Pastor's DeskPastor Marlene Ciranowicz
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God’s Work Will Prevail!
July/Aug 2022
It’s been a tough two and half years hasn’t it with the Covid pandemic and now the anger, hate, and division evident in our nation. Fifteen years ago a mass shooting was considered an isolated event but now it’s happening everywhere. People are starting to ask, “Where is God?” My answer. He is right where we left Him when we as a nation chose to follow the world’s will and not His. How many times in the Old Testament did God warn people of destruction if they continued to do evil? Did they listen? No! Do we as a nation listen? It doesn’t look like it.
Although the pandemic has had a devastating effect on church life around the country, I am reminded, “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31) Or in I John 4: 4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Jesus said to his disciples and to us as his disciples, “On this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades (the power of death) will not overcome it!” And that is exactly what we are seeing here at Memorial Park.
Although our congregation has shrunk over the past two and half years, we are still here! We just restarted adult Sunday School on Sunday morning. I am leading a Bible study on the Foundations of our Faith that will take us through the summer and Pastor Steve just concluded a study on “There is Hope For Our Church”. In the Fall, I hope to do a Bible study on our Spiritual Gifts. Our Christian Ed Committee under the direction of Caryl Hirst and Marilyn Reynolds (in the pouring rain) hosted an Easter event that doubled our contact with neighborhood children. VBS is going to happen this year. The Leadership Board has several sessions planned to take place over the summer to seek God’s will for the future of the church. We had an amazing opportunity drop in our laps to partner with Good Neighbors, a food distributing program, that will now be housed in the church building with hopes of doing public distributions in our parking lot for our hungry community. Dianne has restarted the Ladies Luncheon. Does this sound like God’s work has stopped? I don’t think so! Does it sound like God has forgotten us? I don’t think so!
Be encouraged! God is indeed among us. See you Sunday and bring a friend! People need Jesus now more than ever. Perhaps you are the one God is sending their way as the link to eternal hope! Blessings, Pastor Marlene
Blessings,
Blessings, Pastor Marlene
It’s been a tough two and half years hasn’t it with the Covid pandemic and now the anger, hate, and division evident in our nation. Fifteen years ago a mass shooting was considered an isolated event but now it’s happening everywhere. People are starting to ask, “Where is God?” My answer. He is right where we left Him when we as a nation chose to follow the world’s will and not His. How many times in the Old Testament did God warn people of destruction if they continued to do evil? Did they listen? No! Do we as a nation listen? It doesn’t look like it.
Although the pandemic has had a devastating effect on church life around the country, I am reminded, “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31) Or in I John 4: 4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Jesus said to his disciples and to us as his disciples, “On this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades (the power of death) will not overcome it!” And that is exactly what we are seeing here at Memorial Park.
Although our congregation has shrunk over the past two and half years, we are still here! We just restarted adult Sunday School on Sunday morning. I am leading a Bible study on the Foundations of our Faith that will take us through the summer and Pastor Steve just concluded a study on “There is Hope For Our Church”. In the Fall, I hope to do a Bible study on our Spiritual Gifts. Our Christian Ed Committee under the direction of Caryl Hirst and Marilyn Reynolds (in the pouring rain) hosted an Easter event that doubled our contact with neighborhood children. VBS is going to happen this year. The Leadership Board has several sessions planned to take place over the summer to seek God’s will for the future of the church. We had an amazing opportunity drop in our laps to partner with Good Neighbors, a food distributing program, that will now be housed in the church building with hopes of doing public distributions in our parking lot for our hungry community. Dianne has restarted the Ladies Luncheon. Does this sound like God’s work has stopped? I don’t think so! Does it sound like God has forgotten us? I don’t think so!
Be encouraged! God is indeed among us. See you Sunday and bring a friend! People need Jesus now more than ever. Perhaps you are the one God is sending their way as the link to eternal hope! Blessings, Pastor Marlene
Blessings,
Blessings, Pastor Marlene