First, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Russell Hall and I am the newest addition to the staff here at the United Methodist Temple. I just recently began my journey with the Temple on June 10th of this year. It has been a whirlwind ride and I am loving every minute of it.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet and hang out with many folks from both services. I would like to offer you my thanks for the way that you have made Erica, Bailey and I feel welcome. From the pool parties, ice-cream socials, and craw fish boils to the times of conversation and prayer, you all have truly made us feel like members of the family. For that we are eternally grateful.
In the weeks and months to come, we will continue to meet and hang out with as many folks as we have the opportunity to. If there is anything that I can do to help equip, empower, or encourage your ministry here at the Temple, please don't hesitate to call the church office.
I also wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about a few of the exciting things that I am a part of here at the Temple.
First, you will notice that this blog and the website both are undergoing some changes. I am working with Ruth, and together we are redesigning these two communications tools with an eye towards functionality and outreach. You are likely to experience some changes in the look and feel of both sites in the weeks to come as we seek to make these sites more interactive and user friendly and even more reflective of who we are as a community of faith here at the Temple. While we will continue to update the website with current events, pictures and calendar items, this blog will serve as an additional way in which we can communicate what is going on at the Temple. On the blog we will be able to post even more pictures and articles about our life together. Additionally, we would like to see the blog become a place of deep reflection, conversation and participation. One of the ways that this can happen in the future is through conversations about our Sunday sermons, our Bible studies, our Sunday School classes, and posted Christian thoughts for the day. To that end, we would love to hear how what you experience on Sundays (or in Bible study or one of these other venues) is making a real impact on your life. Such testimony, when shared with others, can have a deep and transformative impact on those around us.
The second thing that I have the privilege of being a part of is the development of a third service and outreach ministry called Encounters. In a nutshell, Encounters is a place for folks who wrestle with all kinds of hurts, hangups and habits. It is a place for them to encounter the grace of God and experience real healing, real redemption, and real wholeness. From time to time you will see information posted here, on the website, in the Messenger, and in the Template; but if you are interested in following what is happening with Encounters in more detail, you are welcome to follow the Encounters blog by clicking here or on the link on the right side of this page.
It is an exciting time here at the United Methodist Temple. I am honored to be a part of what God is doing in this incredible place. Stay tuned for more updates very soon!
Shalom,
Russell
No comments:
Post a Comment