This coming Sunday, September 8, is RALLY DAY. Traditionally this has been a time in the life of the St. James community to start up Sunday School and get back in the swing of our regular ministry. Families and teachers are back to school. Summer has ended. Plans are being put in motion for another year of building relationships with God, each other, and with our neighbors. So much goes on at St. James and in the coming days we will shift into a higher gear. It is always such an exciting time.

This year is no exception. In fact, this year our Rally Day celebration will have an extra special component. At the end of our 9:30 a.m. worship we will commission our Strategical Planning Mission Team. This group has been charged by Council with the task of discovering, discerning, and dreaming. In partnership with members and leaders of this church, they will gather information, prepare reports, share learnings with the congregation, and then craft a plan for how we might be faithful to God’s dreams for our congregation and community. The goal is to have a Strategic Mission Plan to you for review prior to the Annual Congregation Meeting at the end of January 2020. At that meeting, we will take action as a congregation on a plan to move us forward into God’s future as a church. Our Strategic Planning Mission Team consists of Starlett Drader, Jon Zimmerman, Dave Fuerst, Gary DeKrey, Chris Clark, Doreen Evans, and myself. Please keep us all in your prayers as we carry out this important work.

Following worship, during the Coffee Hour, the Strategic Planning Team will present the results from the survey that we took at the beginning of summer. It provides insights to where we are as a church including both our strengths and areas of growth. It is my sincere wish that you will be able to attend this presentation, which will be held in the sanctuary.

I look forward to seeing you in worship as we give thanks and praise to God for creating all things new in Christ. That, after all, is our rallying point as a community of faith and struggle.

In Christ’s Light,

Pastor Walt