Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Wow! Another year has come and gone, but it was a year full of change and promise. Let’s take a look at a few of the highlights of 2024 (I apologize for any that I failed to mention):

• Woodmar and First began worshiping jointly, alternating worship locations monthly.
• Together, we averaged 86 person in worship each week.
• We combined the newsletters of our two congregations into a single, monthly publication.
• We baptized Hailey, Marcos, and Ameya and confirmed Ansley, Van, and Bella.
• In addition to our confirmands, we brought Marcos, Maureen, Amanda, Nicole, and Rudy into full professing membership.
• Pastor Pete re-entered retirement and Pastor Jim was appointed to serve both of our churches.
• We started a new worshiping community with Messy Church.
• Children’s Sunday School resumed for the first time since Covid.
• Our bell choir, the Praise Bells, has resumed.
• Our missions of The Vine Food Pantry and Brianna’s Hope continued to bring the love of Jesus Christ to our community and we collected 10 Cleaning Kits (flood buckets) for UMCOR and we helped our schools with stuffing of backpacks and assisting with student registration.
• We opened ourselves up to our community with a picnic, Thanksgiving dinner, 2 Trunk or Treats, and a Christmas Pageant.
• We joined with other churches in worshiping on Good Friday and Thanksgiving Eve as well as participating in the Annual Prayer Breakfast and gathering at the school administration building to pray for our schools.

I believe that the momentum has shifted from decline toward vibrancy and that 2025 promises to see further positive change.

While it seems slow, the progress toward the complex task of preparing a proposal to consolidate our two churches is making good progress and, I believe, that the end of this process is in sight.

We will continue to support one another in Christian community.

We will reach more people for Jesus Christ and make a deeper impact our community.

Jesus Christ will be with us.

Thank you for your faithfulness, your prayers, and your love.

Jim