Sometimes when we hear the word “planning,” we immediately think about meetings, papers, difficult decisions, or long conversations. And yes, planning can certainly include all of those things. But planning can also be something beautiful, hopeful, and creative… It can even be fun!
Our communities Groveville UMC and Crosswicks UMC are beginning to ask an important question together: What is God preparing for us in this season of ministry?
The world we live in today is very different from the one many of us knew decades ago when we first began our journey of faith. In many ways, it is even different from the world we knew before the pandemic. The needs of our society have changed, the ways people connect are not the same, and the challenges facing the church are different. Yet the Gospel remains alive, and the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ continues before us as United Methodists.
For that reason, on Saturday, June 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., we will gather for a time of prayer, conversation, imagination, and planning as we begin exploring together how we may faithfully face both the present and the future.
Our gathering will take place at Saint Mark United Methodist Church, located at 465 Paxson Avenue, Hamilton SQ, NJ 08690.
This will not simply be a meeting about survival or organizational change, but it will be an opportunity to dream, discern, and rethink what the church can become in this moment of history. We are exploring what could be new from God for our communities, filled with hope and expectation for the future.
Even though planning can also be challenging, it may invite us to wrestle with our own limitations, question old assumptions, and even step outside our comfort zones. However, perhaps this is part of discipleship itself, and maybe that is where hope is born. Not in pretending everything is easy, but in trusting that God still walks with us as we co-create, discern, and imagine together.
I want to warmly invite you to be part of this important time in the life of our churches. Your prayers and your presence matter deeply. Let us continue walking together with faith, courage, and hope as we seek what God may be doing among us.
Warmly,
Rev. David Gaitan
