I am looking forward to joining you in ministry at Mountain View! I see such a strong history and foundation to continue into the future. I believe there is so much we can accomplish together, once we get to know each other. One of things you will want to know about me is I like to preach in series that last four-to-six weeks. I do this to better organize my own thoughts, to help develop a topic, and to encourage the congregation to share ideas with me.
This first series is Telling the Story. Over the four weeks of July, I will explore stories to help us get to understand each other and the place of our ministry in the world. The series and scriptures are listed below. Together, we will add to our story each week to better build on all our strengths. The first week I will share with you all about me, including a glimpse at my theology, how I understand my call, and a few facts about my life. July 7, I will share the story of Mountain View as I am beginning to understand it; feel free to drop me an email or give me a call in the weeks ahead as I work on this one! The third week we will look at the United Methodist Church. The UMC has had a wonderful story to tell, but what is that story now, and how does Mountain View respond? Many of us wonder about the future of the denomination and are concerned about our future. The last week I will bring all of these together and look at what I believe is the most important story, our ministry and how we live out the story in the world. Do all of these stories come together to share the greatest story? I invite you to read the scripture each week prior to the sermon, think about it and ask yourself how the biblical story applies to you.
As our story together begins, know that I look forward to collaborating with you in ministry that makes a great difference in our world.
Peace,
Pastor Stephanie
Worship in July
July 7
Telling the Story: Getting to Know the New Pastor
Ephesians 4: 1-6
July 14
Telling the Story: Mountain View UMC
2 Timothy 1: 7-10
July 21
Telling the Story: The United Methodist Church
I John 4: 19
July 28
Telling the Story: The World Out There
Matthew 28: 19-20