Note from Pastor Jana Rev. Brittany Watson shared a message at Ordination. I would encourage you to go and listen to it on the conference website under Conferences - Annual Conference 2024. It will be listed in the Ordination video. I can also send the link if you really want to listen. She shared about home renovation and a mistakes she made getting really into DIY home renovation. She said “Home renovation is not for the faint of heart what typically happens is you start with one small project and it quickly devolves into an endless list in fact at some point during my very tiny renovation project, I turned to my spouse and said let's just move we can sell the house as is or just let the Earth take it back who cares? My husband laughed worriedly because he knew I was only half joking and said we are home.” Drawing a parallel to our denomination's recent struggles, Rev. Watson reflected, “Some of our siblings turned to each other and said let's just move. Start a new home, sell this one, as is, or let the Earth take it back, who cares? And they did, but some of us, those of us right here in this room, we knew that this was already home. Friends we can see the good bones. We remember how every scuff and dent got on those walls and we loved the builders who carefully laid each tile and painted each door… we knew that there was still life begging to live be lived here and so we committed to the work, to the pain, to the tears, that will make it better that will make it our own and this work is not for the faint of heart.” Her message is a stirring reminder that we, too, have chosen to stay and invest in the future of our church. We all know the value of hard work; we've done it before and we will continue to do it. We've found a home in the United Methodist Church, and we recognize that there are many out in the world who are searching and longing for a place to call home. Now is the time for us to roll up our sleeves and continue the work of renovation and renewal. Let us be encouraged by Rev. Watson's words and recommit ourselves to the labor of love that is our ministry. Let's invite others into this journey, showing them that through dedication and perseverance, we can create a welcoming, loving home for all. Together, we can transform our church into a place of refuge, hope, and community, embodying the spirit of Christ's love in everything we do. Let's embrace this opportunity to build something beautiful, not just for ourselves, but for all who seek a place to belong. In Christ, Pastor Jana
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