Church in Bethesda Blog
Reviewing 2011 & Welcoming 2012
2011 in Review
I am so grateful to be a part of Church in Bethesda. Traveling as we did in the last week of 2011 afforded me many opportunities for people to ask me over and over again, “So how’s work? Is the church growing?” It never seems to come to me in any other form but, “Is the church growing?” And I always said, “Yes. God is good.” I didn’t answer that way because we are exploding numerically or because numerical growth is necessarily an indicator of good or bad things. The fact is that I am encouraged by our growth in so many ways that a community can grow.
The last year was a good one. Our faith community welcomed a few new folks, and said goodbye to a few who moved on in life or found other faith communities to join. All in all, we continued what I’ve always a healthy pattern of numerical growth. We welcomed some new people and began the joyful exercise of incorporating them into our family.
We had the best year ever as our finances go. Why? Because you are all participating and sharing the resources that God has blessed us with, to continue the presence and work of this church family. We ended up borrowing very little last year, only $10,000. I know that’s a lot of money to borrow, but relative to the borrowing levels of previous years, it’s a good sign indeed. And you’ve pledged the highest levels for 2012 I have ever seen in my time with Church in Bethesda. That’s humbling and exciting!
We shared the seasons of the year beginning with the Lenten fast and focus which lead us into the Easter Season. We shared the joy of baptisms and baby blessings! We shared the richness of a joyful summer of Sundays. I still smile as I think back on the warm summer months and our shared worship and time together.
We continued our ministries to our own children at CiB as well as to the many kids and families at The Children’s Inn at NIH. We welcomed the third family to the Del Ray House, a family from Guatemala. We began special times of study for adults and continued our women’s and men’s groups. We were present for Bethesda and our surrounding communities.
Did the church “grow” in 2011? Yes, we grew. I think we grew in faith, love and hope. I think we grew in many rich ways. I am very glad for the months of shared life with you all.
Welcoming 2012
Let’s stop and welcome the new year! Maybe even say it out loud with me, “Hello 2012! Nice to see you! Stick around and make yourself at home!” This is going to be a good year because we are giving it to God and waiting expectantly to see what all it holds.
The new year started in a bit of a rush for me. We arrived back in town on New Year’s Eve, slept and hit the ground running with you on Sunday morning in worship and fellowship. And as slow as I was dragging, you were so gracious and it was so good to be together.
That same day, New Year’s Day, brought a homeless friend to our front door in the evening looking for some help and hoping to have a small load of laundry done. It was a full day of sharing and being a part of community, faith community and local community.
Monday was the holiday and day of rest that many needed, and I certainly slept a little later and relished the need to be nowhere. But a couple of morning phone calls reminded me that life rolls on. By the early afternoon I was talking wedding plans with some friends as they dreamed of their big day in CiB’s Sanctuary.
By 2pm on Monday afternoon I was over on Jones Bridge Road to attend the vigil for the two young people killed in Sunday’s early morning crash. I know the father of a friend of the victims and he called me to come and help lead the vigil as they were gathering but had no one to help lead the time. It was humbling and deeply affecting.
I sat back Monday night and thought, “Wow. The new year is starting off in fifth gear! Forget crawling, we’ll just start running.” I wouldn’t have it any other way.
On Sunday morning we shared the reminder that as Christ came as Light for this world, we are also invested with salting and lighting, we share that great work with our Christ. I believe that we can give ourselves faithfully to this world, seasoning and illuminating the many needs and can count on God being right along beside us. Jesus is the Light (John 1) and we are the Light in Christ (Matthew 5, Ephesians 4 & 5).
So dream church! Cut loose, pray and imagine what this year can mean to us and the communities around us! Let’s light it up!
With all peace, Todd
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