…Maybe it was for a moment like this…
Esther 4:14
Dear Community of Hope:
Thank you so much for all the ways you have welcomed us these past two months. We are getting settled in the parsonage and in our office. The kids have started school, and we all are enjoying finding a routine! Our fall schedule includes watching our oldest child, Emerson, in the MCHS play, and watching our daughter, Charlotte, on the soccer field. Thank you all for welcoming our family and helping us get connected.
We are learning more everyday about Community of Hope, about Muncie, and about how to serve our two churches together. If you didn’t know, we are both also appointed to Covenant Partners Ministries. We are splitting our time between the two congregations and working together in serving both to the best of our ability. We aren’t trying to make Covenant Partners the mission arm of Community of Hope, but we certainly appreciate all that CoH does to support CPM! Between the two congregations, we can do a lot of good in Muncie. Serving two congregations together ought to be easier than serving four – which we did before we were appointed here!
The weekend that we met, 22 years ago, we watched the VeggieTales version of the story of Esther. Cute, right? But some ideas from Scripture stick with you, no matter how they get to you. We believe that we have been appointed here for many reasons, but it could be for a moment just like our present moment. We are by no means like Esther, but Heather especially takes strength from Esther’s story and the idea that God places us in certain places to help us flourish and bloom into our true selves. Community of Hope has just officially voted to be a Reconciling Congregation, and put our actions behind the words around our building: ALL ARE WELCOME. NO EXCEPTIONS. How exciting! We have a lot going on in our congregation, and we support any number of missional efforts; but stating clearly our position on inclusion and welcome is a life-giving statement to many. Being here as we figure out how to live into our Reconciling efforts and how we will be a church that loves God and neighbor in Muncie is just one part of what we think is exciting about our appointment here.
Relationships mean so much to the both of us and we have enjoyed getting to know everyone at the small group gatherings and the individual meetings. Those opportunities have helped us get to know you as individual persons and helped us know Community of Hope. We have tried to take good notes from those conversations; and as time goes on, those conversations will help guide our ministry. If you’ve had a chance to meet with us, you’ve helped us a great deal already. Thank you! If we haven’t yet got to have a good conversation with you, we are still available and are happy to schedule some time with you. Please know that we are here for you, and we are happy to be your pastors!
You can, as always, reach us through the church office. You can also reach us by email at pastorcress@gmail.com, or call or text us at 317-825-8675. Again, thank you for being a welcoming community, and thank you for the hope you demonstrate. We’re glad to be here at Community of Hope!
Blessings,
Colin and Heather
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