This Sunday, April 28, 2024

9:00am Nursery is available for ages 0-4 until 11:30am.

9:00am Sunday School for children ages Kindergarten to 6th grade in the education wing downstairs. They are exploring the series "Deny your Selfie."

9:00am Sunday Seminar meets in the Chapel and on Zoom. This week, Sunday Seminar will host a special guest, Fatima Kiass. Fatima grew up attending Christ Church and is a community activist. This winter, our Social Justice team made a contribution to one of Fatima’s community events. On April 28th you will have the opportunity to learn more about her involvement in improving the lives of others. She will discuss community events she has put together in the past and simple ways folks can get involved. She will also share her resource binder so that if folks have any questions while we’re together, they can connect!

10:15am Worship in the Sanctuary and on YouTube. We will collect our Koins for Kids offering and continue our worship series "Unlocking Resurrection Stories."

11:15am Fellowship Time in the Fellowship Hall grab a bagel, some coffee or tea, and enjoy time getting to know others in the Christ Church community.

REAL Talk

A New, Fresh Start

For those of you not following the global United Methodist Church gathering called General Conference, which is currently underway, we are working towards regionalization. This will grant people across the US the same authority currently available to those outside of the US, which includes making some decisions about what is best suited to our regional context. One quote from a recent UM News article caught my eye: "The Rev. Emmanuel Sinzohagera of the Burundi Conference said the vote was a joyful moment that gave the church a new kind of energy. ‘This is a good start,’ he said. ‘A new, fresh start. Legislation is dynamic; it is a process. This is the beginning of the process. There are many issues to deal with. Let’s keep going. There is room for improvement.’"

What a theological statement, not only for a diverse gathering of clergy and lay people from around the world, but also for each of us individually in our own lives. This spring many people are experiencing a unique kind of energy, which enables us to catch a glimpse of a new, fresh start. Life, like the legislation governing our structural church, is dynamic and filled with many issues to face. It is a process, and we have to keep going in order to watch it unfold. There is always room for improvement, but the most important thing is not to give up. During the opening session of General Conference, New York's Bishop Rev. Thomas Bickerton said, "We don’t have any time for negative narratives and personal agendas… Friends, we got work to do."

Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News

That is as true for the 751 delegates to our General Conference as it is for us as a church. As they continue to dream and work our denomination forward, may we follow their example and dream for ourselves and the Christ Church community about what our futures hold. We are in a season of unlearning negative stories and shedding beliefs and personal agendas that no longer prosper us as individuals, church communities, and people of God. What comes next? That is up to the Holy Spirit, and therefore dependent upon our ability to see, hear, taste, smell, touch, and dream it. 

For me, the tough part about this transformation is waiting. I tend to get ahead of myself (and sometimes others) when I get excited. Ask our church leaders; many of them appreciate my passion and energy, but some would probably like to reign in my sense of urgency or speed. In business school, our instructors encouraged us to "go slow to go fast." Take time to introduce new concepts or strategies. Make sure everyone understands your reasoning, and try to get key stakeholders on board early. I have found this to be good advice in both my professional and personal life. When I am rushing about like a decapitated chicken, no one feels seen, heard, respected, or loved (including me). Taking time to invest in conversations and relationships, getting to know someone and their story... that is where the "juice" is, where connections start firing, and when things start to get really interesting. 

So this Sunday, we'll be learning to wait on God's timing and divine nudges together. Hope to see you in worship!

Pastor Emily

P.S. If you want to follow General Conference more closely including a schedule of events, information on legislation and photos you can find more resources here. Or follow the action and join the conversation on social media with #UMCGC.