t just want to hear ABOUT God, they want to EXPERIENCE God.

How might we provide that opportunity?  It is hard to schedule God to show up at any of our events and be sure that God will actually appear.

In talking to some other pastors in our area, one suggested that we might begin by getting a group of people together to do some study – to read a book, or reflect on some passages from the Bible, and pray that God might show us what we can do that will make a difference in people’s lives.  This isn’t an effort just to bring in more church members, but rather to introduce the gospel to people in a powerful way.

Please let me know if you might be interested in participating in this study group – in developing “a new thing” through which we might share the good news.  May all of you have a happy, healthy, and enriching new year!

                                                            Pastor Bob von Trebra