Last month I wrote of hope in my newsletter article. I think we’re going from hope to hopping in the past few weeks. So much is happening and so much of it is good. And in the midst of life, we are now journeying through the season of Lent. I hope this time of reflection deepens our relationship with the Merciful One whose love surpasses all understanding.
The Search Committee has come forth with a candidate, Bethany Meiers, who will be preaching on March 15. There is an introductory article about Bethany in this newsletter as well as a schedule of activities while she is in Las Cruces. There will be opportunities for you to get to meet and greet her during her stay.
The Search Committee has been hard at work on your behalf. Please continue to hold them in prayer and include a prayer of thanks for their efforts. Oh, and you can thank them when you see them, too.
Sprucing up in the pastor’s study and office area are planned in preparation for a new settled pastor. Much of that work will take place from March 23-28. Thanks, David Wofford, for getting this work underway.
During the month of March I will be in Guatemala representing the Board of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ with Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, Conference Minister. We will be meeting with the Concejo Ecumenico Cristiano de Guatemala to continue the conversation toward covenant between Concejo and the Southwest Conference that Bill began during his stay in Guatemala last August. Another aspect of our visit will be determining how a partnership could be funding the education necessary but financially out of reach for candidates to pursue their calls to ministry.
From the Concejo’s website we learn: The Ecumenical Christian Council of Guatemala is a meeting space for dialogue and articulation of common actions among the main churches of Guatemala aimed at the promotion of the common good, Christian values and advocacy by the population in general and among decision makers in particular; in its reflection and action it not only involves the leaderships of the participant churches but their members at different level, in particular territorial spaces, involving and mobilizing Christian people, with the common denominator of the search of articulating faith and life, reflection and action.
The Council works in six areas:
Ecumenical education,
inter-religious dialogue, peace and reconciliation, indigenous people
Prevention of violence/women violence
Youth programme
HIV/AIDS Preventión programme
Women and Gender Justice
Mayordomía de la Creación (Creation stewardship)
I will be away two Sundays, March 22 and March 29 and ask that you keep Bill and me and our meeting with Concejo in your prayers.
God is always doing something new.
Blessings,
Donna
