from my message on Pentecost, May 19, 2013, from Acts 2;1-21
Manuel. His name is Manuel. I met him at Jireh house a couple of weeks ago. Jireh house is a Methodist mission in the midst of a huge apartment complex called Cassiano Homes, on the south side of San Antonio. Imagine this: Methodists having a presence right in the middle of a pocket of poverty. There are 499 units in the complex. One of them is the home of Jireh house. Jireh is from Jehovah Jireh, or "the Lord provides."
I was at Jireh House because the group of 12 pastors who are in route to becoming ordained had wanted to do a mission project there. I am their spiritual director. Usually as a mission project, we build something, like a house. This time, we were building relationships and trust. We went to Jireh house to do 3 things: play games with the neighborhood children, sort clothes for the clothes closet, and distribute flyers about the clothes closet being open on the next day.
Before we went out, we heard testimonies from some of the people who had been helped by Jireh House. The director, Ms. Vega, is a dynamo. She has health problems, and is getting on up in years, but she is the angel behind Jireh House. It has been her baby since 1995. The first one to give witness was Manuel. I will share it in a moment. Others spoke. Esperanza whose name means "hope," said, "yesterday, I had no hope. My husband is in prison. I keep coming back here, because they are my family." Monica said, "I came first to get clothes from the clothes closet. Now I run the clothes closet." Daniel said, "I'm not too good with words. I've been in prison 3 times. Now I am a changed person." Most of them were Hispanic. Ed was white. He said, "I was a CPA with one of the big 4 firms. My job was outsourced. I lost the house, the 2 fancy cars, nearly lost my family. We moved to San Antonio to be with my wife's family. We came first for the food bank. Now we come for the spiritual food." Manuel, the first one to speak, said, "I grew up in the projects. LIfe was hard. I've been to jail. I've been on drugs. Now I've been sober for 1 1/2 years. My wife is about to graduate from nursing school in 2 weeks." I would have gone to Jireh House for the testimonies alone.
Manuel were partners in the mission project. We were passing out flyers announcing the clothes closet would be open the next day. You could take all you wanted. There would be a free lunch afterwards.
You may be asking, What does this have to do with Pentecost? On that day, they were all together, and all heard them speaking in their own language. Do you hear the list of nations? It reminded me of an article I read nearly 20 years ago, given to me by one of my ministry friends. The article said something quite remarkable. I found reference to it this past week in a foot note from one of the commentaries I was reading. It said that in the list of nations named, not all of them existed at the time that Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles. I am glad that you laugh at that. It's pretty funny. LUke is trying to make a theological point. The Holy Spirit comes at all times and places. You can look it up. Parthians and Elamites had already faded from the scene when Luke wrote. The Cretans and Arabs are peoples, not nations. Luke is trying to say that the Spirit won't be located in just one time and place, but will penetrate all times and places.
So the Spirit that was hovering over the face of the waters of creation in Genesis 1 is the same Spirit blowing across our lives today. The Spirit that literally inspired the prophets, when they said, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon me," is the same Spirit inspiring us today. The fire in the burning bush that Moses encountered in the Sinai desert is the same fire burning in us today. The fire that was in Jeremiah, when he said, "If I do not preach the word of the Lord, it is like a fire in my bones," is the same fire burning within us today. The Holy Spirit won't be domesticated. The Holy Spirit leaps over all of our barriers of time and space.
I have been to the Holy Land 3 times. It is a wonderful pilgrimage. It is like reading the fifth gospel. I remember the first time I went. I wrote in my journal. "I went to see the Holy Land. I found that the Holy Land is wherever I am." Holy Spirit comes at all times and places. If you want a good definition for the Holy Spirit, here it is, the presence of God in every present moment, in every place.
So Ms. Vega is full of the Holy Spirit on the south side of San Antonio in the midst of government housing. She said, "I don't have your education. I get my wisdome from God."
Manuel is full of the Holy Spirit. We were passing out leaflets advertising the clothes closet. We started by knocking on doors. Not many people were home in the middle of the afternoon. We saw children gettng out of school. We saw parents picking them up. We started approaching the parents with our leaflets. Guess who had more street cred? Me, middle aged white guy in an Aggie hat? Or Manuel, young Hispanic, in his baggy shorts, with high top shoes unlaced, sports jersey, and jauntily tilted cap? Manuel was so much more effect in that time and place. So are you. You can go so many more places and times than I can. Where is the Holy Spirit calling you to witness?
The good news is that the Holy Spirit comes in all times and places.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Come, Stay at my Home
from my message on 5/12, Mother's Day, Festival of the Christian Home, from Acts 16:9-15
Home...what a powerful word! Home...so many layers of meaning. Some of you have lived overseas or traveled extensively. You get on the plane to head back. A fellow passenger asks you, "Where are you going?" You answer, "Home." I remember coming back to the States after living in Scotland for a school year. I remember landing in NYC. The sky seemed bluer. There was definitely something about coming home. We sing it in our national anthem, "o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." We will tear up at football games when they raise the Stars and Stripes, and we sing our anthem.
Home...we have a heavenly home. The 23rd Psalm ends, "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." In the year 2001, on that day we have come to know as 9/11, the former superintendent of schools had died. He had been superintendent for 25 years before retiring from Gregory-Portland where I was pastor. That was my day shuttling back and forth between his home and the church, listening to the radio of planes flying into buildings. Dr. Andrews had talked to me about what he wanted at his funeral. Please know that this is a healthy conversation to have with your pastor, with your family. It does not mean you want to die, or that it hastens your death! In fact, Monday night, we are having a workshop on "Putting your house in order" over in Bldg. M, at 7 p.m., to talk just about this subject. Anyhow, Dr. Andrews had made a special request of something to do at his funeral. You need to know that I welcome such requests, and as far as possible try to meet them, in order to bring about healing. We held the funeral for the former superindent of schools in the high school auditorium. It was the only place big enough in Portland. It was the first public gathering after 9/11 for that community. Dr. Andrews asked if we could sing at his funeral his favorite song, Home on the Range. Let's sing it now. What goes through you? Doesn't it feel good to sing? We have a heavenly home. Our black Methodists pastors talk about the funeral as a "home-going." The apostle Paul talks in one of his letters that "we have a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens."
Home...Lydia had a home. Do we know a Lydia? Yes, she is sitting right back there, valued member of this congregation. The Lydia in Acts was wealthy, prominent. She was a dealer in purple cloth. Who wore purple? Royalty and the rich. It was made by crushing us certain sea shells which were used to dye the cloth. Lydia lived in the region of Macedonia. Do we know anyone from Macedonia? Yes, the Petreski family are sitting over here. It was a region of northern Greece. Lydia was at Philippi, at the riverside on the sabbath, worshiping God. We don't know which God, but she responded to Paul's preaching. She and her, get this, household, were baptized. She was the leader of her house. Talk about women in ministry! In fact, Lydia is the first convert to Christianity in Europe. A church begins to meet in her home. There were no separate structures for churches. There were house churches. The first house church in Europe was at Lydia's home. Paul would later write in his Letter to the Philippians, to her house church, "You Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone." They were generous.
I need to do some Greek with you now. The word for house or home in Greeek is oikos. We find this word in the eco of economics. Are we at home with money, possessions, giving, gratitude? We find eco in ecology. Are we at home in creation, in Mother Earth? Do we take care of our home? Is it messy like our bedroom? Home is such a powerful word.
Lydia's home became Paul's base of operation in that region because Lydia hd said, "Come, stay at my home."
Home...we can have a church home. Some of you grew up in the church, in the Christian faith. Some of you here today may have wandered away. Sometimes it is a stage of development, or a rebellion, or a getting into rationalism, or because some tragedy has happened. Some of you may be coming back home because you have had a baby, or you are dealing with grief, or someone invited you. Wherever you are, sing with me, Softly and Tenderly. Wherever you are, please know that the door is open here, the welcome mat is out. Come home.
Home....do we treat folks like visitors or guests in our church home? In my continuing education course the last book we read was Beyond the First Visit by Gary McIntosh. He advises the church to lose the word visitor and use the word guest. Get playful with me now. Visitors show up uninvited. It is awkward. We try to put a good face on, "Oh, it's so nice to see you." What we really are thinking is "What are you doing here?" We invite people in, maybe serve a snack, talk a bit. Underneath, we are thinking "When are they going to leave?" We want to say, "Good food, good talk, good-bye."
Guests are greeted with "I was so looking forward to seeing you. We have your favorite food prepared. We have the guest room made up for you to spend the night. Please come back soon."
Visitors just show up; guests are expected/invited. Visitors are expected to leave; guests are expected to stay. Visitors are to come 1 time; guests are to come again and again. I know that our registration pads and stick-on name tags both say "Visitor." I will fix this. I just finished reading the book!
Home...Sunday night I went to a worship service at First UMC downtown. It was a service highlighting the Reconciling Ministries Network, the movement within the UMC to be radically welcoming to all persons, especially those of other sexual orientations. Please know that I am firmly supportive of this movement. I know some of you are not comfortable with this position, and I still want to be your pastor too. At this service, we celebrated the sacrament of communion where all were welcomed. We sang a modern hymn by Marty Haugen, entitled All Are Welcome. We will sing the chorus and then speak the verse and then sing the chorus again.
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and vsions, Rock of faith of vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
That's what I want to say today. All are welcome in this place. As Lydia said, so I say today, Come, stay at my home.
Home...what a powerful word! Home...so many layers of meaning. Some of you have lived overseas or traveled extensively. You get on the plane to head back. A fellow passenger asks you, "Where are you going?" You answer, "Home." I remember coming back to the States after living in Scotland for a school year. I remember landing in NYC. The sky seemed bluer. There was definitely something about coming home. We sing it in our national anthem, "o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave." We will tear up at football games when they raise the Stars and Stripes, and we sing our anthem.
Home...we have a heavenly home. The 23rd Psalm ends, "and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." In the year 2001, on that day we have come to know as 9/11, the former superintendent of schools had died. He had been superintendent for 25 years before retiring from Gregory-Portland where I was pastor. That was my day shuttling back and forth between his home and the church, listening to the radio of planes flying into buildings. Dr. Andrews had talked to me about what he wanted at his funeral. Please know that this is a healthy conversation to have with your pastor, with your family. It does not mean you want to die, or that it hastens your death! In fact, Monday night, we are having a workshop on "Putting your house in order" over in Bldg. M, at 7 p.m., to talk just about this subject. Anyhow, Dr. Andrews had made a special request of something to do at his funeral. You need to know that I welcome such requests, and as far as possible try to meet them, in order to bring about healing. We held the funeral for the former superindent of schools in the high school auditorium. It was the only place big enough in Portland. It was the first public gathering after 9/11 for that community. Dr. Andrews asked if we could sing at his funeral his favorite song, Home on the Range. Let's sing it now. What goes through you? Doesn't it feel good to sing? We have a heavenly home. Our black Methodists pastors talk about the funeral as a "home-going." The apostle Paul talks in one of his letters that "we have a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens."
Home...Lydia had a home. Do we know a Lydia? Yes, she is sitting right back there, valued member of this congregation. The Lydia in Acts was wealthy, prominent. She was a dealer in purple cloth. Who wore purple? Royalty and the rich. It was made by crushing us certain sea shells which were used to dye the cloth. Lydia lived in the region of Macedonia. Do we know anyone from Macedonia? Yes, the Petreski family are sitting over here. It was a region of northern Greece. Lydia was at Philippi, at the riverside on the sabbath, worshiping God. We don't know which God, but she responded to Paul's preaching. She and her, get this, household, were baptized. She was the leader of her house. Talk about women in ministry! In fact, Lydia is the first convert to Christianity in Europe. A church begins to meet in her home. There were no separate structures for churches. There were house churches. The first house church in Europe was at Lydia's home. Paul would later write in his Letter to the Philippians, to her house church, "You Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone." They were generous.
I need to do some Greek with you now. The word for house or home in Greeek is oikos. We find this word in the eco of economics. Are we at home with money, possessions, giving, gratitude? We find eco in ecology. Are we at home in creation, in Mother Earth? Do we take care of our home? Is it messy like our bedroom? Home is such a powerful word.
Lydia's home became Paul's base of operation in that region because Lydia hd said, "Come, stay at my home."
Home...we can have a church home. Some of you grew up in the church, in the Christian faith. Some of you here today may have wandered away. Sometimes it is a stage of development, or a rebellion, or a getting into rationalism, or because some tragedy has happened. Some of you may be coming back home because you have had a baby, or you are dealing with grief, or someone invited you. Wherever you are, sing with me, Softly and Tenderly. Wherever you are, please know that the door is open here, the welcome mat is out. Come home.
Home....do we treat folks like visitors or guests in our church home? In my continuing education course the last book we read was Beyond the First Visit by Gary McIntosh. He advises the church to lose the word visitor and use the word guest. Get playful with me now. Visitors show up uninvited. It is awkward. We try to put a good face on, "Oh, it's so nice to see you." What we really are thinking is "What are you doing here?" We invite people in, maybe serve a snack, talk a bit. Underneath, we are thinking "When are they going to leave?" We want to say, "Good food, good talk, good-bye."
Guests are greeted with "I was so looking forward to seeing you. We have your favorite food prepared. We have the guest room made up for you to spend the night. Please come back soon."
Visitors just show up; guests are expected/invited. Visitors are expected to leave; guests are expected to stay. Visitors are to come 1 time; guests are to come again and again. I know that our registration pads and stick-on name tags both say "Visitor." I will fix this. I just finished reading the book!
Home...Sunday night I went to a worship service at First UMC downtown. It was a service highlighting the Reconciling Ministries Network, the movement within the UMC to be radically welcoming to all persons, especially those of other sexual orientations. Please know that I am firmly supportive of this movement. I know some of you are not comfortable with this position, and I still want to be your pastor too. At this service, we celebrated the sacrament of communion where all were welcomed. We sang a modern hymn by Marty Haugen, entitled All Are Welcome. We will sing the chorus and then speak the verse and then sing the chorus again.
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and vsions, Rock of faith of vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
That's what I want to say today. All are welcome in this place. As Lydia said, so I say today, Come, stay at my home.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Stpehen Ministers
from my message on May 5,2013, from Acts 6:1-7
You didn't hire me as the senior pastor to do all of the ministry for you. At least I hope that is the case! We will never be able to hire enough staff to get all of the ministry done.
It is not biblical to hire others to do ministry for us. Read the letters of Paul in the New Testament. I Cor.12 says, Y'all, literally, you plural, are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Rom. 12 says that we who are many are one body in Chirst, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Eph. 4 says that we have gifts to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
Martin Luther said in the Protestant Reformation, "The priesthood of all believers." Every member of the church is a minister. Our United Methodist Book of Discipline talks about the ministry of all Christians, that different gifs and ministries are given to all persons.
You know this. You practice this. This past weekend, we put on the Gospel Accordin' to Texas, where some 1200 folks came to our church for 4 performances. You were actors, dancers, musicians, lighting persons, tickets takers, ushers, refreshment providers, golf cart drivers, and hosts. This past weekend we had ReThink Church where we went out into the world on several service projects. You were card writers (to over 87 persons in nursing homes, in the hospital, in the military, etc.), hygiene kit packers for Mobilie Loaves and Fishes, handbell ringers for the Methodist retirement home in Georgetown, distributor of clothes to the homeless at church under the bridge, sidewalk art stencilers at Linder Elementary, community garden developers at Parker Lane UMC, and Queen Lola shed builders and lunch providers.
I will hush up and let you watch the video (go to our website, www.westlake-umc.org, and go to the YouTube icon at the bottom of the home page where you will find the 2 and 1/2 minute video).
That's what you all did last weekend as ministers of the Gospel. Every Christian is called to ministry. Not every one is called to ordained ministry. May I tell you a funny story? My dentist, Tony, is a member of this church. A few weeks ago he asked me before service if I had any resources on performing marriages. Yes, I said. Why, I asked. He told me that he had been asked to perform a marriage. He had gone on-line and gotten a certificate that allowed him to do that. He said that he could have gotten it done for $12.95, but that he got the deluxe package for $19.95, which included his certificate in a frame. I was kidding around with him. I said, You mean that my 3 years of seminary, 78 graduate hours, 1000's of pages of reading and writing, 1000's of dollars, not to mention interviews with the board of ordained ministry could all be gotten for $12.95? I had to further kid him. I asked, Could I become a dentist for $12.95? If so, could I work on his teeth?!
You don't have to go online to become a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You don't have to purchase it. He has already called you to this task. He is already equipping you for it. You can get training for you calling here at church. Consider that worship, prayer, Bible study, and other classes are the training regimen for you to become Christ's minister. We are partaking of Christ body today in Holy Communion. We receive his body in order to become His body, the Body of Christ out in the world.
Every follower of Christ is called to ministry. Not all are called to ordained ministry. Not all are called to Stephen ministry. We are consecrating 4 new Stephen ministers today. They have had training. They have read 3 books, had more than 50 hours of classes in listening and loving. They will continue to undergo supervision 2/month as they grow in skills. They will be assigned just one care receiver, male to male, female to female. I have been the only one making these assignments. It is a confidential relationship. It will be a life changing relationship.
I was reading a book on stewardship this past week. A book on generosity, on giving, and on gratitude had a story about the power of Stephen ministry. In Not Your Parents' Offering Plate by J.Clif Christopher had the following story on page 19. Clif was helping a church with a major capital campaign, and so was visiting a potential lead giver. The man said, I plan to give and to give substantially to the church, because the church saved my life. About 2 years ago my wife suddenly left me. I had no clue we were even having problems. We had two small children, and I was just devasted. I went to a church I had never been to before and jsut sat in the back. One Sunday I got up enough courage to check in the register that I wanted someone to call me. The very next day the senior pastor did and I shared with him my pain and also that I was not a member of the church. He did not seem to mind where my membership was, but he sure was concerned for my well-being. He offered to connect me with one of their Stephen ministers (lay care team). That person saved my life. He came to me adn right off shared how a similar thing had happened to him. Over the next few weeks he helped me find hope again and to realize that though my wife had left me and my life had just changed dramatically, God had never left me and he had a wonderful plan for the rest of my life.
We are in the life changing business. We are ministers to bring hope and healing to others. It goes all the way back to Acts. Remember the 12 disciples, had a replacement player, but still couldn't take care of all the needs of the people. The Greek speakers especially felt left out. So the 12 set an additional 7 men aside, Please note that all 7 had Greek names. They were trying to meet people where they were. The first one appointed to help was named Stephen. They were supposed to wait on tables, but very quickly they began to preach the Gospel. We meet people where they are with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Not all of you are called to ordained ministry. Not all of you are called to Stephen ministry. Some of you may be called to become Stephen ministers. We would be happy to visit with you about that. Some of you may be in need of having a Stephen minister walk and talk with you. Let me know.
We will never be able to hire all of the staff needed to do all of the minstry here. Thank God, we don't have to. You have been called to ministry and equipped by the Holy Spirit. That's the good news I have to share.
You didn't hire me as the senior pastor to do all of the ministry for you. At least I hope that is the case! We will never be able to hire enough staff to get all of the ministry done.
It is not biblical to hire others to do ministry for us. Read the letters of Paul in the New Testament. I Cor.12 says, Y'all, literally, you plural, are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Rom. 12 says that we who are many are one body in Chirst, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. Eph. 4 says that we have gifts to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
Martin Luther said in the Protestant Reformation, "The priesthood of all believers." Every member of the church is a minister. Our United Methodist Book of Discipline talks about the ministry of all Christians, that different gifs and ministries are given to all persons.
You know this. You practice this. This past weekend, we put on the Gospel Accordin' to Texas, where some 1200 folks came to our church for 4 performances. You were actors, dancers, musicians, lighting persons, tickets takers, ushers, refreshment providers, golf cart drivers, and hosts. This past weekend we had ReThink Church where we went out into the world on several service projects. You were card writers (to over 87 persons in nursing homes, in the hospital, in the military, etc.), hygiene kit packers for Mobilie Loaves and Fishes, handbell ringers for the Methodist retirement home in Georgetown, distributor of clothes to the homeless at church under the bridge, sidewalk art stencilers at Linder Elementary, community garden developers at Parker Lane UMC, and Queen Lola shed builders and lunch providers.
I will hush up and let you watch the video (go to our website, www.westlake-umc.org, and go to the YouTube icon at the bottom of the home page where you will find the 2 and 1/2 minute video).
That's what you all did last weekend as ministers of the Gospel. Every Christian is called to ministry. Not every one is called to ordained ministry. May I tell you a funny story? My dentist, Tony, is a member of this church. A few weeks ago he asked me before service if I had any resources on performing marriages. Yes, I said. Why, I asked. He told me that he had been asked to perform a marriage. He had gone on-line and gotten a certificate that allowed him to do that. He said that he could have gotten it done for $12.95, but that he got the deluxe package for $19.95, which included his certificate in a frame. I was kidding around with him. I said, You mean that my 3 years of seminary, 78 graduate hours, 1000's of pages of reading and writing, 1000's of dollars, not to mention interviews with the board of ordained ministry could all be gotten for $12.95? I had to further kid him. I asked, Could I become a dentist for $12.95? If so, could I work on his teeth?!
You don't have to go online to become a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You don't have to purchase it. He has already called you to this task. He is already equipping you for it. You can get training for you calling here at church. Consider that worship, prayer, Bible study, and other classes are the training regimen for you to become Christ's minister. We are partaking of Christ body today in Holy Communion. We receive his body in order to become His body, the Body of Christ out in the world.
Every follower of Christ is called to ministry. Not all are called to ordained ministry. Not all are called to Stephen ministry. We are consecrating 4 new Stephen ministers today. They have had training. They have read 3 books, had more than 50 hours of classes in listening and loving. They will continue to undergo supervision 2/month as they grow in skills. They will be assigned just one care receiver, male to male, female to female. I have been the only one making these assignments. It is a confidential relationship. It will be a life changing relationship.
I was reading a book on stewardship this past week. A book on generosity, on giving, and on gratitude had a story about the power of Stephen ministry. In Not Your Parents' Offering Plate by J.Clif Christopher had the following story on page 19. Clif was helping a church with a major capital campaign, and so was visiting a potential lead giver. The man said, I plan to give and to give substantially to the church, because the church saved my life. About 2 years ago my wife suddenly left me. I had no clue we were even having problems. We had two small children, and I was just devasted. I went to a church I had never been to before and jsut sat in the back. One Sunday I got up enough courage to check in the register that I wanted someone to call me. The very next day the senior pastor did and I shared with him my pain and also that I was not a member of the church. He did not seem to mind where my membership was, but he sure was concerned for my well-being. He offered to connect me with one of their Stephen ministers (lay care team). That person saved my life. He came to me adn right off shared how a similar thing had happened to him. Over the next few weeks he helped me find hope again and to realize that though my wife had left me and my life had just changed dramatically, God had never left me and he had a wonderful plan for the rest of my life.
We are in the life changing business. We are ministers to bring hope and healing to others. It goes all the way back to Acts. Remember the 12 disciples, had a replacement player, but still couldn't take care of all the needs of the people. The Greek speakers especially felt left out. So the 12 set an additional 7 men aside, Please note that all 7 had Greek names. They were trying to meet people where they were. The first one appointed to help was named Stephen. They were supposed to wait on tables, but very quickly they began to preach the Gospel. We meet people where they are with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Not all of you are called to ordained ministry. Not all of you are called to Stephen ministry. Some of you may be called to become Stephen ministers. We would be happy to visit with you about that. Some of you may be in need of having a Stephen minister walk and talk with you. Let me know.
We will never be able to hire all of the staff needed to do all of the minstry here. Thank God, we don't have to. You have been called to ministry and equipped by the Holy Spirit. That's the good news I have to share.
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