Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, July 1 marks the one year anniversary of our time in ministry together. I thought for this month’s newsletter it might be fun to do an “Oakland UMC Year in Review.” Following are some of the highlights of the last 12 months:
Thank you for participating in the many ministries of our church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness. It has been a joy and a blessing to serve as your pastor this past year. It is hard to put into words how thankful I am for all of you. You have shared the love of Christ with me in so many ways. I thank God for all of you and for the good we have been able to do in Jesus’ name. May God continue to bless our time together as we seek to love God with all of our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
And All God’s Children Said, “Amen.” Pastor Karen
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At one time in my life I was employed by an Area Education Agency as a Mentor Coordinator. My main responsibility was to recruit caring adults to mentor young people. It was while I was employed at the AEA that I first heard about the 40 Developmental Assets. Young people who have these assets are more likely to grow up to be healthy, caring, and responsible adults. One of the assets is, “Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.” Studies have revealed that young people who actively engage in a faith community on a regular basis are rewarded with reduced likelihood of life problems and risky behaviors and stand to improve their odds of a happier, healthier and longer life.
A Christian education does make a difference in the lives of young people. Studies show the sooner the Christian influence begins the greater the chances that it will make a positive difference in a child’s life. According to a Barna Group Study nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%). A child’s faith is impacted by their parents, other relatives and friends, their peers, and youth ministries (such as Sunday School, Youth Group, Vacation Bible School). We are very blessed in this congregation to have people who give of their time, talents, and resources to teach our young people about our Lord and Savior. What they do for our young people, in the name of Jesus, is priceless! We are thankful for these dedicated folks. Soon it will be time for Vacation Bible School. This year it will be held at our church June 10-14 in the evenings. As always, a lot of hands are needed in order to provide this ministry to the children in this community and surrounding area. I encourage you to contact Pam Ehmke or Kristy Rieken (co-chairs of Education Committee) to see how you can be of help. Thank you for all you do in the name of Jesus! And All God’s Children said, “Amen!” Pastor Karen |
AuthorPastor Kim Dewey Archives
March 2024
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