Last Sunday, we welcomed four new people into the membership of the congregation. (Their names are listed below.) It is a joy to welcome them into the church family. We are also glad to have others who join us for worship regularly and new guests that we see on Sunday mornings. I am pleased that we are running a confirmation class once again, and we have six students taking part.
We make a promise together each time we welcome new persons into the congregation. We remember the vows we made at the time of our own confirmation and those made on our behalf at the time of our baptism. And we make promises to each other, to the new members, and to God. Here are the words we say,
We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love. As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of The United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our witness and our service, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
The words remind us that:
- following Christ is always something we do with others (it’s a team sport).
- following Christ is involves personal action (nobody is a spectator).
- following Christ is based on the promises God makes to us, the promises we make to God, and the promises we make to each other.
- We are all blessed by what we have to share in our life together.
Calvary Church is a great place to be and grow and engage with others in Christian discipleship.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Steve
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New Members received on Sunday, Oct. 9:
Josie Cottone
Judy & Dave Shickel
Fran Haller
Members of the Confirmation Class
Cooper Gaeta Catherine Waskey
Taylor MacDonald Noah Benton
Charlotte Auth Sebastian Duthoy