Grace To Wonder: An Invitation to Charge Conference
What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in a room with the apostles talking about what God is doing in the congregation and how God is leading them all to share the gospel?
I sometimes wonder what it would’ve been like to be a part of the early church. We read in scripture how the apostles and disciples began spreading out beyond Jerusalem taking the Good News with them. As they expanded and the people of faith grew into a community beyond one city, beyond one nation, beyond one culture, and beyond one certain kind of people . . . challenges arose. They needed to develop plans and strategies to care for one another, to handle cultural differences, and decide on how to be a unified people of God without having to be uniform in their work.
We read the progress of this transformation in four places, Acts 6, 11, 15, and 21. In these passages, the faith community chooses additional leaders, Peter offers a report of God’s work, and the Jerusalem Council meets to discuss mission and community expectations.
How is our modern church like the first Christians and the first churches? We gather on a regular basis to discuss similar questions. As United Methodists, we are united with every United Methodist Church around the world. We are a connectional people who rely upon one another for support and accountability much like the early church.
In Arkansas, we gather yearly with the Arkansas Annual Conference to discuss the mission and business of the church across the state. We hold at least one Charge Conference to discuss the mission and business of our local church and submit our reports to the Arkansas Annual Conference.
I invite you to attend this year as we host a special Charge Conference called a Regional Charge Conference. Representatives from 29 other churches will join us on our campus as we all share our mission and work together. It will be November 16th, from 2:30-4:00. Our District Superintendent, Rev. Roy Beth Kelley, will preside. We’ve planned discussions and break-out groups on different ways we can work together and share our success.
I hope you will be there. Of course, we will provide childcare for those who need it, light refreshments for all, and have a moment of worship together. When it comes to voting, you must be a member of the church to vote. If you would like more information on how to be a member, please see Pastor Daniel, Pastor Josh, or Joanna Davis.
If you’d like to hear more about how our own Springdale people experienced Annual Conference this year, see the video below:
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UTHoCDoq_E
In the Spirit of Charge Conference, our new sermon and worship series, “Following – Loving – Sharing,” helps us reflect on the biblical principles of our Annual Conference Mission Statement: Following Jesus, Loving People, Sharing Grace.
Much like those first disciples who encountered Jesus were compelled to follow, I hope you will gather with us in worship as we encounter Jesus through the scriptures in a way that is both familiar and challenging.
Grace and Peace.
Daniel
