Happy New Year and welcome to 2022! That is very weird to say but it is here. I ended the year of 2019 saying that it was a hard year, there was a lot that happened and 2020 had to be better. To my surprise, it really wasn’t any better. So at the end of 2020 I made sure not to say anything like that-not that it would change anything-but I was hopeful that 2021 was going to be better. Here we are at the end of 2021 and I can say it was better. It certainly wasn’t what I had envisioned but looking back over the year I can say it was better, no doubt. Looking back at the past is a good thing as long as we don’t linger too long. Looking back can provide encouragement when we see how far we have come. It can provide reassurance of God’s presence in our lives. It can also keep us from moving forward. I want to encourage you not to linger too long. The world around us is moving at a fast pace and will leave us behind if we stare in the rearview mirror too long.

I want to invite you on a journey with me. 2022 can be just another year that goes by if we let it, or it can be the best one in a long time. I am excited to begin a new year here in this city and in this church with you. I want to be a part of making a difference in this place, this community that we are planted in, and I want you to be a part of it with me. As we look forward into this year, the council and I will be working together to figure out how we are moving forward. On January 8th, the council and I will be doing a day long retreat together to bring clarity to our vision moving forward. I have asked them to press pause on the council nominations until after this meeting so that we can evaluate the roles and function of the council. We will be looking at the ministries we do as a church and how they best represent who we are and what we are called to do. We will be giving you more information after that meeting. 2022 is going to be a journey. A journey that I hope is full of community, relationship building, personal growth, and loving service to the world around us. Will you join me? Will you bring your heart, your whole self to this community this year? Will you be a part of making a difference in this community?