Pastoral Epistle from Pastor Rick
To all the saints at Wellspring, grace and peace!!
This is the greeting which the Apostle Paul uses in his letters to the churches in the New Testament. I don't have inspired teaching to share with you in this letter. BUT, I do have some very important updates to share with all of you. For simplicity and clarity, I will use bullet points:
**Our finances through the end of November are solid, despite a year of many upheavals in the congregation. This is due to both very conservative spending patterns by the staff and by your faithful giving. However, our projections call for strong giving in December in order to finish the year in the black. Please review your giving for 2024 and determine if you have been consistent with your giving commitments to support our shared ministry. Thank you!
**This Friday, 12/13, at 7:00 PM the McMahon Family Singers will present their Christmas Chorale once again!! This is an exceptional arrangement of Christmas classics performed with excellence. Join us for this new Wellspring tradition and for the party to follow. Please bring a plate of "finger desserts" to share.
**Our family Christmas Eve service will be held at 5:00 PM on the 24th. Carols, the Christmas story, candle-lighting . . . a great way to launch your family celebrations of this joyous holiday!!
**December 29th at 10:00 AM will be our final Sacred Us Sunday of the year. Baptisms, communion and a word from our friend and missionary, Ariel Blumenthal of the Messianic Congregation of Jerusalem, will mark that service. A barbecue lunch provided by our own Pete the Butcher will follow. Don't miss this!
**January 5th, 2025 will mark the beginning of 21 Days of Consecration and Prayer for the New Year: fasting and concerted prayer for ourselves, our families and our congregation as we begin a pivotal year in the life of Wellspring. Congregational prayer meetings during these three weeks are set for Tuesday mornings at 9:00 (joining the pastors and staff) and for Thursday evenings at 7:00. Please join us in seeking the Lord for his favor and direction upon Wellspring.
**January 12th launches a two-week window for you to participate in a Church Health Assessment. One of the clearest messages the Elders received during these past months of upheaval is that the congregation wants more input in our ongoing process of transition. The Board has contracted with NL Moore Associates, a highly recommended church consulting firm to assist Wellspring in succession planning. This begins with all of you being invited to participate in an 85-question online survey to gain accurate insights into our church health and culture. This is an important first step of pivoting into strategic planning for ministry and transition in the near future. The leaders want to hear from you! More details about how you can participate will be forthcoming--but get ready!
**On January 26th we will culminate our 21 Days of Consecration with a Sacred Assembly at 4:00 that Sunday afternoon. I will be teaching about this biblical expression of corporate repentance during January as we prepare to come before the Lord together to seek his healing and blessing upon our Body.
**February 2nd is our annual congregational meeting, held at 6:30 PM. We will hear ministry and financial reports, vote on incoming Elders, and approve the annual budget for 2025.
**February 23rd is slated for a follow-up congregational forum to debrief the findings of the Church Health Assessment. A two-page summary of the CHA findings, produced by NL Moore, will be available to the congregation prior to this forum.
So--a lot is happening in the coming months. Please be praying for our shared life and ministry together; and mark your calendars!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Pastor Rick
This is the greeting which the Apostle Paul uses in his letters to the churches in the New Testament. I don't have inspired teaching to share with you in this letter. BUT, I do have some very important updates to share with all of you. For simplicity and clarity, I will use bullet points:
**Our finances through the end of November are solid, despite a year of many upheavals in the congregation. This is due to both very conservative spending patterns by the staff and by your faithful giving. However, our projections call for strong giving in December in order to finish the year in the black. Please review your giving for 2024 and determine if you have been consistent with your giving commitments to support our shared ministry. Thank you!
**This Friday, 12/13, at 7:00 PM the McMahon Family Singers will present their Christmas Chorale once again!! This is an exceptional arrangement of Christmas classics performed with excellence. Join us for this new Wellspring tradition and for the party to follow. Please bring a plate of "finger desserts" to share.
**Our family Christmas Eve service will be held at 5:00 PM on the 24th. Carols, the Christmas story, candle-lighting . . . a great way to launch your family celebrations of this joyous holiday!!
**December 29th at 10:00 AM will be our final Sacred Us Sunday of the year. Baptisms, communion and a word from our friend and missionary, Ariel Blumenthal of the Messianic Congregation of Jerusalem, will mark that service. A barbecue lunch provided by our own Pete the Butcher will follow. Don't miss this!
**January 5th, 2025 will mark the beginning of 21 Days of Consecration and Prayer for the New Year: fasting and concerted prayer for ourselves, our families and our congregation as we begin a pivotal year in the life of Wellspring. Congregational prayer meetings during these three weeks are set for Tuesday mornings at 9:00 (joining the pastors and staff) and for Thursday evenings at 7:00. Please join us in seeking the Lord for his favor and direction upon Wellspring.
**January 12th launches a two-week window for you to participate in a Church Health Assessment. One of the clearest messages the Elders received during these past months of upheaval is that the congregation wants more input in our ongoing process of transition. The Board has contracted with NL Moore Associates, a highly recommended church consulting firm to assist Wellspring in succession planning. This begins with all of you being invited to participate in an 85-question online survey to gain accurate insights into our church health and culture. This is an important first step of pivoting into strategic planning for ministry and transition in the near future. The leaders want to hear from you! More details about how you can participate will be forthcoming--but get ready!
**On January 26th we will culminate our 21 Days of Consecration with a Sacred Assembly at 4:00 that Sunday afternoon. I will be teaching about this biblical expression of corporate repentance during January as we prepare to come before the Lord together to seek his healing and blessing upon our Body.
**February 2nd is our annual congregational meeting, held at 6:30 PM. We will hear ministry and financial reports, vote on incoming Elders, and approve the annual budget for 2025.
**February 23rd is slated for a follow-up congregational forum to debrief the findings of the Church Health Assessment. A two-page summary of the CHA findings, produced by NL Moore, will be available to the congregation prior to this forum.
So--a lot is happening in the coming months. Please be praying for our shared life and ministry together; and mark your calendars!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Pastor Rick