Pastoral Reflection - My journey toward Imitating Jesus…
Many of you know by now that my pastoral vision for this ministry year is imitating Jesus. This is a natural outflow of last year’s focus, the Lordship of Jesus. A spring-time coffee conversation with Jim Kerr about Thomas Kempis (who wrote a book aptly titled “The Imitation of Christ”), along with a late-summer personal devotional study in Ephesians (Eph. 5:1: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children”), ultimately proved influential in my discernment process for the next year’s theme. I plan to express this focus through my ministry activities; I hope to become more like Jesus all while inviting others along for the journey.
- How do I become more like Jesus? Flanked on both sides of Eph. 5:1 are vice lists. I suspect there is meaning behind this format. Ultimately, casting our attention onto the model of Jesus exposes the sin around us. In personal reflection, I notice just how apathetic, impatient, and stubbornly independent I am when exposed by the light of Christ. My journey in imitating Christ is the painful, humbling pivot away from those sins.
- How do I invite others along for the journey? Those two vice lists meet up with book-ends that echo our baptism (4:22-24 and 5:14 ). Paul also echoes the eucharist just after his instruction to imitate Jesus (5:2). As a pastor, I aim to invite others along for the journey by pointing others to God and their life within Him; the sacraments (or as us Baptists refer to them: the ordinances) do just that. Moving into the ministry year, I strive to view my pastoral assignment, not with a programmatic lens, but a sacramental one. Will you join me?
Adult Retreat - Pastor Wally Fleming at Onanda Park - A focus on imitating Christ with a United Church favorite guest speaker…
- Join us for worship (by Mike O’Brien), lunch, and Pastor Wally Fleming for our next retreat! Bring your own Bible, pen/journal, and anything you need while at a park (Crouch Hall). A free-will donation will be collected at the door during sign-in. A physical sign-up sheet is also in the Welcome Center.
- Can you help? We need all sorts of support, including worship planning, sign in, set up/tear down, food shopping/serving, et
Agenda
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:30 | Welcome, Prayer & Worship |
| 9:45 | Pastor Wally - Session 1 |
| 10:30 | Break |
| 10:45 | Pastor Wally - Session 2 |
| 11:30 | Break |
| 11:45 | Pastor Wally - Closing Remarks |
| 12:00 | Prayer & Lunch |
| 12:30 | End |
Sunday Morning Small Groups - A time of fellowship, faith discussions, and prayerful study…
We are underway! Join us any time, any week for any of our Sunday morning small groups, listed below. Most of our groups are currently covering the sermon series. Come join us every week, 9:45am-10:45am!
- Parenting Coffee Hour
- All-Adult Small Groups (we have two of them, with one ending at 10:30am)
- 25-35 year-old small group
- 18-24 year-old small group
- “What We Believe” Class (runs through November 8)
25-35-Somethings Small Group - An important group in our community that continues to grow…
This growing group continues to meet weekly on Wednesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm. We are also planning a Fall gathering for fellowship and enjoying the seasons changing (more details to be worked out). There is also a guys night for this age group planned for October 15 at the church (contact Pastor Mark if interested!) We are currently covering a mix of topics, including:
- Feeling lost or confused in life
- Spiritual forces and realities
- Imitating Christ
- Book-of-the-Bible studies
Pastor Mark’s Dissertation Support Team - A multi-year journey of learning and growing together…
This November, I (Mark) am scheduled to submit my dissertation proposal to Northern Seminary. As part of the process, a group of people from in and around the church will walk alongside me as I develop my paper. The exact nature of anyone’s involvement will be custom to the interests of those wanting to be involved (anywhere from prayer support, joining me for coffee to chat, to carefully reviewing and handling the text). Thank you to several of you for reaching out already! An email is coming later in the Fall with a follow-up. If anyone else has any interest in joining me on this multi-year journey, please let me know!
Mid-Week United Church Groups - Always open to newcomers…
Do you have a group that meets regularly that should get some attention in these lamplighters? Let Pastor Mark know to add your group to the list below! These and more groups can be found on the church calendar online.
- Knitters - Tuesdays, 11:00am
- Men’s Breakfast - Wednesdays, 7:00am
- 25-35 year-olds Small Group - Wednesdays, 4:30pm
- Women’s Bible Study - Thursdays, 1:00pm
Monthly United Church Groups - Join us…
- Ferris Hills - First and Third Wednesday, 1:00pm
- Cheerful Service Circle - Second Monday, 7:00pm
- Circle 7 - Second Tuesday, 11:30am
- Game Night - Second Saturday, 6:30pm
- Prayer Shawl Ministry - Third Tuesday, 7:00pm
- Quail Summit - Fourth Tuesday, 3:00pm
90-Day Outlook - Save the dates…
- Intergenerational Sunday School Class - October 11
- 2027 Holy Week Missions Trip Info Meeting - October 11, 12:00pm (after service)
- Adult Retreat (w/ Wally Fleming at Onanda Park) - October 24
- Exploring Membership Class - November 15
- Harvest Gathering & Advent Decorations - November 22 - More details to come!
