JULY 2020 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
POINT NEW BEGINNINGS I pray all of you are safe and healthy as we navigate our way through these uncertain times. We look forward to a time when we can be together again. In the meantime, the church business continues, and we have some staff changes to share with you. Most of you are aware that Rev. Cliff Ritter has recently been appointed to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Cliff has served our congregation well over the last 11 years, and he will be missed. Cliff ‘s ministry to Senior Adults has been particularly important as he has led many of you on great trips, helped guide various events and gatherings, and assisted some of you through life’s difficult transitions. Cliff’s ability to listen thoughtfully and provide Christ-filled counsel to those needing help has been so valuable to our church and our community. We wish Cliff all the best as he begins developing and supporting the congregation at St. Luke’s UMC. On July 1 Dr. Lee Brewer will join our staff as the new Pastor of Caring Ministry and Senior Adult Ministry. We look forward to his presence on our ministry staff. He has served churches in the Baltimore/ Washington Conference but began as a pastor to churches in Texas. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the pastoral counseling arena as he received his PhD in Pastoral Ministry/Counseling from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife Cheryl relocated here to be closer to family. Their son lives in Dickinson and is the father of Lee and Cheryl’s two grandchildren while their daughter is an RN living in California. Dr. Brewer will be sharing more about himself and his experiences in the months to come. I know you all will be blessed by his pastoral gifts. Join me in welcoming him to The Woodlands UMC.
Ed Robb, Senior Pastor
A MESSAGE FROM
CLIFF RITTER
PASTOR TO SENIOR ADULTS
Well, the day has come. Saying goodbye is really hard. I mostly want to express my gratitude. Thank you all for including me in your daily lives and in your faith journey. To be honored is the greatest virtue and gift that can be given to a pastor. You have honored me and my family beyond our greatest imagination. We have been privileged to walk this path along with you. Saying goodbye feels like we are leaving one community to take up residency in an entirely different place. But among friends, this feels very different. I don’t feel like we are leaving this community, but we are simply adding a new group of friends. It was Jabez who called upon the Lord, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10). God has answered our prayers to expand our territory to allow us to be more inclusive of so many of our friends deep in the heart of Houston. For that I am thankful. And, I am thankful that we will continue to be in covenant relationship as followers of Jesus Christ. Indeed, it is the Methodist way! Blessings to you, and Godspeed! With grace and peace,
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY Happy Fourth of July from Senior Adult Ministry! Photo provided by Pete Poulsen with The Woodlands Camera Club.
Cliff Ritter