BONUS BLOG: when some churches conclude one season of ministry and….

A colleague and friend far away wrote earlier today —-

We have reached the sobering part of our annual meeting where we vote to close four churches.

It is this moment every year when I give deep thanks for a group of 80 and 90-year-olds who knew how close their church was to closing but instead courageously voted to sell a portion of their property, move out of their building for a time without knowing whether they would ever step back into their beloved church building or where their funeral would be if they entered the church triumphant during the renovation period, accepted a young pastor who had never led a congregation before, and genuinely welcomed young adults into their midst, laying the foundation for the extraordinary congregation that now makes the United Methodist Church I serve what it is today.

Thank you for all you did to keep your church open.

I am so grateful for our faith that assures me I will one day see you again in our eternal home.

—- So…how are we doing, Church?