The season of back-to-school is in full swing!  Parents, teachers, staff, and even kids are gearing up for a new school year.  It is the season of starting fresh with new hopes and dreams.

The same is also true for our church.  The Little Blessings preschool is back in swing with a full scale operation at the church and now a new extension location off Plaza Drive and Parker Road.  We are praying that we will be able to provide quality ministry for many more families and children as the outreach of our Christian preschool continues to move forward.

While Little Blessings is gearing up for a season of growth…the Tapestry United Methodist Church launch is well under way as well.  Tapestry is a daughter congregation of the Parker Church that will also provide great blessing and extended ministry to a whole new gathering of people.  It is an exciting adventure that is led by Pastor Pat Bell and a solid core team of leaders.  It too is a bundle of hope that is surrounded by our prayers!

As Pat shifts his attention to the launch of the Tapestry new church plant, Cody Anderson will also be moving forward in her ministry career.  Cody has been appointed by Bishop Stanovsky to serve as a Licensed Local Pastor in the role of Associate Pastor on our ministry team.  We are excited about that transition and blessed by Cody’s natural gifts for ministry.  You will be hearing much more about how Cody’s new role will unfold as we step into the future together.

That means that we are continuing our search for a new person to join our team to provide ministry to children and their families along with a new person to lead our middle school and senior high discipleship ministries.   In case you are wondering, I just identified at least six areas of prayer that are needed for the life of our church.   I hope you are joining us in prayer as we lift this exciting time of change before the Lord.

You may have noticed that people have different responses to change.  Some people thrive on new events and a more spontaneous lifestyle.  Others find change to be a bit of a stress point in life.  Some enjoy being on the front line of change while others tend to hold back a bit.  I understand all of those view points and the anxiety of blessing that accompanies each experience.  The real joy in this season of change is the reality that all of these shifts are very positive since they all represent growth and forward movement in the life of the church.

God has been very good!  We are moving forward with the Lord leading the way.  We all know congregations that would love to be dealing with issues related to growth and expansion.  Let’s pull together and pray together so we can arrive at the place where God is leading!

I am looking forward to seeing you in worship!

Yours in Christ

Randy Jessen