Western Hills United Methodist Church, El Paso Texas

As I write this, I am awaiting the flight that will return me from my trip to Kentucky.  My seminary education is something I feel grateful for daily.  Whatever they ask of me, I try to do when at all possible.  We are in the process of reimagining an alumni relations department.  It may be a protracted process.  We have nearly 10,000 graduates serving in nearly 70 countries, and 22 of 24 times zones. In another year, we will be able to claim what the Brits once did but for entirely better reasons.   I have seen and spent time with Andi Wallace, been to class and dinner with her, and I am sure you will be pleased to know she is doing very well, even with her grades.  She loves the learning and the environment as much as everyone who attends.

Airplanes always seem to have interesting people on them, and today was no exception.   A young lady sitting next to me seemed disturbed as we boarded.  She had argued with a boyfriend and was ready to talk.  She wants a lifetime with him but has had a year of difficulty.  “If it is this hard now, and he is that controlling now, what makes you think that will get better with marital obligations?” I asked.  She, of course, didn’t know.  As she opened a rather popular and secular book, I told her the answers to the life she seeks are not in that book, nor is it in that boy.  I showed her some verses and invited her to take the pocket New Testament that I usually never carry.  My business card is inside. I hope she reads it.

This weekend in worship, we will finish the celebration of our road trip journey as we hear from our mission ministry team. We will contribute to the “noisy collection” during children’s moments so that our Nicaragua team will have the funds they will need to continue making a difference there.   We will see a highlight of all we are doing each month in missions and our worship will include lots of lay involvement.  It should be enlightening.

Also this weekend, The Ridge will have its annual Trunk or Treat outreach to the neighborhood around Hut Brown School.  The event led to families trying The Ridge for the first time last year, and we hope it will this year.  Even if you don’t decorate a trunk, go and meet people and represent our ministry.  The Ridge folks will appreciate your help and validation as they seek to know and be known in their neighborhood.

If you’ve not heard, last Sunday went very well.  We had enough increases to continue funding our vision and ministry.  Based on current stats, enough of us increased giving to make up for losses of over $45,000 of income this year due to moves and other circumstances that brought change.  73% of us were able to raise our pledged amounts, and it will all turn into ministry in 2011.

If you’ve not considered a move up, and if you’ve not notified the Financial office of your intentions for giving next year, I hope you will.  We can only be as faithful to our vision as we are to make investments.   Those investments are helping us expand the ministry at The Ridge, our new faith community.  What a joy it was to see the fruit of their ministry sitting down to dinner with us last week.

See you soon in the place where His presence reminds us of His provisions and guidance.

Blessings,

Mark

On the Road to Fulfillment

The Road Trip continues this week as we travel toward our destination.  That destination is “FulFillment” a bit of a play on words. Fulfillment understood in the sense of committing once again to fulfilling our vows of prayers, presence, service, gifts and witness.  But also, fulfillment that comes in the satisfaction that all of us are taking our vows with great seriousness, understanding they are not multiple choice, and with the intention we will involve ourselves in all five.

It also means there is deeper, personal satisfaction in that I am committing to being part of something larger than me – the cause of Christ through Western Hills UMC. Without all of us participating, the work Christ can do through us is diminished and His influence in the world is less.  And to be honest, there is that nagging sense of guilt that comes through knowing we could have done more to make Him known, if we just could have committed, if we could have given Christ the first fruits of life, not our leftovers.

One thing I truly want you to know.  We have had several guests to worship over the past three weeks who have found our theme for the month creative and inspiring, so much more than the churches they have been in have done.  It’s not so much that we are competing.  However, we are making the choices clear, inspiring and motivational.

I hope you will be as pleased to know as I am how commitments are coming along.  However, it is not too late for you to add your commitment to the following numbers. To date, we have had 12 people commit to being prayerful as Christians at Western Hills.  We have also had 56 commitments to serve in the area of prayers, as volunteers, as we seek to make prayer more visible and important.  To date, we have had 31 commitments from persons desiring to be present in worship and a small group, as well as 69 commitments to serve in the areas under that umbrella.  To date, we have received 65 commitments to the service areas of our great church. Brochures for the various areas are available in the Narthex. If you have not filled out one for Prayers, Presence, or Service, please take the opportunity to do that this Sunday. Even if you are currently ministering in an area, please fill out a commitment card.

As you well know, this weekend we will have an opportunity to think about the capacity we have for giving financial resources to the cause of Christ at Western Hills. You have probably heard me say more than once that it will take all of us thinking about what sacrifices we make in order for Christ to be better known. Those sacrifices become ministry and fuel the compassionate ways we address needs in our community and beyond it.  Numerical amounts of money become the fuel for the fires of ministry.  I know you will continue to be in prayer and seeking God about your commitment.

There continues to be a great amount of uncertainty in our economy and government at this time of mid-term elections.  I have been through these times before as have many if you.  The one constant that I can count on has been the blessings of God to see ministry done, regardless of economic climates.  I am confident in the God we serve, even when I cannot be in much else.  Being in worship continually reminds me of that, and God has never let us down.

Finally, we have one final Sunday to go beyond this one, where we will think our involvement in missions.  It will be an exciting time to be in worship, as we see our missional involvements and opportunities that are emerging in worship.  I know you will be inspired to give your attention to our missions committee as they lead our service of worship.  And, I know you will respond fully as you always seem to do.

So, if you are still thinking about and praying about where God would have you make commitments, I just want to encourage you to get on board with your fellow church members.  Start somewhere, because one thing I know, where we start with God is never where God intends to leave us.  There are bigger and better things ahead for us, the best is yet to be, and we are only limiting God and ourselves if we say, “No,” to The Spirit’s urging to get going.

See you soon in the place God meets us, provides for us, and challenges us to be and do more than we ever thought possible.

Pastor Mark