A LETTER FROM HOME
Dear Family of faith,
This month we, as a family of faith, will gather to give thanks to God for all our blessings that we have received this past year. It is sad that we have to be reminded to gather on Thanksgiving to give thanks and praise for all that God has done for us. That's life, I guess.
Thanksgiving for us in the Congregational Church, it is truly our own Holiday. You all remember the story of the first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621. We at West Church honor our heritage by holding our version of a 1690 Worship Service. This service reminds us of our rich Congregational history.
November is also a time to thank God for our family of faith and the place in which we worship. As individuals, we are on our own private journey through life. As a congregation, we are also on a journey, a journey to bring people to Christ, to grow in faith, and to enjoy the fellowship in this wonderful place we call our church home.
In the past year we have accomplished many things on our journey as a congregation. It has been your generous support that has enabled us to grow in so many ways.
I am aware that we are in a period of time of financial worries and difficulties. Many of us are fearful of not being able to make ends meet, paying our bills, and keeping body and soul together. If you review the history of church giving, the highest percent giving by individuals occurred during the great depression. Those individuals realized that there were great needs and they were willing to share what they had. We have been taught that if we cast our bread upon the waters, it will come back to us multiplied. We can not let fear keep us from supporting our church and its various ministries. Remember what FDR (Franklin Roosevelt for those young folks) said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."
Don't let fear keep you from doing Christ's work in this place.
Pastor Jim
Home