Greetings Grace UMC Church Family!
Gracie and I are very excited to be in Merritt Island and looking forward to the journey ahead with all of you! I am so grateful for the Staff Parrish Committee that welcomed us with a beautiful basket full of goodies! I am also grateful for Charlie Hoyt and his team for all the work they have been doing on the parsonage to get it ready for our arrival! I can’t wait for next Sunday to meet more of you!
Pastoral transitions bring a lot of questions, sometimes some anxiety, and my hope is in our case, a bit of excitement! I want to provide space to listen as much as I can to as many of you as possible. If you are willing to host 10-12 people from church in your home or in a space at church, please reach out to Tracey at secretary.gumc@gmail.com so we can find a date to organize a gathering for me to get to know some of you better and do some intentional listening!
Scripture tells us that whenever two or three are gathered, God is with us (Matthew 18:20)! God loves a good gathering of people! These gatherings over the next couple of months will help me to learn about this community and all the ways God has already been at work here before my arrival. The gatherings will also help all of us listen for the new things God might be calling forth from us! Good things happen when we gather together in the name of God!
Some of the questions I will be asking as we gather are:
1). Tell me some of the things you celebrate about Grace UMC? What good things has God done in and through you as a people?
2). Where have some of the struggles been? Ex: we’ve struggled to reach this group of people or that, not I didn’t agree with the Pastor on this or that.
3). What are some of your hopes for the future of Grace UMC?
As I am working to get settled in Merritt Island, I will be posting some questions here for you to help me. [You can reply to me at MichelleShrader.gumc@gmail.com ] This week’s questions are:
1). Where is the best place to get a cup of coffee in the community?
2). Do you have any recommendations for a good Dog groomer and/or veterinarian?
3). What do I need to know about the space culture?
This Sunday the scripture passages are Psalm 48:9-10 and 2 Samuel 5:1-5 & 9-10. Pastor Beth is preparing a message entitled “We Need A Hero.” Her sermon is surely going to inspire and challenge us all! I look forward to listening online!
Grace UMC, I’m grateful to be with you on this journey,
Pastor Michelle