Pastor’s Paragraph - February 6, 2020

Although the beginning of Lent is still several weeks away, I wanted to invite you to begin thinking about what this upcoming season might mean for you. Since the end of 2019, I have noticed that my book list keeps growing with titles that involve healing, especially healing the divides and painful places/spaces/experiences we have within ourselves and within our communities. Our sermons for the winter also began with conversations about healing as we explored the stories at the beginning of the gospel of Mark that help us remember that Jesus' ministries involved teaching and healing. As his disciples we are called to be involved in his ministries of healing, learning, and growing. With this in mind, I want to make a special invitation to you the Time to Pause lunch. The Christian Education Ministry often offers this opportunity to the first Sunday of Lent - this year on March 1st. In addition to enjoying lunch together and the connections and conversations that happen when we visit and break bread together, we will have special stations for you to rotate to if you would like.  

Heather from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful will help us think about how we can be part of healing and restoration through creation care and environmental efforts. Joy, the author of Shift, will help us think about how we receive healing through God's beautiful world and how these gifts can offer us pause and time for prayer and meditation. Shelby - a U Indy nursing student and participant and leader of QUEST and Engaging Young Adults will help us connect with our Maker who molds us with love and grace through the forming of clay creations.   Nicole from the Co-op Play Academy will also share her special gifts of working with children with us.

We hope you will come, and we hope you will use these next few weeks to pray about and reach out to someone who could come with you who does not currently have a faith community.

Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.

8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.

Psalm 147:1-9 

Pastor's Paragraph - January 30, 2020

Friedens Moving Outward is Friedens' path toward vitalization. A careful process of learning, discernment, and congregation-wide input led to a plan that was approved by the Council of Ministries in November of 2019. This plan consists of three major emphases:

1. Moving one another through inspiration and instruction from an identity of being church members whose needs are served to an identity of being active disciples who follow the loving and serving way of Jesus.

2. Transforming our church structure, resources, campus, staffing and ministries toward a ministry focus of sharing the love of Christ with children and youth in our community.

3. Partnering with other like-minded churches and non-profit organizations to maximize our ministry focus with children and youth in the community, including partners who can share the church campus and share in its ongoing maintenance.

Once we renew our commitment to following the loving way of Jesus as disciples we can begin committing ourselves to the second emphasis of Friedens Moving Outward-the ministry focus of serving children and youth in the community.

This is not brand new for Friedens Church. We have been serving children and youth throughout our 109 year history. We have served children and youth with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Confirmation, Children's Choirs, Youth Groups, Mission Trips and more. These ministries continue to make a positive difference for the children and youth who come through our campus doors. We give thanks for this heritage of service in Christ's name and Spirit.

What is new is the focus on serving children and youth in the community. Fewer and fewer people (young adults and their children in particular) find church participation relevant; we are honest about this reality at Friedens. For us to continue to make a positive difference, we understand that we can move outside the doors of our campus with ministries of service in Christ's name and Spirit.

How do we do that? We are starting this new ministry focus in two ways: 1) by connecting more with the Scouts and the Preschool that are already in our campus; and 2) by working through the Ministry Teams to identify and implement new ministries with children and youth in the community.

How can you help? Join a Ministry Team! The Ministry Teams are the teams of disciples who come together to do the work of Christ through the church and into the community. Friedens Moving Outward will only lead to vitalization if all the disciples of Friedens roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Who can help you get involved? Pastors Sarah, Pam and I can get you connected; so can the leader of Friedens Moving Outward, Megan Powell; or our President, Greg Wilkinson, or our Vice-president, Jerry Weissinger. Contact info for these disciples is available by contacting Heidi, our Office Manager, at 317-881-6779 or at office@friedensucc.org.

It is an exciting time to be part of Friedens UCC!

Pastor Marc

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with

compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12