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Pastor’s Message

Greetings in the name of Christ,

Early in December I met with the Church and Ministry Committee of our Association to discuss my upcoming installation. One of the questions I was asked was why I felt called to these two churches in Germantown and what my goals and visions were for the future. I want to share with you my response: “When you leave seminary there is a lot of talk among your classmates about where you will serve and many envision themselves in large multi-staff churches with big budgets and huge crowds. And there were opportunities out there like that but I think in our worries over shrinking congregations and dying churches we forget the incredible vitality and gift that is the small church. We are challenged here in Germantown with some bigger, newer churches that have moved into town and sometimes there can be this feeling that to be a good church you need to be a mega-church….but ministry isn’t about being the biggest or the best, it is about embracing who we are and then seeking to live that out most fully as we seek to participate in God’s vision for the world. I felt called to these two churches in Germantown because I believe that God’s spirit is there, that they each have an unbelievably rich past, I see beautiful expressions of faith in the present, and I believe that when they embrace who they are and claim that, beautiful things will happen.”

This is an amazing church with an amazing past…and, I believe, an even more amazing future. The mission statement of this church says that we exist “to welcome, enrich, celebrate, and reach out in the name of Jesus Christ.” This year, as your pastor and in cooperation with our council, I have set some goals and am working on some initiatives for us to embrace the heart of that mission statement. These efforts will allow us to celebrate who we are, to continue to provide enrichment opportunities to grow and transform our faith, to welcome others who believe in our vision of God’s will, and to reach out with hands ready to serve a hurting world.

Watch for an article in our newsletter each month that will spotlight one or more of our initiatives in each of these areas. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we are reminded that through our baptism we each became members of the one body of Christ. Each member of the body (the church) is different but each has a different gift and function within the body. Without the participation of each, there is something missing…each of us is called to participate in the body. (1 Cor. 12:12-31). So it is with our church, each one of you is valuable and contributes to the greatness of this body, and without each one of you, we are incomplete. This year I invite you to share in the vision with me, prayerfully considering the different aspects and initiatives of our mission statement and finding those areas where God is calling you.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Tara