Dear Friends,
July 1st marks the beginning of my last year as your pastor. Please join me in making it a meaningful year.
The context of ministry has evolved, and these developments appear to be enduring regardless of individual perspectives. Only a fool would deny these, and all those who swim against the current tire quickly. The future Church will seem smaller, more spiritually focused, and partly online.
Suppose the Wilmington and Tewksbury congregations work together. In that case, we can create a more enduring ministry that serves more people more efficiently. This year, we are exploring how to do that. There will be many ideas shared, some of which will be acted upon and some won't. There will be attempts that succeed and there will be those that do not. It is not a sin to try and fail. It is a sin to fail to try. Be patient and honest as we work to improve.
My most profound conviction is that ministry thrives when it is an honest embrace of profound spiritual truth. You will all receive an invitation from me to participate in the Disciple Bible Study. Not everyone will be able to do this. If 15 people commit to Spiritual Formation, we will have fifteen leaders equipped to guide our next stage of growth.
If Disciple Study isn't a good fit for you after reading this letter, please consider suggesting it to someone else in our community who may be interested.
Lastly, try not to be discouraged by the smaller number of people in the service. Half of the people who join us for worship join us online and at an alternative time. We had 42 people join us in person on Sunday, June 29, and as of Thursday morning, we have had 40 views of the service on our YouTube channel. We might seem smaller than we are.
My leadership will focus on these three areas for the last year of my time with you. We will find a life-giving rhythm that includes United Methodists in Tewksbury, Wilmington, Burlington, Billerica, and beyond. We will equip spiritual leaders for our future. We will continue to improve our online ministries.
PS. If you would like to know about the upcoming plans. Please follow this link: Church Ministry Update
With love and blessings,
Peter
