Complete Thanks

I’m thankful. I’m truly thankful.

After celebrating another wonderful Thanksgiving in Northern Michigan, I have to offer an early Christmas greeting of thanks to the whole Church in the Hills community. You really have no idea how utterly and totally thankful I am for the opportunity to serve as your pastor.

What I’ve learned and gained in my faith these past few years was only possible because of your continuing love, prayer, and concern for being all God has called you to be in this place. In the training and preparation seminary offered me before accepting this call, there was never enough mention about the growth I could expect through being surrounded and supported by people called to be a church.

And so, I offer my thanks again for allowing me the privilege to be your pastor. Thank you for teaching me grace, hospitality, service, community, and leadership. Thank you for pushing me, encouraging me, and inspiring me to use my gifts to show the gospel in my life and my ministry.
Thank you for helping me be the best pastor I can be through your patience, understanding, and willingness to be led, regardless of my experience. Thank you for inviting me into your lives to partner with you in your faith.

I daily give thanks for you in my prayers, but I rarely verbalize this thanksgiving directly to you. I know it shouldn’t take Thanksgiving or Christmas to spark this type of gratitude, but sometimes we need that extra reminder. Take the time this Advent to give thanks for those unsung heroes in your lives and pass along this note of thanks.
Again, I cannot express the joy I feel to be called to be your pastor and your friend.
Merry Christmas,

Pastor Andrew Pomerville

Health Care

The debate rages in the media, in the townhalls, in the homes, and hopefully, in the churches.

I think it is healthy for our churches to debate these issues because we can approach it from a different perspective and attitude than are expected in the rest of society.

Last week I enjoyed a discussion at our men's rap group (the group meets each Thursday at 9:00 am...no preparation necessary...just bring yourself) about the health care options that are being debated. This discussion was tempered by our common faith in Jesus Christ. The men around that table disagreed but they were able to speak openly without fear of condemnation. They understood that there is diversity of thought in the Body of Christ.

Too often, individuals will look for a church that already coincides with their social/political ethic, rather than their theology. We look for a place that we reinforce our beliefs, rather than challenge them.

Moreover, we approach God expecting to hear what we want to hear, rather than listening to what God wants to tell us.

In this issue, and in all issues, we need to come to God with a clean slate and be willing to be transformed, instead of wanting to transform God.

Rubber Ducky 5k Race a Sucess!

Thank you to all of the truly amazing volunteers who helped make this year's 5k such a wonderful event. We couldn't have done it without all of you. Check on the pictures on the right side of this web page and follow the link to see the race results. More pictures coming!

www.rubberducky5k.blogspot.com

We are not alone

In his 1986 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Elie Wiesel said:
“There is much to be done, there is much that can be done. One person...one person of integrity, can make a difference, a difference of life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our lives will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs.”

Friends, we have a high call and responsibility from our Lord and Savior to be in solidarity with one another throughout all adversity, all strife, all hardship, and all brokenness. Because of the faith we have in Jesus Christ – a faith founded on love and forgiveness – we have been called to share the gospel of hope with our world. We need to recognize that this brokenness is all around us, in the lives of our neighbors, our friends, and in ourselves. And that is why we must never cease supporting, loving, and helping one another just as the Holy Spirit sustains, guides, and motivates us toward greater expressions of the love of God.

I am honored and so very proud of the great strides this congregation makes daily in pursuing this lofty mission put before us. We are brought together by the call of God, called worship our risen Savior with many voices united as one, and then sent from this congregation to live our faith in the world around us. This expression of realized faith is alive in the many mission and service activities in which you participate; and yet there is still more we can do.

We must never allow ourselves to become complacent in our spiritual journeys. Instead, we should always be looking ahead to how we can better strengthen our relationships within the Body of Christ, how we can reach out further into our community that we previously have, and how we can see Christ alive and calling us daily. Please look over the many ministry opportunities highlighted in this month’s newsletter, but do not be limited by what you see in this paper. Be even more vigilant in listening for God’s voice calling you toward new ministries of faith, hope, and love.

I daily give thanks for the faith and love that is alive and well in this congregation. Keep focused on this gracious gift offered by our Lord Jesus and seek to share it with the world over and over again.

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Andrew Pomerville

Rubber Ducky 5K will be August 15 at 9:00 am

The Second Annual Rubber Ducky 5k run/walk, sponsored and hosted by Church in the Hills, will be held on August 15, at 9:00 am. All proceeds from the race will be given to the Bellaire Community Food Pantry.

You can learn more about the race and register on-line at:

http://rubberducky5k.blogspot.com/

More Responsibility

I have a friend who only likes movies with happy endings. Who likes feeling sad or upset at the end of a two hour investment? There is another person I know who will not watch the evening news because he hates all the bad news about war, suffering, crime, pain, and a myriad of other negative things in the world around us. Both of these people have a point about wanting to isolate ourselves from negativity. However, not knowing about the pain does not make it go away. Just because we isolate ourselves from sadness does not make it disappear.

I’ve found that the more I know about a situation, the more likely I am to act. What I mean to say is that I’m more motivated to help, intervene, advise, and assist when I know the whole story and start to understand the implications of my actions. So it stands to reason that if I am in the dark about something, it is a whole lot easier to claim ignorance as a reason for not acting. I don’t help because I don’t know.

As Christians, we have the responsibility to educate ourselves about the needs of the world around us in order that we might be better prepared, motivated, and equipped to assist our neighbors. Yet it is so much easier for us to stay within ourselves. There is less guilt about the situation of the world if we do not know it is even there; but that is never an excuse.

Through our faith in Christ we are called to forgive, love, and serve our neighbors, but we must know our neighbors in order to make this happen. This congregation has a responsibility to be in our community, learning about the issues we have around us, and then seeking God’s help to address the many needs.

This summer we need to continue to ask “What are we called to do in this place?” Church in the Hills has a responsibility to be a leader in our community for hope, love, and grace that streams from our risen Lord and Savior. I am overjoyed to see the many examples of mission at work in our building and in our world. Come learn more at a mission meeting, a Wednesday night gathering, a service event, or one of the many activities in this church and in this community that help us better love our neighbors and our God.

Peace and grace,

Pastor Andrew

What is the point?

The past two weeks I've given time to discuss the recent Newsweek article on the "Fall and Decline of Christian America." http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583 It understandably brings up questions, emotions, and concerns about the state of the church in contemporary society. However, I do not think the stats in this article should necessarily shock anyone who has lived and served in the mainline church these past thirty years. Countless articles have pointed out this fact about the decline in membership over the past two generations.

But is decline in membership the same thing as decline in relevance?

Better question, is the decline in relevance making the gospel irrelevant?

I'm convinced that the gospel is just as applicable today as it has been since the first disciples were changed by the message of grace, love, and understanding. Forgiveness and love are universal and necessary for all people, in all places, and in all times. It is our failure to let these principles guide the church that has led to the current role of the "church" in contemporary society.

We have allowed foundational security, political maneuvering, and fractionalization of the body to weigh over justice, mercy, service, love, and forgiveness as we approach the mission of the church.

The church does not exist to sustain itself. In fact, we are called to love and serve with such reckless abandon that we would risk the very structure and foundation that sends us out into the world. The "church" is not the Church. What I mean is that the denomination and the local congregation are never an end unto themselves. The exist to serve the Body of Christ, the universal Church, wherever it is called to be.

Let us be motivated and strengthened by the same Christ who calls us to a changed life, guided by love, mercy, and hope.

Holy Week Events

Hello Folks!

Sorry it's been a long time since the last post. No excuse. Absolutely no excuse.

We have some exciting events this year for Holy Week. Please try to make it to one or more if you are able. It is wonderful to walk through the week toward Easter side-by-side our brothers and sisters in Christ. With that ecumenical spirit in mind -

Thursday - Maundy Thursday Passover Celebration at the Bellaire Community United Methodist Church, 6:30 pm. We will celebrate the traditional Jewish Passover meal as we remember the last supper. The presentation will follow with a potluck meal between our two churches.

Friday - Good Friday Ecumenical Service, 6:30 pm - Held at Church in the Hills this year, we will worship together with Living Word North, the First Baptist Church of Bellaire, the Bellaire Wesleyan Church, Bellaire Community United Methodist Church, and Open Doors Ministries. All are welcome to attend in this community worship service.

Saturday - Easter Vigil Prayer Service, 6:30 pm. We will usher in Easter through a traditional reading of scripture and prayers in solemn remembrance of the night before Easter.

Sunday - Easter Sunday! The Sunrise communion service begins at 8:30 am, followed by a church pancake breakfast, hosted by the Thursday morning men's rap group. All are welcome to the breakfast, regardless of what service you attend in the morning. Immediately following breakfast at 10:00 am, we will join together for our traditional Easter worship service.

I hope to see you there!

Peace,

Pastor Andrew Pomerville

New and Improved Sermon Site

Hello Folks!

We've signed up for a much more accessible and reliable sermon delivery site. This one doesn't require Internet Explorer, is compatible with Macs, and should be altoghether better.

I'd love to hear your comments about the site. The links have all been updated. Thanks!

http://cithsermons.org

"And a penitent lent to you too!"

Saying "Happy Lent" doesn't exactly feel like the appropriate greeting to welcome in this season in the life of the church. I'm not sure what we should say as we enter into the season of waiting and preparing for the cross and the resurrection.

I saw some packskis for sale yesterday at the grocery store and thought, "Are people more likely to eat a packski than they are to worship on Ash Wednesday?" I know that's a goofy question, but I wonder about the discipline that comes with Lent and whether we in the church have a difficult time really getting into Lent.

I think where we live here in Northern Michigan helps us understand the coming of Easter better than most. I don't know about you, but I find this time of winter is particularly difficult. It feels like it's never going to end, even though we know it will eventually. We have such a hard time seeing the green trees and warm weather that really is just around the corner. If anything, the gloominess of late winter helps us appreciate those springtime feelings that much more.

Take the time to appreciate the change from Advent to Christmas, from Christmas to Ash Wednesday, from Ash Wednesday to Lent, and from Lent to Easter. This to shall pass.

We're Famous!

Hello Friends!

The Traverse City Record Eagle just did a nice article on our Spirituality:unTapped group while covering another similar operation going on in TC. It's a good representation of what we're trying to accomplish with this small group and I'm glad to see the positive coverage. Our very own Don Hoyt offers some feedback and quotes. Check it out at this link:
http://www.record-eagle.com/faith/local_story_038095703.html?keyword=topstory

They're Here!

The picture directories are in! The DIRECTORIES ARE HERE!!!



Come pick yours up this Sunday before or after worship.

Spirituality:unTapped

We're into the fourth week of Spirituality:unTapped at Short's Brewery on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. I couldn't be happier with the results. It's become an open forum for people to explore their faith, ask questions about the world around us, and meet with other people who are still learning about their faith. You can check out the website at:

http://bellaireuntapped.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think!

Well worth the wait

It's been a while since I've posted, so here's an interesting video to make up for it. Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I