“Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful…” Hebrews 3:1-2
Dear Holy Partners in this Heavenly Calling,
I am beyond thankful for you! Thank you for all that you have weathered through this pandemic storm and continue to weather with variants and spikes. Thank you for leading while learning to do new things never tried, and remaining faithful to your calling while navigating territories of the unknown. Thank you for hanging in and hanging on in those times when ministry ropes were frayed. Thank you for listening well to the Shepherd’s voice, so that you were enabled to shepherd those placed within your care. Thank you also for welcoming a new District Superintendent learning her way, and bearing with my own ongoing learning while leading growth curve. I have learned from you and been inspired by you and it is a blessing and a privilege to serve with you.
As we are a month into a new conference year, please know that my prayers continue for you and your churches. Please join me in prayer for those new to our district and those from our district who have moved within Fairway to serve new appointments. Here are their names. Please reach out to them with a text, an email, or a note to let them know of your prayers and to offer them welcome.
Jabe Largen serving Pinehurst
Becky and Bob Albritton serving Jonesboro
Linda Yow serving Meroney/West End
Thearon Willis serving Lemon Springs
Kent Miller serving Lillington and Woodside
Trevor Blair serving Doub’s Chapel (continuing to serve Roseland)
Randy Chappell serving Bethlehem
Sig Black serving Ether
Jerome Smith serving Smyrna
Gina Tandarich serving Cokesbury
Evan Smith serving Bynum
Laura Beth Casey serving Hickory Grove
David Brownlee serving 5one9
Brent Levy serving The Local Church
In addition, please keep our always amazing and ever-so-helpful Assistant to the District Superintendent, Nancy, in your prayers as Nancy and her husband Rafael have also had a move. Rafael is now serving the Spring Hope Charge.
Transitions in need of prayer will continue as we say farewell to Bishop Ward and Mike August 31, and welcome Bishop Fairley and Dawn on September 1.
And, we continue to hold in prayer the preparations for General Conference August 29-September 26, 2022 in Minneapolis. For needed information, please reach out to me or any of the delegates of the GC NC Delegation. This link is very helpful, where Christine Dodson, lay delegation member, offered a session to answer frequent questions that local churches often ask.
To say that this has been a challenging year is an understatement, and as much as we would like the challenges and the change to be finished, they continue. For me, this makes the reality and the gift of our connection – our holy partnership–that much more important. God has given us to each other for this time and this season in the Fairway District and within our Conference. My prayer for this new year, one of my prayers, is that the reality of our connection will be strengthened in our support of one another as well as our support of and sharing in ministries together. More will be offered regarding opportunities for this strengthening to occur, but for now, let us hold one another in prayer, let us cheer one another on, let us bear one another’s burdens, and let us offer God all praise for calling us and equipping us for service to Christ and ministry together.
Always thankful for you,
Dena
If you would like to view past editions of Grace for the Journey, follow this link: https://fairwaydistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/