First United Methodist Church

The Christmas story is especially relevant this year. I’m not talking about Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals and the economy. I’m not talking about shorter lines than years past on Christmas shopping adventures. I’m not even talking about resort and entertainment hotspots reopening.

I’m talking about how the events surrounding the birth of Jesus hit home in very practical ways. Here’s what I mean. When the day arrived, and it was time for Jesus’ mother Mary to give birth, Mary and her fiancé Joseph were heading back to their family’s hometown of Bethlehem.

Except, when they finally made it to their destination, the house was full. There was no more room inside and the only place they could find shelter was in the stable with the animals. That’s where Jesus was born.

Then, as news from the angels, shepherds, temple workers, and magi spread, King Herod received word of Jesus’ birth and that he was the promised Messiah. The problem was, Herod had recently returned from Rome where he met with the emperor and arranged to not only rule over Judea, but the whole Galilean territory uniting all of Israel under a single king. Thus, earning him the title “Herod the Great.”

Except, a ruler known as “The Great” dared not play around with having a young male in his kingdom who was foretold to be the rightful heir of his throne. When Herod’s attempt to locate and capture Jesus fails, he lashes out. In a fury, he orders his soldiers to murder all male children under the age of two.

Meanwhile, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, has a dream that an angel tells them escape to Egypt. So, while Jesus is still an infant, he and his family flee to a foreign land and live away from home for several years. There, they wait until it’s safe to return.

For us, I think we can relate in several ways. The world changed around us in drastic and dangerous ways. We didn’t ask for the changes. Yet, we must work with our new reality. This is outside our comfort zone. The pandemic made us feel as if there is no room for us where we’re supposed to be, or sometimes even where we want to be. Inasmuch, we’ve had to flee our normal way of living, socializing, and even worshiping to remain safe.

Yet, this Christmas there is a calling to come home. It’s a homecoming to gather together in worship at the feet of Jesus. It’s a clarion call to action so that we can break bread together at the Lord’s table, and to celebrate his birth with our family. It’s an opportunity to be with our sisters and brothers of both blood and faith to experience and share the hope, peace, love, and joy of Christ.

It’s time. I invite you to come home. I want to welcome you back to a place where you are loved. For this Christmas, I pray that we all find the courage to come home and engage with the community of FUMC Mountain Home. Together, we make life better and make you better at life through Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Daniel

As you know, we are in search of a Youth Director and a Children's Director. We have enlisted the help of a wonderful professional group to help with our search. Ministry Architects will be here Sunday December 5th through Tuesday December 7th. They will assessing, observing and holding several listening sessions. These sessions are important so that they can understand our needs to help recruit the best candidates for our church family.

Why Ministry Architects?
At Ministry Architects, we believe there is a better way, a better way than one-size-fits-all training events and quick-fix searches for superstar staffers. It all starts with building intentionally. So like architects, we don't tell churches what they want to build. We start by listening and then show them a blueprint of exactly how they can move from where they are to where they want to be. And then we walk alongside them to make sure that they build the kind of infrastructure they will need to create the children and youth ministries they dream of having. We have made it our mission to help churches establish sustainable, deep-impact children and youth ministries, one church at a time.

What is going to happen when Ministry Architects is here?
Ministry Architects will spend the majority of their time listening to a variety of groups within the church through focused listening groups. After spending 2 days in these listening groups (and taking copious notes), the Ministry Architects team will hunker down to write a report, sharing with the church what they’ve heard about the children and youth programs and where they hear that the church wants to go. After that, the report will be presented to the congregation laying out a blueprint for how to move forward.

As a parent, why should I attend?
As a parent, you have the strongest influence on your child’s spiritual development, and you are the center of faith formation in your family. Ministry Architects wants to hear your hopes, dreams, and concerns about the children and youth ministries. Parents can give feedback on how the children and youth ministries are helping their child/teen to grow into the person that God created them to be. Parents are a vital piece to the Christian nurture of their children and Ministry Architects wants them to be invested in the process of building a strong foundation.

As a youth volunteer or Sunday school teacher, why should I attend?
Volunteers obviously care about the children and youth ministries through their commitment of time, energy, and love. You can give perspective to how you see the ministry affecting the lives of the children and youth because you are on the “front lines”. You can see what the strengths & challenges are and can bring about change and improvement to the ministry in which they are serving. Your feedback is invaluable.

As a Board member who is not a part of the children or youth ministries, why should I attend?
Faith formation is a community effort – it takes many folks to model the Christian life to young people. Members of the church set the example to children and youth on how to worship, how to live a Christ-like life, and how to serve Christ in others. As a member of the Board, your feedback is significant in moving the children and youth ministries forward in a sustainable model. As Christians, we are called to nurture faith in our young people. Investing your time in a listening group shows the care that members of the Board have for its children and youth. Ministry Architects values the “outside” view that you can give.

What will the report look like?
The Assessment Report will start by reflecting back to the church what the Ministry Architects team heard people saying about the children and youth ministries. We compare your church to norms across the country. We will point out the assets of the programs – the things to protect and keep. We will also share the challenges that we see – the things that are roadblocks to the ministries moving strategically forward. We then lay out a blueprint for how to strategically move the children and youth ministries from where they are now to where you want them to be. These recommendations include a detailed timeline laying out the process month by month.