Fall Theme: Walk in Love

Our fall theme and annual campaign will be “Walk in Love”. The Gospel invites us to Walk in Love with our neighbor in their footsteps, with the outcast and the marginalized, with those who need us. As we spread the Good News in our world, we carry the love and support of our congregation and our prayers into our communities. When you share your many gifts with your neighbors, every step is walking in love. Look for more about this theme in the coming weeks ahead. In the meantime, ponder how you walk in love with God and others in your daily life and how that is making a difference in your life and the life of others.

Commitment Sunday is October 6

Generosity is a journey, it’s a practice that we learn and nurture within our hearts. It just isn’t in our nature to give away what we have worked hard to acquire or to donate our precious time without compensation. It takes something as radical as Love to inspire us to share our time, talent, and treasure with others. This is a journey we make together, a Walk in Love.

The Gospel reminds us that this world has been turned upside down by the radical love of Jesus. The laws and customs that had been in place for centuries before Jesus were challenged, power and dominion were questioned, and a culture hemmed in from all sides by oppression and subjection desperately sought a way forward.

As it turns out, it is not clever politics or brute force that cause the change in society, but the simplest concept of Love. Jesus causes a revolution of thought and heart by daring to reach out to the outcast and teach others to do the same. He walks in love with the marginalized, with the poor, with the sick, and brings us along with him on his journey.

The most miraculous gift of Love is that it was there with us all along, all we had to do was use what was already there. And look what happened! We Christians over the centuries have learned to share, to give, to volunteer, to accompany others, to feed, to pray, to visit, to strive for change. I invite you to share your stories of inspiration and connection with our shared ministry in this place and with each other. I invite you to Walk in Love.

To recognize and respond to the Love of God already at work within our congregation and through our individual lives we will be celebrating a Commitment Sunday on October 6, 2024. On this Sunday we will be returning our pledge cards and celebrating a Ministry Fair that will allow us to express our stewardship not only through the sharing of our treasure but also the sharing of our time and talent.

I would encourage you to fill out your pledge card. Note both sides of the card. One side represents your financial gift. The other side shows proportional giving examples to help you determine the amount of your financial gift.

 - Eric Lesher, Interim Senior Pastor