If you would have told me that our building would be closed during a pandemic for over a year and that during that time the people of this congregation would support our mission just as enthusiastically as they always have, I would have doubted, to say the least.
But I should have known better. That is exactly what you have done. Other than some part-time staff whose positions require us to be in the building (and we are looking forward to having them back soon!), everybody worked their full jobs — and did so with creativity and verve! We kept our benevolence commitments, purchased equipment to help us with virtual worship and other online programming, met needs, changed lives, and encouraged one another with hope. In other words, despite our physical isolation, we continued to be the church. This is what it looks like to worship a God who is not constrained by time or space — or death for that matter.
I am so grateful for your faithfulness, and I’m looking forward to a time this fall when we have a chance to celebrate it! Keep it up, as I now trust you will, over the summer, and, hopefully, we will be back together this fall, ready to gather, love, and serve together better than ever.
Pastor Rick