Dear Friends and Partners,
I trust you had a fruitful summer, full of the rhythms of rest, community, and outreach. Jan and I enjoyed seeing many of you at Regional conferences and hearing the stories of God’s work in your souls and congregations.
One of the gifts God has given the Vineyard is the courage to engage our communities at so many levels. In the summer this often means simple outreaches – acts of love and kindness that show the love of Christ.
We are also called to engage our cultures in more complex ways, understanding the intellectual lives of our world, confronting the challenges that diversity brings, and shepherding our congregations through the many cultural shifts that our society is encountering.
We have confidence as a movement that the Holy Spirit goes with us as we engage our communities at all these levels. The Spirit brings healing to brokenness, guides our hearts and minds, and empowers us to make a difference.
I am glad to be part of a movement that doesn’t just seek to maintain the status quo, hiding in our church buildings and catering to the needs of our congregants. Instead, we engage in Kingdom work here and all over the world.
For Christ and His Kingdom,
Phil
