Do you feel it? There is a shift in the tide happening across the Sound District! From summer book clubs in Greenville, to Messy Church in New Bern, and Neighbor to Neighbor in Beaufort…congregations are being bold!
From picnics and karaoke in Morehead to Saturday creation crafts in Newport, even Simon Peter Bible studies with fishing trips in Havelock…church families are being creative!
There is scrapbooking and card making in Sneads Ferry, community-wide 4th of July picnics in Jacksonville, and Widows Plus in Chocowinity…because relationships matter!
It wouldn’t be summer without our Voyage partnerships with Camp Don Lee happening in Morehead, New Bern, and Kinston this year. Of course, the morning waterfront worship services at Lou Mac Park in Oriental are back too!
Baking is a theme, too! Loaves of bread for visitors in coastal communities, muffins on Mondays for businesses and public servants in Kinston, and even desserts for community feeding programs. We Methodists can cook with love.
No matter where your heart calls home across the Sound District, the Holy Spirit is at work. Creativity, risk-taking, and outreach opportunities are happening everywhere. There is a clear forward focus of love that is beautiful to witness.
Remember that the conference Lay Servant Ministries Team works hard to provide a wide variety of spiritual growth opportunities for the laity year-round, even during the summer months.
If your congregation is having trouble shifting tides or feels stuck in need of renewal, ask for help. We are in this ministry of casting nets across eastern NC together with each other and our God.
You might even want to hit the road this summer and visit some of the many ministries happening so that you can experience the shift firsthand and be fed spiritually in a new, possibly awakening way. Be sure to follow the Sound District Facebook page, where many activities are shared from our local congregations.
photo and article credit: Kim R. Smith