September 2019 Newsleer Ministry from the Heart of Oshkosh Serving with Energy, Intelligence, Imagination, and Love God Is Calling! As I look back at our ten months together, I am grateful for the journey we have shared. It has been intense and not always smooth, but it has been a reflecon of God working within and through this community of faith. We are confronng the challenges of the past in naming some of those issues that are holding us back. We are being creave as we ponder new ways of being church in and for this community and the world. And, we are learning to cherish the present in our mes together. While the road ahead is not as clear as we would like and there remains much to do, we have turned a corner, one that is looking with hope to a new tomorrow. During the coming months, you will hear a lot about the new commiee structure. This new creaon builds on the strengths of what is already here, addresses some of what has been missing, and pulls all the details together to guide congregaonal life so that you can become the presence of God ’s love in this community in a vital and new way. You are the key to its success and an integral part of this process as together we learn how to be the Body of Christ in ways we never before imagined. While it might seem there is much going on behind the scenes (and there is!), you are definitely a part of this. In fact, you are the center of it all. Here is what you can do: Trust God. When you embarked upon this season of transion, there was no clear road map, only the assurance that God will guide us as we move through this me. To borrow from the apostle Paul, the one who began a good work here is faithful to complete it. Pray for the leadership of the congregaon. This is an intense experience for them, a lot more than what is customary for service on Session. Know that they love this congregaon and believe in what can be. Hold them in prayer, and thank them. Trust the process. I know it is challenging, not to everyone’s liking, and oſten confusing - especially in the midst of it. What has been accomplished in a short me has been tremen- dous. We are moving forward!
Transcript
September 2019 Newsletter
Ministry from the Heart of Oshkosh
Serving with Energy, Intelligence, Imagination, and Love
God Is Calling!
As I look back at our ten months together, I am grateful for the journey we have shared. It has been intense
and not always smooth, but it has been a reflection of God working within and through this community of
faith. We are confronting the challenges of the past in naming some of those issues that are holding us
back. We are being creative as we ponder new ways of being church in and for this community and the
world. And, we are learning to cherish the present in our times together. While the road ahead is not as
clear as we would like and there remains much to do, we have turned a corner, one that is looking with
hope to a new tomorrow.
During the coming months, you will hear a lot about the new committee structure. This new creation builds
on the strengths of what is already here, addresses some of what has been missing, and pulls all the details
together to guide congregational life so that you can become the presence of God’s love in this community
in a vital and new way. You are the key to its success and an integral part of this process as together we
learn how to be the Body of Christ in ways we never before imagined.
While it might seem there is much going on behind the scenes (and there is!), you are definitely a part of
this. In fact, you are the center of it all. Here is what you can do:
Trust God. When you embarked upon this season of transition, there was no clear road map,
only the assurance that God will guide us as we move through this time. To borrow from the
apostle Paul, the one who began a good work here is faithful to complete it.
Pray for the leadership of the congregation. This is an intense experience for them, a lot
more than what is customary for service on Session. Know that they love this congregation
and believe in what can be. Hold them in prayer, and thank them.
Trust the process. I know it is challenging, not to everyone’s liking, and often confusing -
especially in the midst of it. What has been accomplished in a short time has been tremen-
dous. We are moving forward!
2
September 2019 Newsletter
Ministry from the Heart of Oshkosh
Serving with Energy, Intelligence, Imagination, and Love
God Is Calling! (continued from preceding page)
Be supportive. We all need to be active in our support of one another and the process in
which you have so courageously engaged. That is vital. This is emotionally intense and calls
us all to look inward honestly, make old relationships new, and begin to imagine a church we
never knew existed.
Be present. Come to worship, attend activities, find ways to talk with one another. Your pres-
ence means so much.
This is difficult work indeed. It takes tremendous courage and faith to do what you have done. This congre-
gation has such astounding potential. We are nowhere near closing the doors! We have a future, one that
God is working out through you right now. While it might appear that all is being dismantled, the purpose of
it all is to make way for God’s new creation.
Let’s hold on to one another, believe in the best of one another, and trust that the One who created the
universe and all that is in it is re-creating the kingdom of heaven here and now. Here’s to the future to
which God is calling!
Grace and peace, Melodie
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First Presbyterian Church Team
Transitional Pastor
Rev. Melodie Long
Director of Music
Carmen Shaw
Organist
Kris Selk
Administrative Assistant
Lesia Cizdyn
Custodian
Randy Paulson
Financial Assistant
John Noll
Child Care
Kenlisha Johnson
Illiana Reyes
Mon — Fri
8 a.m. — Noon
Weekly deadline to submit announcements for the bul-letin is 8:00 a.m. on Tues-day mornings.
Contact us: (and don’t forgot about our online contact and event RSVP options!)
