Grace and peace to you. I’m Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church in Lynchburg Virginia. I’m posting videos each Wednesday sharing devotions and church news. Today is Wednesday April 12. Happy Easter!
Last Sunday, we started our worship in darkness with two women approaching the tomb of Jesus, what they found was an empty tomb and words of good news: Jesus is not here. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Now, obviously, that’s good news for Jesus. He lives again. Jesus’ resurrection is also good news for us. Because Jesus lives, we who follow him, we live again too. Not only do we live in eternity but we have new life here these days today. That’s good news for us. We have a new life and a fresh start, and we have the opportunity to do good in the world, and all that begins with Easter..
I’m so excited to share with you some of the awesome ministries that Peakland will offer in the days and weeks and months to come. These ministries will bring hope and healing for others, and they will help us reach out, serve all, and extend Gods’ Table.
Beginning in May, Peakland will be creating relief kits for UMCOR our denomination’s relief agency. We’ll join with other Virginia United Methodist churches in creating, cleaning bucket kits, hygiene kits, and menstrual kits. Last October Peakland raised funds for cleaning bucket kits, and we collected enough funds for 147 kits. What can we do this year? Throughout May, I’ll make available the instructions for making cleaning bucket kits, and hygiene kits and menstrual kits. It doesn’t take much, just a dozen or so items for each kit. What if our Peakland families and households each put together a kit, or two kits or 10 kits? Imagine what comfort and relief these supplies will bring to folks.
Last month, Peakland folks gathered for a state of the denomination meeting in which we asked and answered questions about disaffiliation and general conference. Peakland remains United Methodist. That’ isn’t changing, but as other congregations disaffiliate we wanted to know how that was playing out. We also discussed some other topics like do lead pastors need doctorates? Will there be any changes to our relationship with the scouts? Why do we have communion only once a month? These were great questions and I suspect there are more questions out there about why we do the things we do at Peakland and as a denomination. So in the months to come, I’ll work with our church staff and our lay leaders to create additional opportunities for us to gather as a united congregation to ask and answer questions.
Peakland’s deacon Andrew is creating two sets of small groups for folks at Peakland. Since I’ve arrived, folks have stated how much we want stronger connections with each other and to get to know folks who worship at different times. Andrew is creating affinity groups for folks to gather together regularly over a shared activity: gardening, woodworking, cooking, fishing, bowling, and Lego blocks! If you have an interest, we’ll find others here who share that interest.
When John Wesley first organized the Methodists, he placed them each in small groups for them to help each other be strong disciples. We’re going to do that here as well. We’ll form Wesley groups, small groups of folks who will meet and pray together each month and share life’s joys and struggles.
Please reach out to Andrew to learn more and join these small groups.
Looking to the summer, we have the dates for our vacation Bible school which will be during the last week of June. We also have a church-wide overnight retreat at Eagle Eyrie in July.
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