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ROYERSFORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PASTOR'S REPORT
TO THE CHURCH CONFERENCE
ROYERSFORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
January 6, 2001
Time and time again my heart has been touched by the lyrics written by Bill Gaither. In one of his songs he writes, “I just feel like something good is about to happen. When God’s people humble themselves to call on Jesus and they look to heaven expecting as they pray, I just feel like something good is about to happen and brothers and sisters today could be that very day. Let’s just praise the Lord. We thank you for your kindness and we thank you for your love. Let’s just lift our hands toward heaven and praise the Lord.” Amen
I praise God that good things are already happening here, that the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ is being poured out and that the power of the Holy Spirit is mightily at work. From February 7 through June 5, our Visioning Team met and with the help of Vickie Baker, a consultant from the Conference, worked hard at discerning God’s will for the ministry of our congregation. Out of the process came our Mission Statement which reads: The Royersford United Methodist Church, led by the Holy Spirit, is committed to show our love for Christ and to bring people to Jesus through meeting the ever-changing needs of our community and church family by providing: Spiritually energizing programs for our youth, dynamic worship services for all; vital Christian study ,fellowship and support groups for our families; intercessory prayer and programs to address healing of the heart and spirit.”
It became quite evident from the beginning that the top priority of our congregation was youth ministry, present and future. Greg Wilson, part-time Youth Coordinator is presently working with our youth along with a dedicated group of adult volunteers. Together they provide a wide variety of activities for our teens. Their commitment and ongoing interest is greatly appreciated.
We rejoice that there are young couples joining the church. As a result, we have been blessed with so many children who are now part of our Sunday School. Recognizing that the years pass quickly and that these children will soon become youth, it is clear that there is a need to add a full-time person to the staff. This person will be working with the youth within our church as well as with the youth in our community. Our young people need to know Jesus Christ as their savior, friend and guide. Every effort will be made to support them in their ongoing journey of faith.
In 1991, Herb Miller, Parish Consultant from Lubbock, Texas, spent some time with our congregation and recommended that when the average worship attendance reaches 170, it was time to consider a second service. Well, we have arrived. The Visioning Team thought that God was moving us in that direction as well. To that end, the Worship Committee assembled a subcommittee to formulate some recommendations. After visiting other churches, thoughtful conversation, and a congregational survey, great progress has been made, On January 14, during the morning worship service, the subcommittee will report its findings. It is clear that the additional staff person should not only tackle the responsibilites related to youth ministry, but should also be directly involved with this second contemporary/casual worship service.
The Staff-Parish Relations Committee has done a very thorough job of establishing guidelines for the new staff person as well as advertising both locally and nationally. To this point, four interviews have taken place and two trial sermons have been scheduled for this month. We anticipate a successful conclusion to the process within a short time. This has been an exciting and busy time.
May I say at this point, that all that we have done has been undergirded with prayer. I praise God for his faithfulness and for the faithfulness of his people. Let us continue to pray as God leads us into this new year.
I am also pleased to report that some preliminary work has been done to create more small groups. With new people becoming involved in the life of the church because of the two services, additonal small groups will be needed to nurture those who are seekers, new Christians, and growing Christians. Nurture needs to follow decision.
Outreach continues to be central in our ministry. This past summer a team of eager workers traveled to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky. While there, we helped to construct a warehouse, which will be used for the storage and sorting of clothing and other items for the campus store. It was great to see so many new faces on this our third trip. How wonderful it was to spend an evening with Marilyn Brock, a nurse who we have supported for many years!
This past fall we completely gutted our former kitchen and installed a modem, brand new kitchen. It is both very beautiful and functional. On January 14, it will be dedicated and a luncheon will be included. Through this new facility we will be able to serve not only the members of the church but the community. Our kitchen can serve as yet another means through which we can reach out and serve the needs of others.
Accessibility continues to be an important issue. In recent months, we have been working with two architects to put together plans for a building that is accessible to everyone. We have embraced the need to extend hospitality to each and every person. We are anxiously awaiting the work of a local architect.
Outreach takes many forms. We continue to support the work of Cristo Rey United Methodist Church in West Grove PA. Our children and youth have supplied food and clothing to those in our community who are in need. This past Christmas there was an overwhelming response to the Angels-on-the-Tree Program. Tons of gifts were distributed. Our support of Project Outreach, along with 20+ churches in the Spring-Ford area, continues to be an ecumenical witness to the love of God through Jesus Christ. It is a joy to be part of a loving and sharing community.
I praise God for our music ministry, Sunday School, Bible study groups, those who maintain our beautiful facility, those who care for the flower beds, make the telephone calls, drive people to the hospital, count the offering, run the sound system and the list could go on and on. What this means is that we are all part of the body of Christ. We each have an important part to do. It also means that within our church there is a prevailing sense of vitality and enthusiasm, a sense of purpose, a sense of direction.
God has given us our "marching orders". We praise him for the vision. May we continue to be faithful to our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ and may the Lord bless us during the New Year.
Grace and Peace,
Lee F. Adams, Jr.
Pastor