Dear PPPC -
I said something in worship last Sunday that I’d like to revisit.
“There are no successful churches. There are instead, communities of people, imperfect people, gathered by God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does God’s work in them…in us.”
There are no successful churches. Because what would it mean for a church to succeed? I’m afraid we would use metrics that may matter in the world, but don’t actually matter all that much to God.
But there can be faithful churches.
What it means to be faithful may look slightly different to each of us and that's exactly why we’re all the church together.
A faithful church shows the love of God, made known to us in Jesus Christ. A faithful church helps those who come to grow in faith, becoming mature in Christ. A faithful church includes and welcomes those on the margins, just as Christ did. A faithful church helps those in need, just as Christ did. A faithful church weeps with those who weep...and rejoices with those who rejoice. There’s more, but I’ll stop there for today.
We are, by the grace of God, a faithful church. I feel a swell of pride anytime I get to share about our church and its ministries.
We are not perfect. But by the grace of God, our continued prayer is to be faithful, living our individual and shared life in response to the abundant grace and love of God.
This Sunday is Pledge Dedication Sunday; please bring your 2027 commitments to worship. If you've already turned yours in, thank you; and not to worry, we'll have "I've already submitted my pledge" cards you can bring forward to place in the basket as your physical offering of your commitment to the life and ministry of this church.
Bringing your pledge forward is an act of worship. We trust that you have prayerfully considered how you are called to support the ministry of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church in the coming year; that we may continue to be a faithful church, serving God and serving others, growing in faith, together.
PPPC:
Where strangers become friends,
friends become disciples,
and disciples serve the world.
See you in church.
Yours for the journey,
Pastor Molly
