Midweek Moment

This past Monday we had our annual Charge Conference. This was a wonderful time of worship and community building. We were gathered with our sister churches and just enjoying the richness of each other’s presence. I want to thank all of you that were able to come and represent Druid Hills so proudly.

I so enjoy the aspect of worship that is now built into our Charge Conferences. On Monday night our new District Superintendent, Sue Haupert-Johnson, spoke about the need for all churches to evaluate their ministries and missions. She spoke about the need to make sure we are all being everything we can be to the neighborhoods where we are located. Churches are not meant to be closed societies, benefiting only their members, but communities of faith eager to reach out to those around them. Over the last several weeks this has been the emphasis of my sermons.

We have so many wonderful things to celebrate here at Druid Hills. We are involved in numerous outreach ministries around Ocala, partnering with various agencies to help those in need. We have many people in our family that know and understand that type of involvement is part of what Christ calls all of us to do. But the other side of that coin, is not to rest on our laurels. I want us to always keep asking ourselves, are we everything God is calling us to be? Are we doing everything we can to reach the people around us?

I want to encourage you to join me in constantly praying for God’s wisdom in this area. I want to ask you all to join me in consistently praying for God to open doors that we can walk through to share the love of Christ with those people that live around this church. We have a calling to be Christ’s ambassadors to this world, a calling that we have been equipped to carry out.

But in order for us to carry this out, we have to be all in. We have to be willing to turn all that we have and all that we are over to God. We have to be willing to give of our time, of ourselves, and of our gifts and finances. We have to completely turn ourselves over to God so that the Holy Spirit will flow through us with nothing to diminish its strength. And we all have to be a part of this, working together.

I am so excited about what we can do as Christ’s ambassadors to this part of Ocala! I am so anxious to see what we can do as the body of Druid Hills! I hope you will join me this year and be all in as we work to build the Kingdom of God together.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!