June 19, 2010

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last evening I received my official appointment papers from Bishop Weaver to become the pastor of the merged ministry of First United Methodist Church and Mittineague United Methodist Church. It was a very special moment for me as I thought of becoming the pastor in a community of faith which had nurtured my faith so richly many years ago. But it is not to the past that I want to speak today, it is to our future in ministry as a merged congregation, one congregation, and one part of the Body of Christ , in God's world.

Often when businesses merge they use the word "synergy" to describe what will happen in the merger. The basis for the word is Greek, sunegos, which means "working together", and has come to mean "the interaction or cooperation of two or more agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects". Wow!!  Sounds like the definition of our new merged congregation.  As we begin our ministry together I believe that we will tap into the historic ministry of each congregation, build on our love for Jesus, and find that there are remarkable new opportunities for our life together.  I believe that we will learn from one another, find joy in celebrating our merged ministry with new energy and enthusiasm, and learn to let go of out past fears so that we may truly be open to the wonderful and empowering grace of Jesus Christ.  And I believe, wit all my heart, that we will find that working in this one ministry will indeed produce an effect greater than the sum of our past separate ministries. That is a wonderful expectation and a wonderful affirmation that we bring together all the gifts for ministry that God will need, so that we can be an important force for the building of the reign of God within our community and more broadly in the world, to the end, that all will know the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I look forward to getting to know all of you, and learning together how we can continue to bring to West Springfield the Good News of God, through the United Methodist tradition. I will be in prayer that together we will find Synergy to be people of faith and action.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Karen