As we enter into the month of September, we see the choirs return for practice of ringing and singing;
children and teens start a new school year; teachers and academic staff return from their break; graduates
may be starting college, trade school, or a new job; fall sports have begun their practices; high school bands are playing music and marching in formation; the Major League is working its way toward the World Series; NFL football is about to start; the air turns crisp and the sun sets a little earlier each day. There is something about the Fall that causes me to feel excitement rising as life is bursting with possibility. Once summer vacations have ended, people come back together in common focus and community.

We are in the midst of pausing to assess who we are and what God is calling us to, as we look to review and refresh our vision and mission statements. The Church is God’s witness to the life, love and mission of Jesus to our community. From our first congregational vision gathering on June 2, we shared our sense of who we are and talked about the vision God is inspiring within us. We discussed some of the values and qualities of the Green Tree Church of the Brethren. We are:

• Loving
• Friendly
• We help one another when in need
• A Christ-loving church.
• “It really feels like a Church family.”

We asked ourselves and each other, “why does Green Tree exist in 2024 in the community of Oaks?” and shared:

• “God put us here by a miracle!”
• God planted us here in this
  community to reach out to it.
• There are opportunities to reach the
  new people in the area as Oaks
  grows.
• And we recognized that Oaks is
  growing!

Some initial themes that were spoken as we got excited sharing about what our vision or mission
may include:

• To glorify God through worship, nurture, and service
• Green Tree is a beacon of God’s light and love in our community.
• This building is a place where we gather, learn, worship, and pray. The Church is not just the building.

We will meet again after worship on September 15, and I pray you will join us! In the interim, I hope you’ve been praying and seeking God about where God is calling us to focus our hearts, energy, time, prayers and resources as we go forward. Before we meet, I want to call your attention back to the years of
work that went into developing a denominational Compelling Vision statement, since Green Tree
fits within this collective witness: “Together, as the Church of the Brethren, we will passionately live and share the radical transformation and holistic peace of Jesus Christ through relationship-based neighborhood engagement. To move us forward, we will develop a culture of calling and equipping disciples who are innovative, adaptable, and fearless.” I look forward to stepping out and stepping forward with you, my faith family!!

~Pastor Kim