Time to Get Busy

Hello My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is that time of the year when vacations are supposedly over and we are ready to settle back into the routine of church life.  Here at the Irwin First United Methodist Church we have a variety of ministries avalilable for all ages and we are always looking for new ways to reach and serve the different genres in our community.  Genres such as senior citizens, disabled, housebound, youth, mentally challenged, overworked, and the list goes on, therefore your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  As of right now we have Bible studies, senior youth group,  food bank, quilting and knitting group, mens work group, choir, narcotics anonymous, grief support group, anxiety and depression support group, healing service, TOPS, a library, Sunday School for all ages, 2 traditional worship services on Sunday with a contemporary Saturday evening worship with multimedia and a small band.  We recently had a giveaway and there are plans to do it twice a year with the next one about 2 weeks before Christmas.  We just completed a Drug Awareness Presentation with multiple community speakers and lunch, also with plans to do that twice a year.  Our mission team goes on a trip every year.  Our choir director Diane Runser is always looking for special music and she is also looking for more people for our choir.  

 There are plenty of other ministries that we do for the church and plenty that we would like to do in the community.  All they need are people that are willing to get involved in the ministry.  Together we can make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ.  Apart we can do very little.  It is like the story of the minister who went to the home of an inactive member on a cold snowy evening.  After the man let the minister into his home they both sat there staring into the fire not saying a word.  The minister takes the poker and pulls an ember out of the fire onto the hearth.  Slowly the ember dies out.  The man says, "I will be back in church this Sunday."  We can do more together for one another, for the church, and for the world in the name of Jesus than we can do alone.  Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do."  So we are looking for people who want traditional church and we are looking for people who want to think and minister and worship "outside of the box".  Lets have fun this church year for the glory of God.  After all we know how it all turns out don't we?  See John 3:16.  

God loves you and so do we,

Pastor Bruce