Communication
We’re coming to the end of the season of Epiphany in the church, when we are focused on the good news of Jesus being revealed to the world. It’s an ongoing revelation – we get to participate in spring this good news – so we need to be good at communicating! How can we get better at communicating this powerful message? In sales, it’s a good idea to have something like an “elevator pitch” to have a concise, practiced explanation of a product or service. How do you practice sharing the gospel?
Everyone communicates in different ways – some are better on the phone, some email, others only use text messages and social media. I believe that face-to-face, real life conversations are most powerful. More and more, these moments seem to be rare, as we’re always moving, always working, running in many directions. Jesus gathered people around him to proclaim the kingdom, to share the news of God’s love and grace, and in the last moments of his life had intimate conversations with those he loved.
Recently, we’ve gathered as church in homes for cottage meetings – conversations about the needs and opportunities for Reformation. We’ve had some great ideas and energy come from these meetings and we are preparing a plan to present to the congregation. We’ll have a forum between worship services on Sunday March 1st to share what we’ve created so far. I am confident that we have great opportunities to continue to serve our community, and communicate the news of God’s love in Jesus. This is our mission and purpose.
We are in conversation with new members! We have about 10 new church members gathering to get to know one another on Sunday afternoon, March 8th. Most of them worship at our 11:30 service. They are all here because someone they knew invited them to be a part of Reformation Lutheran Church.
Our fellowship team has been in conversation, planning out events for the year. We’ll have the chance to participate in another day of community service on Sunday March 15th with the Beverly Green neighborhood. March 29th will be our community BBQ, and we’ll be focused on inviting others to see what we’re all about! Easter comes on April 12th, and our worship in the park will happen on April 26th.
Recent conversations with members from our AA groups led to a renovation of Edwins Hall, including a new ceiling, lighting, speakers, paint and more! It’s a great gift from the AA groups to our church, and if you haven’t seen the new look yet, drop by and check it out! Ash Wednesday worship will be Wednesday, February 26th, at 6:00pm in the sanctuary. Our mid-week soup supper and healing worship will be in Edwins Hall on Wednesdays starting March 4th at 5:30. I hope you’ll be able to join us and invite someone in need of good news and a special prayer for healing.
I am deeply grateful for you all who help lead and overcome the challenges we all face. Let us all keep open lines of communication, so that we would be in prayer and discernment with God and one another, and listen to the needs of those around us. I am blessed by the gifts of our staff, Pr. Matt, Marissa, Mary, Danny, and Linda, our council and all who assist in worship and share in our ministry. I am confident in God’s promises, and I look forward to new life to come here in the heart of the city!
In Christ,
Pastor Jason Adams
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