Dear Church,

As many of you know, the month of February was a big month for the United Methodist Church.  It was during the last week of February that the UMC hosted the special session of the General Conference in St. Louis, MO to discuss the path that the Church will follow in regards to same sex marriages as well as clergy who are "self-avowed practicing" homosexuals.

As many were afraid of, the honest conclusion of GC2019 was that it was a monumental waste of money where nothing was really decided.  Of course, the traditional language in our Book of Discipline was up-voted and remains, the truth of the matter is that much of the Modified Traditional plan was not carefully written, thus much of it was deemed unconstitutional and did not pass.  So, the only change is that there are just a few more distinctions within the text of the Discipline itself.

There are many that are heavy hearted and heart-broken because of this decision.  I ask that regardless of your beliefs, you pray.  Pray for healing, pray for restoration, and pray for the love of God to be abundant and overflowing, from all people and to all people, during this time.

With that small update done, I want to remind you that we are headed into the Lenten season.  This is a time when we reflect the life of Jesus in His fasting, prayer, and self-denial.  Although scripture on this time of His life is not extensive, it is powerful and truly gives us an incredible view of the power of God, as well as an example by which to live our lives.

I want to remind everyone that we have a lot of events on the calendar.  We will be having a night of music on April 5th.  This will be presented by two students from Olivet Nazarene University and will doubtlessly be spirit filled and moving.  Please keep an eye on the calendar for any changes that might have to be made, and bring your friends and family to the fun events that we are hosting!

Remember, no matter what the Church goes through, and no matter what we experience in our everyday lives, the Lord is good, just, and faithful.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  -  Lamentations 3:22-23

Peace Be With You,
Pastor Jon