This question may seem like a joke because of all the boomerangs that have been thrown our way already this year. The Covid-19 pandemic and a renewed awareness of racial injustice have knocked us off our well-worn paths and into the tangled branches alongside. But I am sure that as we slow down and look with new eyes, we are learning lessons to carry forward with us as a church. There may be more things ahead to trip us up in 2020, but I genuinely believe God is with us shaping us on the way to what we are becoming.
As the pandemic hit in March, we went home and hunkered down, holding onto our loved ones and the basics of life with the hope of getting through this. As we did, some priorities came into clearer focus. Flemington Presbyterian Church is a place where God leads us to build meaningful connections, share stories, learn together, and support one another and the community. In this time of change, we have innovated, reframing what it means to be the church without being together in person, and we have continued:
To Grow in Faith – Through online worship on Sundays, the Soul Feast and Acts Bible study groups, Lectionary studies, and virtual Sunday School and Vacation Bible School – our faith has been challenged to reach further to stay connected and sustained.
To Be Good Stewards – Property Management has continued to work on upgrades to the physical building, taking advantage of this opportunity as we are not currently occupying those spaces. And church giving has been generous, so we remain in a relatively good place financially – thank you!
To Actively Help the Community – You have continued to be generous in supporting the No-Contact Food Drive for the Flemington Food Pantry, sending PPE and meals to Hunterdon Medical Center, and giving to support VIM and MATE even though the trip cannot happen for the first time in 40 years.
Well done, FPC! Do these examples reflect a thriving faith community to you? Let us continue to focus on growing spiritually in our learning, loving, and giving as we are a thriving part of the Body of Christ in the world.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Amy