A letter from the bishop - October 2011
We are born with a unique set of God-given gifts. I like to think of spiritual gifts as God’s way of enlivening the world and bringing us together to serve the purposes of God. As we use our gifts together in the name of Christ, we witness to God’s great love for the world.
Paul shared with the Corinthians: “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is. Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.... The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues. All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God.”
Some disciples are gifted for leadership. I am thankful for the gifts of leadership and courage of the Rev. David Shank as he forages ahead to create and foster a new faith community in the Anne Arundel County area of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. David is working with a new model and approach to build a community of young adults through small groups and community service projects out of which a worshipping community will emerge. He is doing a great job and is really using his gifts to help shape this new community of young adults in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. I ask you to keep David in your prayers and to offer your support.
Next month, Nov. 15-17, we will be hosting the New Church Leadership Institute (NCLI) at Glen Mar UMC in Ellicott City. The multi-day workshop is a leadership training course to equip potential new church start pastors with the knowledge and skills for a successful new church start. The goals of the event are to:
• assist pastors and laity to discern if they are called to be a new church planter;
• connect potential church planters with successful new church planters;
• prepare for a variety of new church starts strategies/models.
If you believe God has gifted you with an entrepreneurial spirit and an apostolic passion, you may want to prayerfully consider registering for this event to help in your time of discernment. We need courageous forward leaning leaders who are willing to step out in faith to make new disciples for the transformation of the world.
Keep the faith!
John R. Schol
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