A Word of Thanks

April 29, 2014

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

First, a word of thanks.  At last Sunday afternoon’s District Conference in Primghar, district leadership presented a video highlighting many ministry moments from acrossNorthwest Iowa throughout the past year.  I was deeply gratified to see the faces of so many of you among the pictures, as you put God’s love into action.  I saw pictures of so many of you:

·      Fighting malaria at last May’s Pancake Breakfastwith Bishop Julius Trimble;

·      Hosting the District Conference;

·      Braving the cold while processing donations at last November’s Ingathering; and

·      Volunteering countless hours during last summer’s flood relief.

Also, I received a packet of certificates officially recognizing St. Paul’s for its faithful connectional giving during 2013.  I am proud to say that we paid both our apportionments and our District Asking in full, prompting this acknowledgement and appreciation letter from our District Superintendent Tom Carver:

Dear Friends,

I am writing to thankyou for your commitment to Jesus and our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  As you know, this mission of changing the world can’t be done by ourselves.  We must be part of the larger work of God in order for a world to be transformed.  That is why we need each other.

As your superintendent, one of my great joys has been to meet the pastors and people from the communities and congregations in the Northwest District. I have seen wonderful examples of lives being touched by Jesus through all of you.  I have also seen incredible potential for spreading the gospel, changing our communities and making a difference in our world.  I can see a vision for our future of people who are experiencing God, living out of their relationship with Jesus and able to share their story with others. 

One of the ways this past year that your commitment has been evident is in your congregation’s efforts to financially support our common ministry as the part of Christ’s body that is the United Methodist Church.  I am aware that your congregation has paid 100% of your apportionments for 2013.  I am proud of your accomplishment as you should be.  Now if we give God the credit, I pray that this will be a source of energy to do even more this year for our mission.

I especially want to thank your pastor and the leaders in your congregation who set a positive example for others. It begins with what God has done for us and then continues through what we do for others in the name of Jesus.

I am truly looking forward to working with you in the coming years to make difference in our part of the world. May you continue to bless others as you have been blessed by God.

Grace and Peace,

Thomas L. Carver

District Superintendent

It occurred to me, after reading his letter and receiving these certificates on behalf of the church, that I have rarely expressed my own gratitude to all of you for being so faithful in your connectional giving.  Tom Carver thanks me in the letter, but I have never really had to do much encouraging for this church to pay its apportionments.  If anything, as much thanks should be given to my pastoral predecessors, from Gary Armstrong to Ray Hampton, who instilled the importance of giving to the denomination and made it part of this church’s DNA.  It is just a natural, given assumption that this church gives to the wider church, no questions asked.  I am well aware that this is not the case in many other churches, and I am grateful that it is an obstacle Ihave never had to face here. 

Then, I received another certificate.  It was to acknowledge that, once again, this church has received Third-Mile status in the Conference’s Rainbow Covenant Missions Giving program.  For the fourth year in a row, we have been able to give at the highest level per member toagencies, missions, and initiatives that put God’s love into action both here in Cherokee and around the world.  In fact, this past year saw our highest amount of giving to missions in the seven years that I’ve been your pastor.  Thanks be to God!

This is all to say thank you.  Thank you for your commitment to the mission of this church, and your faithfulness to the global United Methodist connection.

THIS SUNDAY

Speaking of our connectional system, this Sunday we are honored to welcome the Rev. Kathy Martin as our guest preacher.  For many years, she has served as the Campus Minister for Morningside College in Sioux City, and she has an amazing heart for both missions and young people.  In addition, she is a terrific preacher, who will be bringing us a message called “Tales from the Table” based on Luke 24:13-35.  You all will also be sharing the sacrament of Holy Communion together.

Kathy is coming to preach so that I can be out of town from Friday to Sunday.  I have been asked to lead an orientation and training workshop for the United Methodist Publishing House’s new Bible study curriculum Covenant Bible Study, which I have had the privilege to help write.  It will be just a quick trip down to First UMC Lakeland, Florida, but it will give me a chance to serve the wider connection through this important new educational resource. 

As always, it is great to be the church!

Grace and Peace,

Magrey 

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org