Every Church is a New Church Start
by Rev. Dr. Tim Catlett
My predecessor, Rev. Greg Moore, and our former bishop, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, were fond of saying, in a pandemic-shaped world, “Every Church is a New Church Start.” Some of the
same values and methodologies common to the co-creation of new faith communities are also present in local churches across our connection. New innovations are emerging in the ways we
engage in liturgical worship, relational discipleship, holistic mission, and how we serve and lead our local congregations. As we reclaim historical practices and try new ways to connect people to God and one another, my hope is we will continue to learn with one another, and strive together to pay attention to where the Holy Spirit is moving.
And may we remember, that when we experiment and innovate, we will often fail. However, the good news of the gospel is we serve a God who redeems failure. We serve a God who brings life out of death. We serve a God who is always with us! Thanks be to God for the gift and privilege to serve your local church, in such a time as this.
In this newsletter, church servant leaders will share some of the ways they are seeking to innovate as they co-create new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus.
As always, thank you for your support. To make a financial contribution for 2022, please visit us online, https://nccumc.org/new-faith-communities/.