In his 1963 collection of sermons, Strength to Love, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. included a sermon entitled: Three Dimensions of a Complete Life, which included these words:
In a sense every day is judgment day, and we, through our deeds and words, our silence and speech, are constantly writing in the Book of Life.
Light has come into the world, and every [woman and] man must decide whether [they] will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent and urgent question
is, “What are you doing for others?”
I am continuously encouraged by you, the grace-filled family at Memorial, because I see how you live out the calling Christ has given us to serve our community and world. The many ways you do this are well documented and have been highlighted much in my recent sermons – it is important to check in and remember the things we have done and achieved.
One of the quieter ways I see this play out is in the year-round work of leadership that so many individuals in our church family have part in, serving on the leadership teams and committees that keep the wheels turning at Memorial in so many ways. On January 7th, I invited our leaders to attend our annual Leadership Kick Off gathering – more than 60 people gathered that evening, giving of their time and being inspired for the work of service to others they will undertake in the year ahead.
Over the years, I have found that involvement in leadership at any level is a journey of constant learning and development. When we take time to grow together and hone our knowledge and skills, it is good for our church and good for our community and world. So, I want to invite all of you (leaders and those who desire to lead in our life together at Memorial) to consider signing up for the upcoming North East District Leadership Training that will take place in Palm Coast UMC on Saturday, January 25th between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
Bishop Tom Berlin will be with us and will bring our keynote message, the great work taking place in our District churches will be highlighted, and there will be breakout sessions in the areas of church finance, trustee work, SPR, Church Council leadership, and the work of lay-leaders in our local churches. It would be fantastic to have a healthy representation of our people at this event, not only to learn and grow in leadership, but to be keen leaders and proponents of the work of the North East District of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.
You can sign up to attend here, and I’ll be excited to see you there.
Blessings,
Pastor Charlie
(Registration has been extended to January 21st.)
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