Pastor's Note

Results filtered by “Chris Abel”

Oct 22, 2020

I called someone from our church recently and the subject shifted away from our original topic to how our church has been impacted by Covid-19. He was generally really pleased with how we’ve adapted, but then made a comment that made me pause. “It’s really a shame that this pandemic has killed the momentum you were building.”
 
And I can completely understand why he’d say that! For all intents and purposes, churches are just as reliant on crowds as... movie theaters. And I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been back to theaters yet. 
 
So you might be surprised by this, but I honestly haven’t felt like we’ve lost momentum! In fact, for the last 6 months I’ve been working with our leadership council and staff and dreaming about 2021 and what God will do through our church in this next year. We’ve come up with some ambitious and God-sized goals through 2025, and I can’t wait for us to talk about it! But we’re not just waiting for a new year for God to do something at First UMC. Andrew Nelson has come on staff as the first full-time associate pastor we’ve had since Choong-Ho Kwon left in 2015. We just hired a Next-Gen director, Mona Candea, to lead our kids and youth ministries. We’ve updated our A/V equipment to share church online for years to come. And there have been countless ways we’ve still been able to adapt and serve in this time. 
 
If anything, this season has felt like an opportunity to prepare for where God is bringing us—Which is why I’m so excited as we begin to gather together again for worship! It’s not that being in the sanctuary is somehow more special than watching church from the couch, it’s just been a reminder that our church family is still here and still cares. And I am beginning to like these elbow-bumps...
 
That being said, I want to make sure you know what to expected moving forward now that we’ve resumed in-person worship!
 
Here are the details:
 
  1. Beginning THIS SUNDAY, We’ll be offering live online and in-person services at 9:00am (contemporary) and 11:00am (traditional) every Sunday, with First Kids being offered at the 9am service. Masks are required and seating has been moved to provide social distancing. 
  2. If you’re part of a Sunday school class, talk to your class leader about whether or not your class will be meeting in-person with social distancing, or online through zoom. 
  3. We’re asking people to let us know you’ll physically be coming to church by registering your attendance ahead of time at bluespringsumc.org/regather 
 
I am SO excited for our momentum as a church and can’t wait to see where God brings us. “See” you Sunday as we continue our series on faith and politics! 
 
Chris 
 
P.S. we’ve still got some spots lined up for you and/or your family to serve our community during Serve Day! Help us make a difference in just 4 hours this Saturday. Claim your spot at bluespringsumc.org/serveday (“Uplift” still has 10 spots and is kid-friendly!)
 
Posted by Chris Abel

September 5, 2020

Would you consider joining me in praying for all of the teachers and kids going back to school this week? The start of the school year is already challenging for so many young people (and their teachers) and I cannot imagine the added stress and complexity trying to readjust in the midst of a pandemic. We’re praying for you! 
 
I think we’re all a little surprised to see the ripples of COVID-19 last this long. And it’s not only made the opening of schools complex... it’s made life as a whole more complex. I know I haven’t been at my best (but that might be the stress of wedding planning) and I’m guessing you don’t feel like you’ve been the best you, either. We’re all feeling it.
 
That’s why we’re starting a new sermon series called “How to Have a Bad Time in a Pandemic.” Why this title, you might ask? Well, despite the fact that we would most likely prefer not have a bad time in a pandemic, many of us end up unintentionally or accidentally making decisions in our lives that lead to an even worse time! We’ll be talking about four key areas in our lives that have the potential to lead to bad times... or good times. It’s all in how we approach it. 
 
I’m excited to be tackling this topic, and hope to see you online!
 
Chris
 
Posted by Chris Abel

July 18

Have you ever had a “right place, right time” moment? This week Beth, Reeses (our Miniature Dachshund) and I were walking out at Lake Remembrance (which is beautiful!) and a little girl came running up to us screaming “Weiner Dog!” Mom, of course, was right behind and it turns out they’re obsessed with Doxie’s too! Long story short, they connected us with a friend who just had puppies and before the end of our walk, we had reserved a 3-day old little girl to add to our little dog family. We’ll be getting her right after our honeymoon in late September! 
 
I drove home after this thinking how different my life looks now that I’m engaged and about to be married. I never thought I’d have a dog (or two half dogs), a garden, or the responsibilities that come with considering how your decisions impact another person! But sometimes events happen in our lives that change us. Not just with puppies, but with who we are as people. And I had this realization: The commitments we make shape us into different versions of ourselves. 
 
This is the same reason I require any couple I marry to go through some sort of pre-marital counseling. Beth and I are doing this, and I’m even requiring her sister and future brother-in-law to do this when I officiate their ceremony in October! Why? Because the commitments we make shape us into different versions of ourselves. And that process can be messy. And challenging. And I’m guessing that getting married doesn’t turn you into the perfect husband or wife overnight. (You married folks can confirm or deny). It takes work—and might even be considered a struggle!
 
And faith can be like this, too. Being a Christian is a commitment that transforms and shapes you into a different version of yourself. But that process isn’t necessarily easy, either. It takes work—and might also be considered a struggle. Which is what we’re looking at this weekend for part three of our series, How to Fight. How do we fight ourselves? How do we become the people we need to be? 
 
I hope you’ll be joining us online or in-person as we tackle this important topic! 
 
Pastor Chris
 
Posted by Chris Abel

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