Dear First Pres,

   This last Sunday morning a woman walked into our sanctuary for the very first time. She works nearby and regularly hears the chimes of our steeple. She hasn’t been connected with a church, but when she began feeling the need to connect with God she remembered the church near her work and decided to check it out. So she courageously walked into our sanctuary with her three children. 
   There’s a lot more to the story, but I don’t have permission to share it. Thank you to all the folks who very intentionally welcomed her and her children. I’m praying that the Lord will allow us to be part of His emerging work in this woman’s life. Then, we can live the story together with her. 
   The reason I share that is to remind us that every Sunday morning when we gather for worship there are folks just like this woman (including us) who are looking to connect with God and His people. They are straining at the oars of life and the wind is against them. Some of them are your old friends - people you’ve seen in worship forever. Others are brand new. But all of them need us to be the Church. All of them need a word of Gospel truth and encouragement. All of them need Jesus.
   It’s one of the reasons I think our Annual Congregational Meeting is so important. Not only will we celebrate and remember God’s faithfulness among us in 2019. We will also consider how we can be the Church together in 2020 - a church ready to share the encouraging truth of the Gospel - a church engaged together in Christ’s work of making disciples for the redeeming transformation of our city and world. The meeting starts at 9:30am this Sunday. Will you please come and join us?

Blessings,
Jeremy