I woke up one morning this past week and thoughts of you were all heavy on my heart. Laity like myself trying to maneuver church life right now. Clearly, these are challenging times within the United Methodist Church, but these moments are also opportunities filled with so much hope!
Keep reminding each other of all the things that unite us. Our love for Jesus Christ is something we all share without question. We all want to fulfill our call to transform this broken world by extending our tables and welcoming more hearts. We all love the people in our church families, we love our communities, our nation, and this world. Through our connection, we can take Christ into all the places that alone… would be impossible.
So many of your church families are having difficult discussions and I pray that each of you find a way to help ground those discussions in love. I challenge you to look around your congregations for hearts that have missed a few Sundays. Many don’t want to be in the middle of differences of opinions between people they love and admire. Instead, they are simply silently slipping away from our congregations. Reach out and check on each other. Go to lunch together or dinner. Remind each other that no matter the issue that separates our thoughts, our hearts are all safe in the arms of Jesus Christ.
Know that I am praying for you, that I am here if you need information or assistance, and that I am filled with hope for what follows this moment in time. — Kim
You can reach out to Kim Smith, Sound District Lay Leader, by email at k.smith@nccumc.org