Greetings in God's Name!

There are times in the life of our church that are both crucial to our success and pivotal to our direction. This fall, this winter and next spring are three times when I believe God is going to make Himself known and do something amazing at Good News. I believe this for many reasons. First, I see signs of some real opportunities for progress in certain ministries at Good News. I also see the community in a posture of listening for guidance from a God who actively cares about the lives of people. And I sense that God will be using Good News to express His timelessness and relevance to the human condition in our area, our nation and the world.

When God is doing great things one thing I believe He calls us to do is "listen!" So, I will be planning a week of vacation in early July (the 4th through the 12th) to spend a few days with Lee, spend some quiet time in prayer, spend some reflective time in reading and spend some fun time (I love this time) planning sermons, events, etc. for the fall, Christmas and Easter seasons. Please join me in praying for this time away.

I remember reading about Jesus going off to be away just before the most important "trip" of His life. John 11:54 says "he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephriam." It was at this time that Jesus prepared for a final "trip" around Judea, Samaria, Perea and finally back to Bethany and Jerusalem. It was on this final trip that Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus, a crippled woman in Perea and blesses the little children. He then turns his face toward Jerusalem, a trip which would change the world forever.

I won't promise that world-changing events will result from my time away, though we make decisions every day that ARE world-changing. I do know that Good News is called to be a world-changing church. I also know that with the power of the Holy Spirit and the person of Christ in our hearts, God will do great things through the people called Methodists here at Good News.

The church will be in great hands during my absence. Rev. Jerry King will preach on the 6th and Jo will be able to get in contact with both Jerry and me for any emergencies. Ministry staff will be bust doing their daily work but will be able to handle any "overflow."

I hope you are expectant. I pray that as God opens His Word and His plan, you will jump in to be part of that plan. I dream for the future of this great church where God has made, is making and will make a difference.

In Christ's Love, Randy