A Pastor’s Perspective – February 2017

With the ordination of Rachel Riggle on February 12, this church will have the unique opportunity to celebrate and bless God’s presence and transformative power, not only in the life of this extraordinary young woman but in the life of the congregation as well. When a child is baptized in the Presbyterian Church, the parents (or others) who present a child for the sacrament and the congregation promise to provide guidance and nurture in the Christian faith. The congregation does that through personal relationships, mentoring, and prayer. By providing programs for children and youth (nursery care, Sunday school, Shining Stars, VBS, youth group, mission trips, confirmation class), encouraging the presence and participation of children in the worship and work of the congregation, and creating a hospitable environment for children and their families, the church demonstrates its commitment to the spiritual formation of its youngest members. That this church has two members, Rachel and James Potts, who have been supported and encouraged as they explored their sense of call to ministry in our denomination is significant. It says that as a congregation you affirmed the spiritual gifts that you saw in them. You have had pastors who encouraged their seeking. The Session has used the church’s resources, financial and otherwise, to assist them in their theological educations. You have prayed for them. What a gift it will be to them and to the denomination as you rejoice in their ordinations and then send them out for service to the larger church. God surely had a hand in all of this. Just as God called Rachel and James to ministry, so too did God lead and inspire you in loving and nurturing them on their unique journeys. I commend you for the care you have offered to them and to all the young ones entrusted to you over the years.
 
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ann