Beloved,

As I sit to write this letter, my heart is filled with profound gratitude for each one of you. Over the past two months, our church has navigated a path that has been both challenging and enriching. Your resilience, faithfulness, and earnest participation in our numerous town hall meetings and discussions have been a testament to the strength and unity of our church family.

We embarked on a journey, one that required us to delve deep into our beliefs, values, and visions for our beloved church. Throughout this process, your voices – filled with passion, concern, and love for our church – have not only been heard but have profoundly shaped our journey.

You will continue to shape our journey into the future. While I know that the days ahead are bright; your voice, presence, discernment, and prayerful posture are critical to a thriving future. In the coming months, we will have prayer gatherings to pray about our present and future church. We will have Shepherd’s Heart Live gatherings to dream about our present and future. We will have “Conversations with Council” to discuss our present and future. Let’s continue conversing. Let’s keep on praying. Let’s never lose hope.

Our first Conversation with Council will be on Sunday, February 4th at 10am in Room 5. This will be a time for the council to care for you as a congregation, answer questions you might have, clarify any confusion, and lay the groundwork for our journey ahead. 

In addition, your pastoral staff is here for you. Please know that you can schedule time for prayer or listening anytime you need. We love you, and we love serving alongside you in the work God has called us to. We are better together. 

As we stand at this juncture, it is vital to look forward with hope and anticipation. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:13-14, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

 This passage resonates deeply with our current season. It is a call to embrace the future God has in store for us, with all its potential and momentum. In the coming weeks and months, we will explore what this new affiliation means for us as a church. We will have opportunities to engage, learn, and grow together in this new chapter. I invite each of you to be an active participant in this exciting phase of our church’s life.

I want to offer a word of encouragement to each of you. Change can be daunting, but it also brings growth and new beginnings. Let us hold fast to our faith, knowing that God is guiding us every step of the way. We are a family, united in Christ’s love, and together, we will continue to be a beacon of hope and light in our community.

In closing, I pray that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. May we continue to seek His will, serve His people, and spread His love, today and always.

From my heart,

Pastor Tara Beth Leach