During our initial on-boarding session, one of the questions addressed to the congregants in attendance was. “What is the DNA/culture of our church?” After being here for almost two months, I can affirm many wonderful things mentioned during this session are true. FUMC – Deming has a heart to share the resources that we have been blessed to have. We have amazing facilities that we are willing to share. We have great musical talent that we invite our community to participate in a variety of ways. We have great cooks that share their gifts with us during our time of fellowship. We give our time to support many non-profit organizations in the community that benefit people as well as animals. These are all things to celebrate.
Like any group with more than two people we still have areas that we can work to grow in. The good news is that I have observed growth in at least one particular area: hospitality. In our personal lives as well as our church lives, we get comfortable with groups of friends and routines and habits. Often times, I do not think that we intentionally mean to exclude others. We are just used to doing things with the same group of friends. In recent weeks, I have observed more openness to include others both in greeting others in our worship services and during our fellowship time. Change is not easy. I commend each of you for making this effort. I also appreciate the support I have received for reviving “kiddo kits” for the younger members of our congregation. I have received positive feedback from parents. This is yet another way that we can demonstrate hospitality to families who join us during worship services. Let’s continue to work together to show the love of Christ to the people God places in our pathway!
Pastor Jacqui