Pastor’s Report for March 2023
I thank God for the people in our church who have helped to ensure we grow together in faith and trust in the Lord.
NURTURE, OUTREACH AND WITNESS
- I’m grateful for Bertha Castaneda and Linda Harrison’s efforts. They arranged for us to host weekly Lenten dinners. Our first gathering was Wed, Mar 1. There were approximately thirty people in attendance. There was food, music, faithful conversation and prayer. We’re hoping to keep the attendance up throughout the season.
- Brittani Fletcher is hosting a small group for young adults (~20s) in her home throughout the season of Lent. They are using the time to connect and deepen their faith together. The resource they are using is Bless the Lent We Actually Have.
- For a while now, Gloria Fletcher has led a group during Sunday school time. The group focuses on different aspects of faith and devotion and they use various forms of reflection. It’s open to everyone. The group is suited to those who appreciate using all our senses in learning.
- Several weeks ago, we gave everyone note cards. You were asked to write the name of a person who you would pray for the flourishing of their life. Next, we’re going to ask everyone to write the name of someone who “should be” in church. This will be someone from Kelsey who hasn’t been in a while.
- Our Lent Summer Series is titled Redemption’s Reach. We’re using several psalms as our sermon texts. We’ll consider how the redemption God offers us isn’t only to get us to heaven. God wants us to experience peace and healing right now.
- We created a monthly worship guide. It includes the readings and worship music for each Sunday in the month. Plus, there are all our church announcements. So, every Sunday in a month we use the same program. There is less printing with this approach. Announcements are the same and we can see what’s coming, remember what we did or, for those who haven’t been in a while, know what’s been happening.
- We have three young people ready to prepare for confirmation. This year, we’re introducing a hybrid model. Each participant does reflection work on their own during the week. As a group, we meet to discuss what they learned. You can view our lessons on our website at kelseymemorial.org/confirmation2023.
- The men’s group has set a date for its annual barbecue. It’s schedule for Sat, Apr 22, 11am-2pm. More information will be given as we get closer to the date.
- Our average worship attendance for January and February 2023 was 74 and 84, respectively. That puts our average in-person worship attendance at 79. As a reminder, our goal is to bring that number to “triple digits” by the end of the year.
MINISTRY INFORMATION
It looks as if the college Spring Break mission trip will be cancelled. There were not enough participants available to attend.
The Finance group has decided to meet regularly on the 4th Monday of every month. Anyone can join these meetings for information.
I’m hoping to take some time off during Spring Break. I haven’t been able to do that for a while. When I’ve planned off times, pastoral responsibilities arose that kept me from keeping to them. Chances are, I won’t miss a Sunday.
By the end of March, I should have reached a small milestone. Several years ago, I began writing daily devotionals. The devotionals are available to anyone who signs up to receive them. I also make audio versions available through our mobile website (wearekelsey.info) and my website (anotherjohn.com). The milestone we’ll cross soon is the 1,000th daily devotional!
This year’s Clergy Convocation is in-person. I will attend the event, Mon, Mar 6 through Tue, Mar 7 in San Antonio.
REMINDER | Bishop Schnase has called a special session of the Rio Texas Annual Conference. The date for the conference is Sat, May 6, 2023, 11am. There is one purpose for the meeting, to vote on the “recommendations for the churches disaffiliating per the provisions of ¶2552.” Our annual conference delegates are required to attend.
Have you taken an opportunity to learn any ministry-related things since our last meeting? I did. I read a book about discipleship. I’ve read plenty of those but this one offered something new for me. It was about the emotional health of a church. That emotional health is a part of discipleship. That seems so obvious, but most churches don’t ever address it or include it in their leadership training or discipleship curriculum. The title of the book is The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship That Actually Chances Lives.
If you’re not sure where to start learning, visit www.churchleadership.com. You’re a blessing!
Blessed Beyond Belief,
John Fletcher