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Pastor Rob's October Message |
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October is a month of change. In the world around us the days are shorter and the leaves are beginning their annual color changing festival! My daughter, Crystol, once said “Daddy, it is wonderful how God makes all the leaves turn different colors before they fall off the trees for winter –because God could just make the leaves all turn black and then fall off!” When God created the world He called everything “good.” Yes, October is a “GOOD” month of change in nature for us to watch. October is a month of change. It is a month to celebrate the Harvest both as farmers and in churches. Having Harvest Festivals is not a new occurrence for Mt. Hermon UMC but this year will be the first time it will be held at the Mt. Hermon Community Building. It is providing a new and exciting opportunity to sell the delicious chicken pies and other goodies prepared by Mt. Hermon cooks! It is an opportunity to use this change for the good of the church and the good of all of us who will work together to make this Harvest Festival the best ever! October is even a month of change for the sports minded individuals. America is a country that loves sports and October is the month for the Baseball World Series and for football season to get into full swing (and the Duke Football team is doing well this year!). The racing season is really heating up and College Basketball teams are already practicing. This is a great month! This particular October brings another wonderful change. We begin this month owing NO money on the new parsonage! That’s right –it’s completely paid for! You, the people of this church, have pulled together to provide the funds to bring about this great victory for your church! Just imagine – if you and God can accomplish this tremendous feat in only 6 years, the sky is the limit to what you can accomplish with God! October is also a time for churches to gather together to celebrate all of their ministries in a meeting called Charge Conference. This goes way back to when the Elders who were appointed by the Bishop to “preside” over their large (usually rural) circuits met and gave reports. These Presiding Elders are now called District Superintendents and although Mt. Hermon’s “charge” consists of only one church, we will be meeting on the 30th of this month to celebrate our church. We will be claiming our victory of paying off the parsonage and we will list our many ministries we participate in throughout our church, this community, and the world. As your pastor, I am very proud of the heart that the people of this church have for missions and the way you care about the needs of the people of not only this community but of the whole world! Thank God He doesn’t expect us to do all of the work by ourselves! As part of the United Methodist Church we are part of a “connection” [relationship and union and permanent bond with other United Methodists] which is as far reaching as the “World Wide Web” on the computer internet that literally reaches around the world instantaneously! Everyone is invited to come to our Charge Conference meeting on October 30, 2008. We will have a wonderful worship time with our neighboring church, Bellemont UMC, and we will be graced with the preaching of Rev. Bill Gattis, the District Superintendent of our Burlington District of United Methodist Churches. Let’s all come and be a part of this special evening! What an opportunity to celebrate the work of God’s people at Mt. Hermon United Methodist Church! And as you watch the leaves change color and fall to the ground this year, let’s be grateful to God for His attention to detail. Think of what my Crystol said, “God could just make the leaves all turn black and fall off!” In His Service, Pastor Rob
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 October 2008 )
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