I am so excited about the month of Sundays in September I can barely stand it! We’ve claimed the month of September as our Invitation Initiative, Bring a Friend Month, Invite Somebody to Church…you get the point. We, all of us, have been sharing stories and invitation cards with our friends—inviting people to come worship and serve with us at Kirkwood UCC. Put down roots. Grow. Branch Out!!!!!! Through the grace and goodness of God, that’s what we’re praying and hoping to be about these next several days—years.
It’s been a great August, gathering for worship, gathering for food and gathering school supplies that were given to about 200 children and teachers at Toomer Elementary and Coan Middle School in the Kirkwood Community. There are many generous hearts at Kirkwood UCC! We ate supper together every Sunday following our worship this month and it was so much fun to be together and talk and share and eat, of course. A very special thank you to Chris Mayer and her family and to Kelly O’Connor for having us over to their houses and extending such wonderful hospitality to the whole crowd!
I want you to pray with me about these next couple of months. I am certain that the church is experiencing some forward momentum and excitement right now and if we continue to reach out in love and kindness to others, inviting them to be a part of a community of faith that is following Christ, loving others and sharing life together in genuine and relevant ways, people will come and visit and eventually stay and serve. This is a lot of work my friends—to build a church—to gather together as the body of Christ, but because of who God is and because of who you are and are becoming, it is happening! Thanks be to God! And thanks be to You! I do hope you know how thankful I am for you—that I pray for you daily and love you deeply. Susannah