As I write this, June is almost here, and it feels like early spring. There is a slight chill in the air, and the much-needed rain feels less welcome than it did earlier in the season. This June will be a transi-tional month as we prepare for the start of the new districts, the hubs, and our shared charge with Zion UMC of Shipley. For the most part, I don't expect much will change for everyone; but we may need to adjust worship times, as I will lead worship at two churches starting this July. While most of the changes will be for leadership and me, I plan to remain available, and I'm always only a phone call or text away.
As for the District and hub changes, what that means is that we will have another group of churches in our area that we can work with and share support. It also means we will have a new District Superintendent, the Rev. Jim Miller. But unless you regularly interact with the district, you probably won't have to worry too much about that. I will be busy with meetings this month to make some of these transitions and changes happen more smoothly. To learn more about the hubs and redistrict-ing, visit the conference website at https://www.bwcumc.org/news/creating-vital-change/.
But before that happens, we must mention the recent Annual Conference. This year's conference worked relatively well despite technological problems. The bishop gave a rousing sermon during opening worship. Apart from the budget, I don't suspect that all of the decisions made at this year's Annual Conference will affect us locally, but it's good to be aware of that. At the conference this year, we voted on constitutional changes that affect the global nature of the church-the biggest of which was regionalization. Something that will put the church in the US and around the world on a more even footing and grant the US Church the opportunity to shape our rules and structure to serve the US context better. However, we won't know the results of those votes until sometime this November when all the conferences worldwide have finished voting. So, stay tuned if you are interested. If you want to know more about the Annual Conference, I will make a fuller report for the church council before I share it with the rest of the congregation. You are, of course, welcome to ask me anything you want to know and welcome to become a lay representative for next year's conference if you feel so moved. You can learn more about the Annual Conference at https://www.bwcumc.org/events/2025-annual-conference/.
With all that business out of the way, I look forward to this month's activities, especially the Vacation Bible Camp. We still have some room, so if a young person is looking for something to do, they are welcome to sign up and have fun learning about God this year. This year's camp is called 'Road Trip on the Go with God,' our mascot puppet friend is a cute dog named Scout. With all this activity happening, we have much to look forward to as we seek to follow God through it all.
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Pastor Josh
