Tuesday Brief | 2024 January 30

January 30, 2024 Well, here it is, Wednesday morning, and I’m supposed to have written a Tuesday Brief yesterday!!

So, I’ll just pretend that my mental calendar had a glitch, and I’m actually on time. But seriously, that mental glitch thing comes with age. The other day I pushed the parking brake button on the dash of our rental car, imagining it was the “START” button.

For my tardiness, I do have a bit of an excuse - - my schedule was a bit full last week. Judy and I were on the road visiting pastors and churches. It is one of our most favorite things we do. We love spending time with our people, encouraging them, and being encouraged by them. The week found us in the Northwest, seeing people from our old stomping ground in Nampa, Idaho.

Crossroads Nampa is moving through pastoral transition from Founding Pastors Jim and Dori Halbert to Co-Lead Pastors Anna and Barry McGarrah, which I’ll share more about in the next few weeks. And in the neighboring community of Caldwell, Idaho, the church plant under the leadership of Bethany and Jeff Stockett is making great progress. You’ll hear more about them also in the issues ahead.

Yesterday was our day to travel home and the day got away from me without having completed this week’s “Brief.” Please forgive me, and I promise to try to do better.

The one thing I know I can quickly share before this week gets any older is that our Regional “Journey” meeting in Arizona is now just around the corner. Indeed, I know you all are busy folks, serving the Lord and your church with vigor all across the country. We are well aware of just how cluttered your calendars become, but we Superintendents have made it a priority to hold several Journey gatherings around the country so that you do not have to travel half-way ‘round the world to come for a few precious hours of EMC family fellowship.

These times of food, faith, fellowship and hopefully some meaningful instruction and inspiration are important to our ongoing success. I believe that our gatherings are essential to the depth of our connection and corporate identity. Most importantly, I BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD NEEDS THE EVANGELICAL METHODIST CHURCH. Whether or not it knows it, our culture desperately needs people of faith, who proclaim the WHOLE gospel, which includes the message of heart holiness.

SO, HERE’S MY SINCERE PLEA --- WHETHER YOU ARE LAITY OR CLERGY, PLEASE REGISTER TODAY FOR THE JOURNEY IN ARIZONA CITY ON FEBRUARY 22 AND 23. (The registration deadline of February 8th is fast approaching.) Please come! Someone needs the encouragement of your presence! If no one else, that someone is me. Click this link to register. And if Arizona City isn’t your closest Journey, you can register for any of the four events in the same form.