Maineville Lighthouse Church

 

I was thinking…Pastor Steve

 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name

of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them

to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you

always, to the very end of the age.”   Matthew 28: 19, 20  (NIV)

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     Well, we’ve had quite a year, haven’t we?  It’s hard to believe how much was canceled last year: Easter services, Mother’s Day, Ladies Tea, Turkey Dinner, and so on.  Not to mention the individual parties, weddings, get-togethers, movie nights, lunches and dinners out…it’s just so frustrating.  Now, we are looking at the business of the United Methodist Church being abbreviated, postponed, or non-existent once again.  If you are wondering, the Protocol for Separation (from the United Methodist denomination) has not been voted on, but is being petitioned to be included in May with a “special virtual meeting” of the General Conference that has 12 items to vote on already.  My thought is they want to delay this as much as possible.  If they can stall long enough, the conservatives will go ahead and leave the denomination, leaving the centrist and liberals with the buildings, funds, bank accounts, and everything else.  (That’s just my opinion, and, with an added 75 cents, we can get a Snickers bar.)

     **I just went to check what that date would be, and the bishops made the announcement (today, March 22) that the special virtual General Conference was canceled!  I’ll let you know if anything changes.

     Where does that leave Maineville UMC?  In limbo, I think.  I have the sense that the majority of the members here would like to go with a more traditional branch of the Methodist Church.  There is one forming that was announced last month through the Wesleyan Covenant Association.  The chosen name is The Global Methodist Church.  From what I have seen so far, this looks like a good landing spot for Maineville UMC, if and when the time comes.  Of course, that will be up to you, the members, and the leaders of your church, because you all will be the ones who will live out any changes.

     With that said, Maineville UMC will be hosting a simulcast from the annual WCA meeting, 2021 Go Global, on May 1st from 10 am to 4:30 pm.  The cost is $15.00.  I had limited the seating capacity to 60 for this event.  Lunch will not be provided, but there are plenty of great restaurants in the area, as I am sure you all know.  Here is a link so you can check it out:  GoGlobal - Wesleyan Covenant Association.

     “What will the simulcast be like, Pastor Steve.”  I’m not sure.  There will be worship, messages, singing, communion, breaks, and other things that I haven’t anticipated.  We’ll have it up on our screen as it is streamed on the internet from Montgomery, Alabama.  We’ll have some cookies and water available.  I look for this to be the start of something big.  That this will build the momentum that has been fading the last few years as we waited decisions that are out of our hands.  “Catch the wave,” so they say.  “Get on board.”  “Lord, give me patience!”

     One other thing I’d like to mention here.  On April 25, we will have a speaker from the Gideon’s.  I’m sure you know about the Gideon’s already, but their ministry is extremely important and, like many established ministries in this day and age, is fading away due to lack of younger members and also restrictions on where they can hand out Bibles.  I still have mine that I got in 6th grade.  We will not be doing a month long campaign to raise money for them, but I would like to take up a free will offering the Sunday before and the Sunday they are here.  Please, help support the good work the Gideon’s are doing, not only nationally but internationally.  I’ve personally known several men and women involved in the Gideon’s, and I know the organization helped to get Bibles to Haiti for a ministry Bethel UMC was involved with.  Let’s support the people who are fellow workers in getting the Gospel into as many hands as possible.  That was the command Jesus gave at the top of this article.  Let us be in agreement with Him.  God bless and have a great Easter and a wonderful month.