Dear Caldwell,
Having been away last week, it was a blessing to be back in the midst of this unique and called community of believers. Veronica reminded us in her message, the epistles of New Testament are full of descriptions of the church as “the body of Christ.” As we are so surrounded by the demeaning, divisive, “us vs. them” rhetoric of politics, this metaphor tell us that God has something far different in mind – a community where each person in the church is valued for bringing particular gifts, experiences and perspectives that promote the body’s growth. Each person is called to play a sacred and vital role as, together, we seek to be the Church to the world.
With joy, I want to “introduce” you to the two newest members of this part of the body of Christ, Ginger Dickerson and Kim Bohannon. I use quotation marks because many of you may already know them. Kim has just moved here from Connecticut, where she has been a teacher and a coach. Ginger has been a practicing physician here for some time. They are women of deep and thoughtful faith. As with all of our new members, they have been intentional in their search for a new church home and we are blessed by the gifts they will bring to our ministries.
Please welcome them next time you see them and get to know them. You’ll be glad you did.
I will be in touch again soon.
In Christ,
John