Pastor's Notebook: Introducing our summer worship series!

While the global church celebrates a new year in the church calendar at the beginning of every Advent, in Methodism we celebrate a second, unofficial new year at the beginning of July. This is when the appointment year turns over and local churches receive new pastors. My clergy colleagues and I joyfully wished each other a "Happy Methodist New Year" on July 1st as we entered into new ministry settings or marked another year serving our appointed congregations.

This past Sunday I worshiped alongside and shared communion with many of you for the first time. Thank you for your warm welcome and to Rev. Carol Noy for her excellent message! Carol remarked that Methodist ministers do not replace the previous minister; instead, they stand on the shoulders of the pastor who came before so that the church may reach new heights of faith and service. I think this is an excellent image for our appointment system and for our summer sermon series, Faces of Our Faith, beginning this Sunday.

There are many heroes of our faith, people we admire and wish to be. However, there are even more ordinary people of faith—those doing what they can with what they have to make a difference. This summer we'll hear nine bold stories of those often overlooked in our biblical narratives. As we listen to and reflect on these stories, you'll have the opportunity to hear parts of my faith story, as well as reflect on your own faith story and the stories of those people in your life on whose shoulders you stand as a follower of Jesus Christ.

See you in church!

Pastor Amanda