Special Note: Pastor’s Page for November Newsletter will be a little different.

Pastor Marc wrote a very inspiring report to present to the Charge Conference. I ask him if we could put it in the Newsletter for everyone to enjoy.   -Linda

Pastor report to Charge Conference – Sunday October 25, 2020

So, a Pastor’s Report for Charge Conference usually takes the form of a “State of the Church” kind of thing – a proclamation of the strength of our church family followed by highlights of the good times and good work we have done in service to a great God!  And I could do that now, but what’s really in our collective hearts as Blue Mound UMC right now?  Let’s try this…

The state of our church is a God-praying, soul-stewing, hope-clinging, hot-messing basket of question marks right now.  We could go into all of the pieces that have brought us to this place, but here we are – not hopeless, but wondering and searching for what’s possible, what’s probable, what’s imaginable, what’s next.

Well, some people evaluate ministry, and life really, in terms of big things, big events, and big changes.  I have always gravitated toward the small moments, the individual conversations, the relationships that shape us and open us to God.  And since Michelle, Ian, and I have been at Blue Mound, it’s those little things that have stuck with me…

  • Our family getting welcomed with a great big fruit basket of love.
  • Church family members making a point to reach out to Ian with kindness and love.
  • People dedicating selves to planning and actions for the good of the church family.
  • The blessing of worship staff with their incredible talent and love and laughter.
  • Karan Mun’s meticulous work and love of this church, work together, and her cats.
  • Carrie and Lonnie serving faithfully and thoroughly to keep things clean and in order.
  • Loving faces and hearts as people come through Drive Through Communion.
  • Revelations and insights from the crazy group at Tea with Jesus Bible Study.
  • New adventures and laughter with the Taylor & Marc Show for kids and families.
  • Countless phone conversations getting to know so many of you, sharing laughter, sharing heartache, sharing our hearts with each other.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  God has a lot to work with here, and we ain’t done yet.  Not by a long shot.

In Romans 8, Paul says, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Blue Mound family, we have the love of Christ in our bones, the breath of the Spirit in our lungs, and the heart of God beating in our chests!  Nothing can take that away from us.  All we need to know is, are we ready?  Ready to follow God’s lead into the future, come what may?  Ready to have our eyes opened to God’s imagination beyond our imagining?  Ready to get out of the boat and walk on the water?

Submitted by Rev. Marc Corazao