I have less than six hours left here in Iowa before we welcome in 2012. So I thought I’d squeeze in one last 2011 blog post.
As I’ve shared in the past, this has been an eventful year. Today marks my being the appointed Associate Pastor of First UMC in Cedar Falls for a year and a half. The time has gone by fast. The church is busy with renovation and construction. We moved our contemporary worship to Scott Hall (our fellowship hall), built a new stage, and revitalized the service and chose a new name “Transformation Worship.” First UMC has also been working on a vision plan for the future through the “TEAM Christ” committee.
Starting January 1 the church has hired Lesley Toma to work part time for the church with our Young Adults. This year Christina Keller also was hired to serve as our Youth Ministry Coordinator following our former Associate for Youth and College ministry heading off to seminary.
Besides all that has gone on at church I’ve eventful year in my process of becoming a United Methodist pastor. After preparing materials and examination by the BOM my orders were recognized and I was commissioned as a Provisional Member of the Iowa Conference of the UMC. Before the Advent Season I finished a course in United Methodist History and just received the packet of material this past week from the GBHEM for the UMC Doctrine class. My intention is to finish it and the Polity Class in the next six months.
A New Year is in many ways like a blank slate. People make resolutions in which they strive to do better in some area of their life, make a life change, lose weight, exercise, eat right etc. I feel quite good about the change I’ve experienced in my life in the last two years. It is not that resolutions in some other area of my life would not be a good thing for me. But I have felt blessed and empowered by embracing change in my life.
Happy New Year!
