Summer is coming! At least that’s what I’ve been told. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it when the week that I’m writing this we got an inch of snow. But by the time you’re reading this it’ll be sunny and warm right? Summer is a time for a change of pace from the usual racing around, though some of us simply change what sort of race we are running and don’t slow the pace.
This summer our Gateways Group of 6 United Methodist churches is planning to hold mid-week worship services at each of our worship sites. It’s an opportunity for all of us to worship with other United Methodists in the area. I’ll be preaching at the first mid-week gathering on June 11 at Discovery United Methodist in Chanhassen. Other churches participating in this adventure are the United Methodist congregations of Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Excelsior. The pastors of these 6 churches have been meeting every week for Bible Study for the last several years. We hope that we can continue to make connections between churches and have more cooperative ministries in the future. The youth pastors are already planning something for the youth, something that all six churches can contribute to this summer.
DIVINE INTERVENTIONS As I was writing this, the bell choirs were getting ready for their annual Spring Ring. Everywhere I turned, people were getting ready, people were supporting the ministry of the bell choirs by helping behind the scenes—Steve Swenson in the kitchen laying out food, Serena Steffenhagen getting the lights set just right and finding additional extension cords for music stand lights, Marjie getting something for Sandy that she needed, others in the gathering space sewing on last minute patches for the fronts of the new bell choir shirts. I said a little prayer in my head, “Thank you, God, for the incredible ministry that the bell choirs do and thanks especially for all those who are behind the scenes, some of whom we never see, who help to make it all possible.”
Together in shared ministry,



 

Pastor Holly