Roy’s Ramblings

So, coming off of a long vacation … I am well rested, have been creative in my wood shop, have brainstormed some ideas for upcoming opportunities in church and in life and am ready to move forward. This coming Sunday we will be talking about Membership – some of us may be old enough to remember the old TV commercial from American Express … “Membership Has It’s Privileges” and that is true for the church as well. When we join the church we pledge to support the church with our: Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, and Witness. And years ago the mindset of the population was summed up by John F. Kennedy’s words: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

We now live in a different time … a time when most only look after themselves … a time when joining groups, clubs, churches, etc. is not as popular … a time when most are out for the freebie, the something for nothing … a time when we stay to ourselves and don’t even socialize much. Our new catch phrases that are much more popular are: “What is in it for me?” and “What have you done for me lately?” And, with this new mindset; maintaining groups, clubs, churches, etc. is getting harder and harder.

So, you may ask, what can we do about it? I’m glad you asked that!! Membership in clubs, groups, churches, etc. has so many benefits. You get to learn new things, you get to hang out with people with similar interests, you get to help others that may not have a support system in place, you have peace of mind and a sense of accomplishment, you make a difference to someone – somewhere. You Matter!!! (I have even read statistics that those who belong to a group or church live longer – so there is that as well)

Going back to our pledge … I ask you to pray for the church and the ministries we do … I ask you to participate in any possible way you can … I ask you to use your gifts that God has given you to make the world a better place, I ask the you help others through ministry and other groups, and I ask the you tell as many folks as you can about the Kingdom of God and how Jesus is the example we are asked to follow (using words and actions). The main way we grow is through relationships and personal invites. So get to know your neighbors and invite them to come along … get to know others in different groups and invite them to come along … make friends with total strangers and invite them to come along. Have fun, smile and laugh a lot and others will come along just to see the show. But, most importantly know that God loves you and that you matter to God.

Blessings all – And I will see you soon – Pastor Roy