Another Year Together

It’s hard to believe we’ve been together for a year already! As I look back, I’m amazed we all survived it. There has been so much going on. This church is very busy. But busy is a good thing, as long as it’s busy doing Christ’s work. We have done much and come a long way, but there is always more to be done. I am so excited to be your pastor here, and love bragging about this congregation as much as I can. I can’t wait to see what’s coming down the road as we navigate our world together. This year looks great so far, and I hope we continue to be in ministry together in this place for some time.

I will always encourage us to reflect on our actions, declarations, and plans, to make sure that they are both faithful to our faith and done to the best of our ability. The world needs Christ, and there is no reason why we can’t be one vehicle by which they experience it. On occasion, we will need to step out in faith and go where we have not gone and do what we have not done when we can’t see, yet, how it all fits together. I applaud the Administrative Council for the recent step of faith in approving moving forward with an after school partnership with Mecklenburg County schools.

I know there is anxiety about and that there has been much discussion about the status of our larger church. While the disagreements continue, contained in this newsletter is a letter from the Council of Bishops about where we are as a global church. No matter what happens on the larger level, we need to continue to be witnesses to where we have been sent – South Hill. I fully believe that if we are intentional about seeking God’s will and direction, then the matters that divide us will become less and less important.

I also am aware that there is a large amount of anxiety around the world in general. Every time we turn on the news, we hear about violence and fear and severe relational breakdowns across the globe. I would like to remind us all that in Christ, we have an assurance of a future with him. In that assurance, we are able to stand defiant against the forces of evil and destruction. We must be intentional about sharing the love of God in real, tangible, and visible ways. The world desperately needs to know about who Christ is and what he has already done for us. Fear separates. Love brings together. Fear increases violence. Love increases a desire for understanding. Let us not let fear and evil win in our lives today, because God has already defeated them – including death itself – through the life and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Brian