Jon Laughlin

Message from Pastor Jon

Greetings from Grace UMC. We are a mission church determined to make disciples of Jesus Christ with all those who encounter our fellowship. What is a mission church? It is a group of Christian disciples who have committed themselves first to the gospel and then to common life. We seek to help others, no matter the distance or issue. We are loyal to the teachings of Jesus and therefore our fellowship is open to everyone. The congregation has been in existence for more than 50 years, and we still yearn to find God’s presence in all of life and then to bring that presence to everyone we encounter.

Our worship is a joyous celebration with challenging sermons that invoke the great commandment to love God with all our minds, our bodies, our souls and our hearts. With that in mind, we expect all members of the church to define where each person’s ministry applies to God’s people. We have more than 86 volunteer positions available, and no one is excused from being in ministry. We further expect every Christian to answer the call to ministry as defined by the power of the Holy Spirit and then, get after it.

There is no such thing as a retired Christian and therefore the excitement of doing ministry is an ongoing process and a journey we have joined together in. One will often hear at Grace church that there is no rest, since all of us are expected to be the hands, feet, eyes and word of Jesus Christ. With Jesus as our Lord, we truly welcome you to come and join this congregation and become a committed disciple of God.

Church Leadership and Structure

Grace church is a laity-led church. Laity are expected to manage the ministry of the church and to help support the pastor in pastoral duties. The laity of the church are the continuum of leadership when pastors come and go. A vision of the future and a mission of the present create a focus for the laity to serve God wherever and whenever God calls. Water and Spirit call every Christian into the ministry. Therefore the laity are the primary force that delivers the presence of God. Our pastor has 3 roles in the church: first and foremost a Spiritual leader; second, administer the sacraments of baptism and communion; and third, preach and teach the Word. The pastor is a manager of people, the laity and the sojourners. We expect our pastor to be available when possible and to focus on making disciples. The management of the ministries is divided into 2 primary groups:

PEOPLE MINISTRY	ADMINISTRATIVE MINISTRY
Worship Missions/Outreach Education Evangelism Nurture/Member Care Youth	Trustees   Finance   Nominations   Staff Parish   Ministry Council

Each area listed above uses what is called the PIC model for management; person in charge. That person selects other members to assist with the duties of ministry. The exceptions are trustees, finance and SPR, which are all elected positions by Church Conference. The people ministry is focused on tasks that deliver the best ministry possible. Individuals are then asked to volunteer in the area that best meets their desire to serve. Since most ministries are task driven, there are few meetings, and those who volunteer actually complete the tasks. Others can come on board for short-term duties that do not require any meetings, just assignments for ministry.

This model of management creates a focus for discipleship ministry, and stays away from building empires and power groups within the church. With the ministry of Jesus Christ as the priority, all Christians are reminded that discipleship is a call to ministry and therefore each Christian is asked to seek out and do the work of God.

Send questions or comments to: Grace United Methodist Church of Cheyenne
Last modified: 05/05/08
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