A Fresh Start

Greetings, from MCEC!

I was recently introduced to a quote by Rick Warren who said:  "God specializes in giving people a fresh start.” 

At the cusp of a new church and school year, I find this quote particularly insightful to me, following a summer of both joy and sadness.  Joy in experiencing the beauty of God’s creation in water, sky and land, beauty in time with loved ones, beauty in the bounty of food, beauty in the small things including silence and solitude. 

"As we enter this new church year, I am grateful for a God who invites us to enter new spaces and fresh starts."

Part of my summer was spent in sadness, as I mourned ongoing tensions around the world in Israel, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, Myanmar, Bangladesh, forest fires across North America, random and targeted shootings across Canada, and as I mourned the loss of loved ones in both expected and unexpected ways. 

As we enter this new church year, I am grateful for a God who invites us to enter new spaces and fresh starts.  At MCEC, we look forward to continuing to serve you, our congregations, in these times of joy and sadness; beauty and brokenness as we: 

• Energize congregations in worship, discipleship and mission;
• Encourage leaders of hope, vision and transformation;
• Embody God’s reconciling ministry for all creation
  

We thank you for your ongoing care and support of our work as a regional church and look forward to communicating with you over the coming months about the joys and challenges of our regional church, as we reflect on the annual reports we received from many congregations, and as we share about our financial plan. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.  The old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians: 17).

May it be so as we enter this “fresh start”!

Warmly,

Ann L. Schultz