Friends, Fall is upon us.
This Sunday is the official start of what is for me the most nostalgic season of the year, Autumn. More than any other it indicates to me the passing of time and with it the need to be grateful, introspective and yes sentimental regarding all the years gone by. (It’s also the one time of year I try to make sure to see my extended family, a particularly difficult task for a pastor who lives 500 miles away.)
We have two weeks left for our unCERTAIN theme in worship. This Sunday we will talk about the many in-between-times of life with “Different But Still Not Yet” and then end the series the following week with “Hardship AS the Pathway to Peace.” I deeply appreciate the feedback of how meaningful these messages have been and want to encourage each of you to be in worship the next two weeks as these important messages are about how people feel all the time. We need a faith in the God of the scriptures, the God fully revealed in Jesus, that can help us hang tough and even prosper through much of life’s uncertain circumstances and qualities.
THEN in October I want you to GET IN THE GAME. Not only is this a beautiful time of year, but fall brings something else memorable…. sports! College and Pro Football are in full swing, it’s almost World Series time for the MLB and youth sports often have tournaments and championships. So in October at PTCUMC we’re going with that spirit. The First Sunday in October we encourage everyone to wear your “team colors.” Whatever the sport, and whatever your team, (be it professional, college, or high school) I encourage you to wear clothing that celebrates and supports them. That will help us set the tone for a great month in worship where we recognize that as much fun as it is to be a fan, it’s more fun to be a player. And this is true about our faith as well. Are we fans or followers of Jesus? Yes, it is a matter of commitment, but it’s also a matter of fun! Faith is just more fun, and the more active and intentional we are, the more we will get out of it.
I also want to share with you more about recent Staff Changes. First off, I asked Woody, our Traditional Music and Choir Director to share with us about our new pianist who officially starts tonight (Wednesday). “We have exciting news; Stephen Chipman will be joining our team as Pianist and Choir Accompanist for our traditional worship services. Stephen comes to us with many years of experience, having accompanied congregational singing since his teen years in churches north of Atlanta. His desire is to use music as a tool to elevate the hearts of those who love the Lord, to support their worship and praise. In addition to his significant musical gifts, Stephen is a Structural Engineer with a Civil Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Dara, live in Smyrna with their three month old daughter, Charity. We are grateful that God has led us to Stephen, and that he will be serving in worship with us. – Woody” Thank you, Woody, for your excellent leadership in finding Stephen and not missing a single week in this transition. Great job!
Lastly, we will be saying farewell to one of our longest tenured employees, Heather Allen. She currently serves as Creative Director, but has been in several roles in her 14+ years here, including being a worship leader for our contemporary worship team. Heather will finish up this month at PTCUMC and then take a small vacation with her family before beginning her ministry job. This is an excellent opportunity for her, and we wish her the best and know she will do well. Her family is staying in the area and will undoubtedly drop by and visit us throughout the year. Before she leaves, I encourage you to reach out with words of gratitude and blessing for what she has meant to you and the difference she’s made in the life of the church. Her decade plus ministry has impacted the lives of many teenagers so we encourage you to share this news with those who may no longer be involved with PTCUMC but would want to express their best wishes to her for what her ministry has meant to them.
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday. Come expectant for what God will do among us and leave better for having spent time in worship of God and fellowship with others.
