January 2023
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I bid you blessings to begin this New Year. It is hard to believe that 2022 is gone, but hopefully it will take away much of its craziness. However, we are not promised good or bad times, only that Jesus will be with us throughout whatever comes our way. What a wonderful thing to remember as we highlighted during our Advent Litany, that the coming of the
Christ Child brought to the world Hope, Faith, Joy, Peace, and Love.
As we begin the New Year, please remember that a Church Conference for Somerville First UMC has been scheduled on Sunday, January 8, 2023, at 2:00 pm. The only business of this meeting will be to vote on the “disaffiliation” question. Every member is invited and should have received a letter from the District Office with an explanation of the meeting and a sample ballot. Be sure to save the date and time.
As we catch our breath from a busy Holiday Season, let us turn our sights toward continuing to be Christ’s church here in Somerville. As we strive to find our new normal for church and Sunday School attendance, may we remember to contact our church members that have not come in person since the outbreak of COVID. Also consider many of your neighbors that just need to be invited to worship with us, maybe for the first time.
Our Wednesday evening activities will start up again on January 4, 2023. We will be studying Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”, and we will be looking at the 2nd chapter. Keep your eyes on the bulletin for menu and other information related to all of the gatherings. If there is a topic that you would like to study on future Wednesdays, please let me know or call the office and leave a message.
I ask that all of us enter this New Year looking for ways that we can better display Christ’s love to a hurting world. Make no mistake about it, we are living in a troubled world. Somerville and Fayette County needs to be a place where “Love Abides”. Not just for our church but for the entire community. We are called to love everyone, the good, the bad and, yes, the ugly. Basically, we are just called to love everyone! That would be friends or foe, left or right, conservative, or liberal. However, you define yourself and others, let us all work on loving everyone. Jesus said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35 NRSB)
May God’s grace and peace be with us, into this exciting New Year and may we live only for God’s glory!
Bro Don VanVoorhis
