A Very Special Message from Pastor Jacob

 

Dear Friends,

I want to take a moment to celebrate the work that God has done through our ministry together here at Blue Mound UMC. When I arrived at Blue Mound, I found a very loving congregation who had a great desire to do significant things for Jesus by loving folks and making an impact on the community. I found a collective heart for people on the margins of life that fit with the church’s history of helping folks in significant ways. I also found a church that was longing to do better than it had been in bringing new folks to faith and worship. The church had dwindled in attendance to an average worship attendance in the low 40s. As a partial result of this decline the church was also suffering in the following ways: diminished contributions to mission projects, we had not had VBS in several years, the upstairs youth area had not been used for youth since 2005, it had been more than ten years since a member joined the church by way of professing faith, many of our church leaders were feeling burned out by not being able to find successors to their roles, and some important committees had not had a meeting since setting the budget the previous year.
I am excited to think about the ways that God has worked through all of you and has helped to impact our church positively. Average Worship Attendance in person had grown to an average right around 60 shortly before this current interruption. We established an online worship presence before so many in our conference, and many are finding it quite valuable right now. We not only have seen incredible and growing numbers over the last month and a half, but we have been able to provide leadership and guidance to other churches. Further, our time together has seen our contributions to mission projects increase, we have had an amazing VBS the past two years, we began Sunday Afternoon youth and children’s activities this past fall putting to use our fantastic space upstairs. We received the “One Matters” award for discipleship as we welcomed six people to faith in Christ in 2017, (2 in 2018 and 3 in 2019). We have allowed some who were burned out to take a step back or into new roles. Our committees have not only met but have done significant work for Jesus and the church.
I am thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of such a significant time here at Blue Mound. It is in the spirit of celebration for what God has done here that I share with you I am being sent forward.
I have been appointed as the Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Wichita Falls to begin serving there on July 1st.
Your SPRC Chair John Hackett has been in touch with our District Superintendent and is coordinating a meeting with the SPRC, and the D.S. via Zoom to discuss what is next for Blue Mound. I look forward to seeing God’s continued work at Blue Mound.
Until then, our ministry continues digitally in the midst of this pandemic.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jacob Fields