​Blessing One Another Transitional Listening Sessions

Saturday, April 2:  Monroe St. Paul’s UMC:  10:00 am – 11:30 am
Saturday, April 2:  Commerce UMC:  1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Sunday, April 3:  Marshall UMC:  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
 Rev. LuAnn Rourke will host three in-person listening sessions that will provide information about the denominational transition.  There will be a gathering time, devotion, video and time for questions.  Masks are optional at all three sites. Read the documents below for more information. 

Letter from Rev. LuAnn Rourke Our District Superintendent
Regarding Conference and District Updates


I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.       Philippians 1:3-5
 
Dear Friends,
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Sharing in the gospel is both a privilege and responsibility, even in a time such as this.  There is no time when the gospel becomes a lesser mission.  I pray that you will stay focused on the mission of making disciples and stay connected with your church’s vision to live into that mission even as the United Methodist Church waits to learn if a gathering of the global denomination will take place in August 2022. 
In this waiting time many are looking for answers about what impact all of this will have on their local church.  The conference has produced a video of frequently asked questions and answers to your most pressing questions.  The video can be accessed on the conference web page or by following this link   https://michiganumc.org/the-future-of-the-umc/

I encourage you to share this video and the accompanying printable PDF with your leaders and congregation.  If your leaders have particular issues they would like me to process with them, please identify those issues in an email to the district office at [email protected]
I hope this resource will be helpful to you and your leaders in this liminal season.

Next, I want to share some good news!  This year the district finance team is celebrating because we received 97% of district ministry shares paid.  Thank you for your faithfulness to our shared ministry!  We ended the year with a budget surplus, and we are committed to using this surplus to re-invest in local churches and promote leadership development.  During 2022, those attending Heritage District churches can participate in Lay Servant Ministry classes free of charge.  You’ll find more information on the Heritage District web page.
With gratitude for the challenges and opportunities before us, we press on!
Peace,
Rev. LuAnn