Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6: 4-9
Dear Friends, This month, I am reflecting on the book of Deuteronomy in my prayer time. It is a rich resource for how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Of course the beginning of any satisfying life is a relationship with God and yet so many of our loved ones and those in the communities we serve have yet to find or develop that relationship in their lives.
I know that each one of you and the churches you serve work tirelessly to bring the light of Christ into your community. As we go into church conference season, we will be celebrating many of those ministries that you are engaged in. I look forward to hearing about them and celebrating them with you.
One additional opportunity that you each have is to help send your youth to the Bishop’s trip to Taize in July 2017. I am hoping to send as may of our District as possible on this life changing pilgrimage. Youth aged 16-35 are invited as well as a few adult chaperones. In fact, if you recruit 5 young folks, and want to chaperone, you can go for free! More information can be found at http://www.neumc.org/taizepilgrimage.
The stories that I have heard from those who have attended in years past, lead me to believe that this is an experience that can transform our youth and bring them into a life giving relationship with God. If even one of our youth is affected in that way, our entire district will be changed. I challenge each of you to think of the youth that you may have who might wish to take this pilgrimage. I am praying that we will all help support those who choose to go, with prayers and our financial contributions. If we accept this as a district ministry opportunity, even churches who do not have youth to attend can be involved in helping prayerfully and financially. The applications and first down payment are due in January. I will host interested youth, parents, and pastors at the parsonage on December 3, at 2:00. Rick and Lori McKinley, who lead this pilgrimage will be there to share more about the trip. Please let Kelly know that you will attend and join in the excitement!
Joy abounds, Jackie