I have to admit that I’ve had a hard time writing this article. I’ve written dozens, read hundreds yet this one has me a bit baffled. I guess it is because it is my first one to you, my new church family. I want it to be inspiring; I want it to be different yet pastoral; I want it to be the kind of thing you can show your friends and say, "This my new pastor!" I want you to be as excited about me as I am about you. The truth is though I’m not really worth getting that excited about. No one person makes or breaks a church, but all of us together- that is worth getting excited about!

I’ve gotten to hear dozens of stories from the life of our church. Stories of help and healing, stories of growing and caring, stories of grace and love that have inspired me and my imagina-tion for what God can do among us. That, God’s work in and through us, is worth get-ting excited about, that is worth taking to your friends and neighbors and saying "Look, this is my church, look this is my God!" God being with us, God loving us, God empow-ering us to love each other and work for God’s kingdom here and now- that is worth take to highways and byways. That is worth our time, effort, energy and money!

Maybe that is what needs to be on this front page? Instead of one more thought from me, maybe it should be the stories of God working among us. Your stories of hope and healing are the real headlines of our church. Your tales of adventure with God as God has used you to love others is true front-page material. This is after all a newsletter not a ramble-letter! Wow, just thinking about it thrills me. I can’t wait to see and hear what God is doing among us!

Your Servant in Christ,