Coming home from my worship planning retreat, I find myself reflective. It happens every year I drive. After 5 days in the mountains, praying and planning, then driving 1000 miles home. It leaves me both tired and full. Tired because the work is intense. Full because God is faithful. And it leaves me plenty of room to think. As I returned this year, after pondering the whole drive home, there were a few prominent thoughts that came to mind, notably three things of which I’m especially proud. These aren’t the only things worth celebrating, but they are three reminders of how God is moving among us.
1. I’m proud that this church values intentional time away.
Not every congregation gives its pastors and staff the gift of focused time away for prayer, listening, and planning. You do. And it makes all the difference.
Four times now, at the end of summer, you release me to the mountains. You hold me in prayer. You offer your insights through surveys and conversations. You trust me to listen for God’s voice with you and for you. Not every church does that. Some pastors never have the opportunity. I don’t take that lightly.
This year, like in years past, I came off the mountain with much more than I expected. And I didn’t come back empty-handed. I carried your prayers and your survey responses with me. Pastor Heather and I took notes dreaming about which topics are best suited for the pulpit, which belong in small groups, and which deserve both. And God really spoke in ways I am more exicted about than any year prior. Soon enough, we’ll share the draft plan for 2026 after I vette what I heard with Pastor Heather, staff and lay leaders. I want to make sure I listened well and continue to listen to the Spirit through each other. This a gift. And I’m proud of us for valuing it.
2. I’m proud that we include children in communion.
Communion is one of the most tangible signs of God’s grace. John Wesley called it a “converting ordinance”—so bold a claim that he insisted you don’t even have to be a Christian to receive it. For Wesley, communion was not just a reward for the faithful; it was a means of grace for all. That conviction has always made me pause in Geneva; if communion is so central to our theology, if it is grace itself, poured out and broken for us, then why would we withhold it from our children until confirmation simply because we’ve dismissed them to a different floor in the building?
I’m proud that Pastor Heather has found a way to bridge that disconnect. On Communion Sundays, Pastor Heather and I will make a point to step down and share in the sacrament with our children in age-appropriate ways. It’s one more reminder that grace is not something we earn. It’s something given. And I’m proud that our kids are now growing up knowing that there is a seat at Christ’s table for them, too!
3. I’m proud that we are part of something bigger.
The Tuesday before I left for Colorado, I joined the first gathering of clergy from Northern Illinois and Wisconsin who lead what the conference calls “large churches.” By standards unknown to me, UMCG qualifies. We spent the day with the Chief Operations Officer of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas—the largest UMC in the country. Ten campuses. Fifty-plus clergy. Over 250 staff. Nearly 20,000 in weekly worship.
Here’s what struck me: they face the same challenges we do – and many in the room also do too. Finding ways to connect with kids and youth. Keeping gifted staff. Adapting to changing ministry needs. Making budget. Balancing overhead costs with ministry. Listening for God’s voice in a shifting culture. The scale is different, but the struggles are the same.
That gave me hope. Because it tells me we’re not off course. We are asking the right questions, facing the right challenges, and staying committed to our mission: to illuminate our community with God’s grace so that, empowered by the Spirit, we might become disciples who love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. We are paving our own path, yes. But we are also part of a larger movement. And I’m proud of that.
I could name dozens more things I’m proud of — your generosity, your faithfulness, your willingness to try new things — but these three rise to the surface right now. So thank you. Thank you for trusting your pastors. Thank you for welcoming children to the table. Thank you for being part of a church that is alive, connected, and willing to face the challenges of our time. We’re not perfect. But we are faithful. And I’m proud of us.
Grace and blessings,
