Philippians 3:14-16
14 I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think
otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have
attained.
Dropping the Ball
We attended our first Annual Conference with the Congregational Methodist church this
past Sunday. Myself, Katie, delegates, and a few leaders attended the event held at
Rock Springs Church in Milner Georgia. The presence of God moved in the place of
worship and the Lord spoke through Benny Tate in an inspiring message. While there
were lots of changes compared to what we were used to in the former denomination, it
personally felt like we were in the right place at the right time.
Leaving there I was filled with a lot of hope, not only for our future but our future
within the CMC. Leaders have prayed for us and the denomination has encouraged all of
us through the process. While in attendance I also realized that we have dropped the
ball on a couple of things around the church concerning conferencing and
communications. The CMC is much smaller and staffed mostly by volunteers. Some
questions we had about what we needed to do we could have handled on our own in
regards to charge conference and other formal matters. That being said, we will be
addressing some of these items in the next few weeks including this Sunday.
One of our former expectations was to have a charge conference. Since we are
governed under our own bylaws within the CMC it was not a requirement for us to
fulfill, not scheduled through the denomination, and in the transition simply forgotten.
We realize that there is important information communicated here like financial status,
salaries, and leadership changes for the following year. In other words, we dropped the
ball. When the ball is dropped it’s not the end of the world, but it does need to be
picked up and carried across the goal line. Therefore, this Sunday we will have the
Administrative Council list that was approved through nominations this past year
available in print in the sanctuary. We have asked the council to attend service and will
pray for God’s wisdom in their leadership of the church in this new season. Next, we will
have a scheduled Church Conference in April (we will confirm the date at Monday’s
Admin Council Meeting) of which you will be notified next week to discuss current
church plans, budget, and goals for 2024. Finally, we will schedule a charge conference
in the fall around the first of November before we get into the season of Advent.
Throughout our entire process of disaffiliation, it was important for the entire
Administrative Council that we were upfront with our church and led with integrity.
This has not changed. Yes, the ball was dropped but we picked it up and continued to
press towards the goal. We want you to know your trust in us is just as important as
our trust in you, the congregation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach
out and ask. Thank you for allowing the Admin Council to lead your church and for your
trust in its leadership.
Keep The Faith,
Pastor Tommy
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