VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | JUNE/JULY 2022
THE MONTHLY MESSENGER
FROM HOPE'S HEART... The end of May and the beginning of June are some of the best weeks of the year – every year! It’s a time of graduations, of the start of summer, anticipation for all that is ahead. And most years, the Day of Pentecost arrives during this joyful time. Pentecost is the “birthday of the church!” It’s the day that God’s Spirit was poured out on the people and the Apostles were sent out into the world to birth the church among the followers of Jesus Christ! This year Pentecost is June 5th. That timing should not be lost on us here at VPC because June is the month that the Transformation Teams, commissioned last December, are due to give their final reports to our Session – ON TIME! In order to have reached this goal, the entire congregation pitched in to make it possible. So many of you sent emails, met with the teams, shared your opinions, participated in surveys and focus groups. What I learned, as your new pastor, is that we are a congregation that is READY for a new chapter and excited to get going! There is such a desire for us to be a church of impact for Jesus Christ and a willingness on the parts of many to make that a reality! In mid-June, the Session (the leadership of the church) will receive those final recommendations along with a staffing strategy that aligns with the new vision and mission of the church. There’s no doubt that a new direction will require a new perspective on how we allocate our pastoral staff, those who lead in our programs of the church, and our dedicated and new volunteers. It’s definitely going to take the efforts of everyone across the church to make this happen!
What is particularly special about Pentecost is that it is a celebration of moving forward. The Resurrection marked the end of sin and the birth of new life, but Pentecost is exclusively about living fully into that new life. And that’s where we are as a church this year! We’ve done tons of hard work and God has led us boldly into the time of action. Looking ahead – in June the Session receives the final action items from the Transformation Teams. At that moment, it is up to our elected leadership (the Session) to move us all into action! There is no point in having done all the work to chart out the future if we’re not committed to moving into it. Please be praying for the elders of the church as they prayerfully make decisions that will impact our life and ministry for years to come. Lord, give them dose upon dose of the power of the Holy Spirit that calls your Church to arise! These are indeed days of celebration! With a new vision and mission on the horizon, a new staffing strategy, and a whole bunch of summer mission and conference adventures coming up quickly, we can all be so excited about the months ahead. The team to Mexico starts us off, followed by the youth conference in Hilton Head (which I am really excited to lead with my husband, Rev. Sung Ho Lee), the Philadelphia Project, and local with Belong! Keep your eyes and ears open to see how you can jump in on all the fun and the JOY of the Lord! Get ready, church! God is on the move! In the Grip of Grace, Pastor Hope hope.lee@viennapres.org