“Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came down from heaven:
“I have glorified it and, I will glorify it again”
John 12:28
To the people of Flemington UMC:
Hello! This is your new pastor, Chris Stanley. Grace and peace to you all from our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
I want to take a moment to share how excited my wife Rachel and I are as we start this new season of life. Much of this excitement has to do with how much we love this beautiful area of New Jersey, but we’re also eager to begin our time here as we’ve heard nothing but great things about Flemington UMC! Therefore, we’re eager to meet you and to see how God will work in our church these upcoming months and years.
But as much as we’re excited, we’d be lying if we didn’t fess up and admit that we’re also a little nervous. While transitions can be fun and exciting, they can also be disorienting and challenging. For instance, it’s going to take us a while to get used to that traffic circle on Rt. 31. Perhaps, you can also resonate with the challenges that change can bring.
But in the midst of all of the fears, pains, hopes, and dreams that change can awaken in us, Jesus’ words from John’s gospel remind us of what truly matters:
“Father, glorify your name….”
Friends, as our journey begins, my greatest hope is that God would be glorified in our time together: in how we love one another, in how we worship, and in how serve our wider community. I know that if we make this our focus, God’s going to do great things in our midst.
“I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again”
Peace,
Pastor Chris & Rachel
Upcoming Small Group Study – Unafraid by Adam Hamilton
Some time in the not-too-distant future Bruce is looking forward to leading another great study. This time around, the topic is “Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times.” If you’re feeling residually unsettled after the events of the last year or two, you are not alone. Come, join, and see how God leads us through frightening times.
Staying Connected
You will find every newsletter, worship service, devotional, and additional material posted on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/FlemingtonUnitedMethodist/
Even if you don’t use Facebook, you can access everything we have there. If you do have a Facebook account, “like” to follow our page and be notified when new things are posted or when videos are about to go live so you don’t miss anything.
If you have any difficulties accessing any of those links, please reply to this message or call the church office at (908)782-1070 and we will get you connected right away.
Zero