A Facebook memory popped up this morning, although, I confess, the memory is technically a few days late. It was the memory of my installation service from a year ago.
In some ways, my installation service marked the formal end of a season of transition. It was a chance to celebrate the good and faithful work of the Pastor Nominating Committee and the Session, while also giving thanks for the people of Yellowstone Presbytery who came alongside us during the transition. Above all, it was a chance to remember and give thanks for God’s faithfulness through that season.
But even more, my installation service marked the formal beginning of a new journey (a journey that really began when I arrived in February 2021). It was the beginning of our life and ministry together.
It’s been exciting to see our relationship and our ministry grow over the last year. I give thanks for the ways that each of you have invited Will and I into your lives, for the ways you have welcomed me to be your pastor through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It is an honor and privilege to be your pastor, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.
And I give thanks for what God has been doing among us. To name a few, I give thanks for the return of coffee hour, for Kid’s Sunday School, for new, creative worship experiences, for re-opening the nursery (and the staff to do so), for hiring new office staff, for a new roof on our sanctuary, and for our church leaders. That list could go on.
It has been a good year. And I look forward not only to the next year, but for all the years that will follow. Because I continue to believe that God is up to something here at First Presbyterian Church. And I am grateful for the chance to be part of it.
In a few weeks our Session and Deacons will gather for a joint meeting to celebrate who we are and to begin asking questions about who we want to be, which will lead into a conversation about how we move from point A to point B.
The truth is, that’s not a conversation reserved for just a few, it’s an invitation for all of us. I look forward to sharing more with you about our conversations and discernment, but for now, I invite you to join our conversation by answering a question.
What are the three words you would use to describe First Presbyterian Church when we are at our best?
To respond, hit reply to this email, send me a text, or write those words down and hand them to me on Sunday morning.
Grace and peace,
Kimmy