“Finish Line or Starting Line?”
As you likely remember, for the past couple of months our congregation and church leadership has been engaging in a process of discerning a new vision for our church. Briefly, a vision is a picture of a preferred future, and design for who we are and who we feel God is calling us to become for the sake of His mission. I am excited to share that we have concluded this process of discovery and discernment and at our most recent Board meeting adopted the following as our vision and priorities for our congregation:
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Beginning this Sunday, we will spend the next four weeks looking at this vision and these priorities, discussing what it might look like to live into and live out these words. Our message series is titled “What If …?” This is inspired by a television series on Disney + in the Marvel Universe. The whole premise of the series is what would the Marvel Universe look like if one thing changed? For the next four weeks, we will look at this vision statement and these priorities and ask the question “What if?” What if we did a few things differently? What if everyone was truly welcome? What if we facilitated genuine connections? What if we offered encouragement to one another? What if God changed the world using us?
Next weekend our Church’s Administrative Board is going to spend two days at a planning retreat, reflecting on this new vision statement and these priorities and considering a strategy for helping all of us within the church to live it out. We’re devoting time in our worship services, we’re spending time on this retreat, so that we can make sure that the completion of this visioning process doesn’t mark the crossing of a finish line but represents a new beginning as we continue the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I hope you will join us this week and throughout this series as we consider “What if?
It is a blessing to be your pastor and be in ministry alongside you to an amazing God.
Blessings, Chris
Worship This Sunday
This Sunday we begin a new message series titled “What If …?” This week’s message is titled “What if… Everyone Was Truly Welcome?” Our scripture reading will be from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 5, verses 27 through 32:
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
We will begin our service with the song House of the Lord by Phil Wickham. Our hymns for Sunday include: In the Garden, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone), and We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations. This week also we will have the return of a choir to our 10:20 service. This week they will be singing as our Prelude.
In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start approximately 10:25 or so, as we begin it after the opening video (for copyright purposes). We will continue to post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon. We are excited to be able to extend our worship services in these ways.
COVID Updates
At our most recent Administrative Board meeting, the board reviewed COVID numbers in the state and Cooper and Howard counties, and our congregation’s current practices. It was agreed to continue to encourage social distancing in worship by keeping half of the pews closed for the time being. Masks are still optional for everyone but encouraged for those who are not fully vaccinated. The Board is committed to continuing to monitor the latest COVID conditions and will discuss any further changes at upcoming meetings.
Announcements
Your Input Requested – As part of our commitment to offer opportunities for people to connect with one another and grow spiritually, we are looking for your input on our small group ministries. Would you please take a few minutes and fill out our small groups survey?
Women’s Bible Study – Linda Gordon and Judy Powell are going to lead a fall women’s Bible study on Wednesday mornings in the lounge beginning Oct. 6th, at 9:30 a.m.
We invite interested ladies to bring their Bible and enjoy coffee with us. We are going to begin with a revisit of the book entitled Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown. (We had just started this one at the beginning of Covid.) If you need a book or study guide, please let Linda, Judy, or Cindy Koch know. Hope to see you there!
Calling All Musicians – NMUMC is in the process of creating a praise band to help facilitate our worship experience. We are looking for musicians with experience playing keyboard, drums, bass guitar, etc. If you play an instrument and are interested in participating, please talk to Larry Long or Sara Snyder.
Central Methodist University Chorale – Next Sunday, September 26th the CMU Chorale will be singing during our 10:20 worship service. Join as we support and are ministered to this group of young people.
Collections for Missions – This is the last Sunday we will be collecting items for the Personal Hygiene Packs for the annual MO Festival of Sharing. Below is a description of what is sought for each project. If you’d prefer to donate cash, that would be great. Each pack has an approximate value of $20.
Missouri Personal Hygiene Pack:
1 bottle lotion (10-16 oz.), 1 fluoride toothpaste (6 oz. or more), 1 toothbrush (in original package), 1 bath size bar of soap (in package), 1 bottle shampoo (12-16 oz.), 2 razors, 1 comb or brush, 1 deodorant, 1 washcloth, 1 hand towel (please place items in a 2 gallon zip lock bag)
Items or monetary donations for the Missouri Personal Hygiene Packs are requested to be returned by this Sunday, September 19.
Events this week:
Monday, September 20: TOPS, 9:30 am, Foundations Classroom
Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Lounge
Tuesday, September 21: Outreach Meeting, 6:30 pm, Lounge
Wednesday, September 22: Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge
Friday, September 24: Al Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge
Administrative Board Strategic Planning Retreat, 6:00 pm, Community UMC
Saturday, September 25: Administrative Board Strategic Planning Retreat, 9:00 am, Community UMC
Sunday, September 26: Central Methodist University Chorale singing in 10:20 Worship Service
Closing Words of Wisdom:
It’s not what the vision is, it’s what the vision does.” — Peter Senge
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