San Angelo, Texas, Sierra Vista United Methodist Church

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OPEN HEARTS OPEN MINDS OPEN DOORS

A glorious experience of hiking is cresting a hill or rounding a corner and being surprised by a breath taking panoramic vista. A new trail holds beauty waiting to be discovered. The same is true for a life lived in Christ. Each morning brings new possibilities to feel the love of Christ and to share the love of Christ with others.

Too often, we plod along through our todays, waiting for tomorrow to come, with our heads down focused only on getting through the day. When we do this we miss the opportunities to love and be loved, we miss out on the beauty of life. Hiking the rocky trails of west Texas requires you to watch your feet, but you need to slow down or stop to soak in the natural wonders around you. There needs to be a balance of paying attention to the details close to you and stopping to view the big picture. Someone much wiser than me once told me to plan like I was going to live forever and live like I was going to die tomorrow.

How do feel when you contemplate the future? The future is full of todays that have yet to be. The past is full of todays that have already passed. We have no control over the past, and the future is not completely under our control. That leaves us today. Have you shared the love of Christ with someone today? Have you experienced the love of God today? What beauty have you discovered today?

The future is in God’s capable hands. We get to live fully today – enjoy! See you in worship.

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.

Mark 2:21-22

What is it about new that excite so many people? Even though the experts tell us it’s not a sound financial practice, many people like to buy new vehicles rather than used. Residents of San Angelo and Tom Green County are excited about a new library that will hopefully be completed in a few years. There is a planned new tennis complex in San Angelo people are excited about. We hear about a new restaurant coming and that becomes fodder for water cooler talk at work. Each new sports season brings a heightened level of excitement and possibility that this might be the year.

With newness comes opportunity and maybe a fresh start. That is what drives many to make a New Year’s resolution. Anytime there is a new beginning, people are open to change and new possibilities. Their horizon and vision is broadened. This is true when people move to a new state, city, or even to a different part of the city. Studies of the American culture have confirmed the fact that people are attracted to newer churches rather then older churches that have developed their ethos and story. This is especially true of people who are new residents to an area.

The Southwest Texas Conference has recognized the importance of starting new churches in response to the growing population in our conference boundaries. The I-35 corridor and the Rio Grande Valley are among the fastest growing areas in our nation. Our conference has a goal of starting 35 new churches within the next 7-10 years. In support of this goal, our conference began a capital fund campaign, Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow, with the hopes of raising $5,000,000, over the next three to five years, for new church starts and revitalization of strategic congregations. I was pleased to share with the church on Sunday, June 8th, that this campaign has commitments of over $6,500,000 from individuals and churches in our annual conference. Praise God!

In May, our Church Council, after prayer and meeting with campaign leaders, pledged $100,000 over the next five years as Sierra Vista’s part of this campaign. This is a leadership gift. This is a significant amount, but an achievable goal for this generous church family. As I promised in June, you would have an opportunity to participate in support of this church’s pledge. That time is here. Over the next few weeks, information will be available in the Vista News and bulletin inserts about this campaign. Also a brief DVD presentation is available to further educate yourself about the goals and purpose of this campaign. You will receive more information and a commitment card in the mail the week prior to the weekend of August 23rd & 24th. There will be time to return your commitment card during the three weekend worship services on the 23rd or 24th.

Please read the material to educate yourself about this campaign and begin to pray how God is leading you to participate. We want to do our part to make sure there are plenty of new wineskins for everyone. See you in worship.

Grace and peace,