Dear Friends,

I’m sure you have heard,“everyone is a minister” and then wondered what that really means. The pastor is also a minister, and all believers and disciples are called to be ministers on behalf of Christ, the one who calls us: “Come to Him a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Pretty soon, September 13, Sunday School will begin. Many of you have signed a “Safe Sanctuaries” application, which indicates that you have some understanding of the importance of protecting our children and teachers from any misconduct or misunderstanding concerning the relationship that exists between teacher and student. What is appropriate and what is not is not always easy to discern. So we have guidelines that spell that out. To avoid any situation that may jeopardize a loving and beneficial relationship between student and teacher, Pleasant Valley UMC has a policy that every teacher and student needs a witness.

This is where you may come in to be a minister and a witness. You will get to know some children and, by your presence, you will be participating in the building of that “spiritual house” that Peter wrote about. All of us, from one to ninety-two, are like those living stones, built together to be the church, here, in Pleasant Valley. To give up your time of worship to make this church a “Safe Sanctuary” is, indeed, a “Spiritual sacrifice.”

Please see Mindy Henry at 783-7737 if you are feeling called to minister in this way. If we have many volunteers, the time commitment will be reduced and many people will have the opportunity of participating in the ministry of “Safe Sanctuaries” while being built into the household of God.

Pastor Carl

I’ve been your pastor for only a few days, but during those few days I have had an enjoyable time of getting to know some of the members of this church.

My wife, Dainn, and I returned from a Volunteers In Mission (VIM) trip to Cochabamba Bolivia on July 4th. Diann came down with pneumonia the next day. She remained bed ridden for almost two weeks. I confessed (from the pulpit 7/12) that I was not a very good nurturer when it comes to taking care of her needs. So, someone picked up on that and sent me home with some flowers and some food left over from that wonderful reception on my first Sunday. Thank you. Diann was able to come with me for the next Sunday; her first time out. Thank you for the cards and the prayers.

I am the coordinator for the New York Conference sponsored VIM to Bolivia, so you will hear more about this as we journey together in the coming days. This is a Conference in mission led by a bishop in mission, Jeremiah Park.

Pleasant Valley UMC is also in mission right here, right now. Mission is all about building the body of Christ both at home and far away, so the world will know how great God is I want to get to know the people of this congregation. I will need your help. I plan to have office hours on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. You may drop in for a visit during those hours or we can set a time and date that better suits your needs. I’ll be available every Tuesday from 2 – 6 p.m. for other opportunities to get together.

I intend to be present at the scheduled Tuesday evening meetings as well. I would love to be invited for a meal before the meeting. On Sundays, following worship, I will be meeting with 8-10 people who sign up at the Bessie Table. This will provide another opportunity for us to exchange our stories and experiences. This kind of “getting together” will help me to serve as your pastor and leader for the coming days.

I envision my time with you as an opportunity to lead each other to the waters of God’s grace so that we may lead others to the possibility of falling in love with God in Christ Jesus.

Love, pastor Carl Franson