CDC Annual Meeting and Sabbatical

I wanted to begin this week by reminding you that Josanne and I will begin two months of sabbatical a week from today on Monday, July 1st. We’ll be returning on Labor Day, September 1st. Would you please pray that we are able to accomplish what we have planned for this time—both our time of retreat and also our time of travel to visit former students in their ministry contexts? Pray that it will be a time of encouragement and strengthening.

We are thankful to Paul Walles and the others who will be filling in for me both in the pulpit and pastorally during our time away. Elsewhere in this E-Gram you’ll find the contact information in case of pastoral need, or if you need to get a message to us. Rick Boschulte will be the primary point of contact.

Josanne and I returned Saturday night from the Central District Conference annual meeting at College Mennonite Church. We enjoyed reconnecting with people that we have met in the past. I also was invited to a supper with the CDC board for both new members, such as myself, and those who are leaving the board. I was able to make several new relationships through this.

I have left the program book on the table in the Fellowship Hall if you’d like to spend some time seeing what the points of discussion were. There were two action items passed. The St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship was accepted to join the CDC. The other was a change which allows congregations which are moving toward becoming a part of the CDC to be accepted as provisional members which allows them to use the CDC’s 501(c)3 status, and other resources, but does not allow them to be fully voting members. Let me know if you have any questions about what was discussed in relationship to these or other issues.

This week was tough for me personally in a few ways. One was the unexpected news that Paul Del Valley was placed on hospice. It is a reminder to us that there are sorrows and difficulties that we are all experiencing. Remember that the people you encounter on a daily basis are dealing with difficulties, too. As I said in the sermon yesterday, remembering the way that God has extended grace to us should make us want to extend grace to others.

God bless, Brian

Scripture readings for next Sunday

Philippians 4—What examples of fellowship do you see in this passage?

Psalm 133—What do you think these images show us about community?

Acts 2:42-47—What do you think would be different about being a part of the early Church?

1 John 3:11-18—What do you think it means to love “with action”?