Dear Saints,
I don’t know about you, but I find September a weird and difficult month. As parents and grandparents, I’m sure you all relish kids going back to school. For some, this brings relief and a different rhythm and for all of us, a faster, more intense pace than Summer. However, the shift from Summer to fall can be either welcoming or challenging…or both.
With the change of seasons also comes other things, like taking side-roads to/from work, home, errands etc. to avoid NJ traffic, now having returned to its normal height. Recently I took one of my short cuts to avoid the highway traffic. While I was winding my way through a local neighborhood, something beautiful caught my eye.
A tiny section of a maple tree had already turned a gorgeous panoply of orange, yellow and red. The rest of the tree was still lush and green, so this tiny section of color really popped. In that split second of a surprising splash of color and beauty, I felt my spirit lift. It helped me more joyfully ease into the fall without mourning the passing of yet another summer.
This church, along with every other, just like the seasons, is in a transition. We are all missing what was while also being called to look for the beauty and richness of a new season; a season of seeking to (perhaps) regain what was lost as a result of Covid; a season of reconnecting and remembering what matters to each community of faith and discerning how God is calling each church into the future.
Thankfully the leadership of this church started planning and discerning for this at the June Officer’s retreat. Many good ideas have already come to fruition including the Summer Church Picnic, Boonton Day, starting up Sunday school, rejuvenating coffee hour, weekly flowers in worship, and now…another church-wide retreat.
The last church-wide retreat we had was the impetus for a number of great mission and ministries, still thriving, including 2nd Sunday, Modernized Sunday School and Confirmation curriculum, new fellowship events like the paint parties and the recent Ice cream Social and of course the launching of Loaves and Fishes.
It’s time to re-invent ourselves and we need everyone to be in the mix for our next CHURCH-WIDE RETREAT, SUNDAY OCTOBER 23rd, 9:30-1pm. (Coffee and bagels on the front end, lunch to close). Leading us in this very important day will be the Rev Dr. Steve Shussett, who is a gifted leader, trained spiritual director as well as our Presbytery Stated Clerk. You can read the rest of his bio here:
Rev. Dr. Steve Shussett begins February 1 as the Resource Staff/Stated Clerk
While we will not have worship in the sanctuary that day, we will build some sort of worship into the retreat with hopes of zooming that part, if at all possible.
I pray you will be moved to come and participate and be part of God’s call on the future of this diamond on the hill. Every voice matters!
Seeking Newness with you,
Rev Jen
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