Each year the United Methodist Church requires the pastor of each church to make an end of the year report. This report requests the number of those baptized, those joining from other congregations, the number of those who have gone to be with the Lord, etc. As I filled out those reports, I had a deep feeling that there is more to it than that. The health and well-being of a people is more than numbers on a tally sheet and averages padded to make the picture look better. I decided to write a different kind of report, to share with you the state of our church and the vision that God has given me about Forrest Heights United Methodist Church. So here goes!

First of all, I see Forrest Heights as a mission driven church. We have a very direct mission statement. "Our mission at Forrest Heights United Methodist Church is to make disciples: to seek persons for Christ, to win persons for Christ, to develop persons for Christ, to send persons for Christ." I have been the pastor of Forrest Heights since August of 2000. I have really observed the ministries of the church and I believe that we are seeking to fulfill that mission.

Forrest Heights is seeking people for Christ. We have had a number of special outreach events this last year. All of them have been aimed at reaching people for Christ. We hosted Rally Day to kick off the new church year. The Discovery Class hosted the Fall Festival. Our music ministry hosted the Christmas concert for the Hutchinson Junior High Choir and Faculty. The United Methodist Men held a crafts fair. These and many other activities have opened the doors of Forrest Heights to the public. It is our prayer that we can continue to be a place where people feel welcome.

We are seeking to win people for Christ. We plan a clear and direct presentation of the gospel for each of our services. In January of 2001 we will be emphasizing how to Share our Faith with others. If you forget any of us it is no big loss, but if you are not introduced to Christ, then all of our efforts are in vain.

Forrest Heights takes seriously its mandate to train disciples. We offer Bible Study opportunities for all age groups. There are special interest groups meeting to study on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. In 2001 we will be focusing on short term improvement and development groups. We hope to make a real difference in the lives of those who want to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Finally, we want to send people out to do ministry for Christ. We have a number of members involved in Habitat for Humanity and a number of other ministry opportunities. We believe that it is essential for us to find the ministry that God has for us and to join Him in doing it. We hope that you will join us in our efforts to serve Him.

Brother Vergil, January 2001