NOVEMBER 2016
Pastor Ran and I want to say “Thanks” to you.
Thanks for fully supporting us, two full time pastors. We really thank you for your love, kindness, generosity, help and everything you do for our ministry. Thanks for your faithful decision to maintain our parish ministry continually with us, even though we have some of financial problems. St. Croix folks, thanks for your dedication to share your benefit with our parish churches. Your continuing support has been a huge help to us.
Even though, we have only been here almost 4 months, we have done many new things for the church and will have a fruitful ministry plan. What we have done:
Started the Parish Youth Group Meeting. Regularly 10-20 youth have joined our program.
Started the Parish Confirmation Class.
Started the regular visitation to church & non-church members-We regularly visit 12 people, twice a month.
Started the fixed office hours, for all local churches, especially Atlas & Wolf Creek UMC.
Started to introduce ourselves to the community and have participated in local church events.
Next year, our first priority is to be united among the four churches as the one parish beyond financial bondage. For it, we will have a new parish Ad Council meeting, parish joint worship services, parish fundraising events for our next generation, parish missional work and parish children’s ministry. Our youth have bonded through the parish youth group meeting. Next year is our turn.
Our second priority is our revival, not only spiritually, but also increasing attending members. Finding our lost sheep at each church and inviting new people to our church will increase our attendance.
Through worship, Bible study, and adult education programs, I hope we will grow our faith spiritually. We will have visitation time more and more to find our lost sheep, but the pastors work has a limitation for the revival. Praying for and giving some information to the lost sheep or those who are interested in our church and Christianity would be helpful. We also encourage you to try to give the good news to your family, friends, and neighbors yourselves. We will have the time to invite new church members next year.
Yes. We know we will definitely have financial problems next year. I do not say “Maybe”, I am saying “Definitely”. We have a 27% increasing parish budget, almost $38,000 to compared to last year. This is a tremendous jump beyond our expectation. It looks out of our hands and as if we are losing control.
However, we also have some positive signals to help solve this issue. SCF UMC decided to increase their commitment and to extend it to us through next December. Central has started the Financial Stewardship program and Atlas & Wolf Creek accepted the budget and have tried to overcome this difficulty with faith. Also, our conference may help us if we stand with the serious hardship.
As a leader of the church, I never preach and ask you to offer more and more because our parish faces a serious financial problem. Firstly, we will lead by example as the pastors of the parish, even though we will eat only lentil and beans ????
Jesus said, (Matthew 7:8) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
It is the time to ask God for help for our Parish. It is the time to seek the vison of the church for our next picture1generation. It is the time to knock on the door for finding the lost sheep and inviting new members to the Parish.
Let’s go the next step with a humble and faithful heart like the tax collector in Luke 18. I definitely promise that we are going to share and celebrate many fruitful ministerial joys with faithful friends and God here. Thanks be to God and thanks be to all of you.
Blessings, Pastor Kookho