Dear Central Family,

There is a wonderful verse from the Apostle Paul: “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 NRSV).

The word for “fellowship” is koinonia, which can refer to the spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ and the community of people who are called together into that relationship. In fact, Paul’s understanding of these two things is inseparable. To be “in Christ” is to be in the fellowship of the church. And, by the way, this is the overarching theme for upcoming Sunday series, “A New Family.”

In these early weeks of 2023, we will lift up and celebrate what it means to be the church with special emphasis on our rich branch of faith called Methodism. Wednesday nights will include a visit from Rev. John Wesley (Rev. Jim Matheny), with a forum for sharing about our episcopal system, and questions about the current state of our church. Also, on February 1, we will host a district-wide event with our brand new Episcopal leader, Bishop Sharma Lewis. This event will feature a time of worship, dinner, and separate times when Bishop Lewis will meet with clergy and laity.

I look forward to sharing these rich days with you. I pray they find us all in good health and full of zeal for all things good and holy.

In Christ,

Rick