What Is Your Witness?

Below you will find an article I wrote for the newsletter, I wanted to share it here and add a little more to some information about First UMC. Catch you on the other side...

We will be welcoming some new members to our congregation this month! A blessing to the body of Christ gathered at First UMC to be sure. Anytime a new member is introduced to the congregation they are asked the question: Will you support First UMC with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and service? And in their answer we are also reminded of our pledge of membership recommitting ourselves to those same promises. Since General Conference in 2008, a new committment has been added to the list, it is "witness." Reminding us that sharing our faith in mission and evangelism are part of our Wesleyan heritage and especially important in these days as Christianity seeks its relevancy in the world.

One of the definitions of witness is "to serve as evidence of." I think that probably best provokes our thoughts in this context. How do you "serve as evidence of" being a follower of Christ? How can you share the evidence of God in your life with the world? I have shared with the Confirmands that coming to church on Sunday morning is a witness to their neighbors that that is what they choose to do instead of staying home. We have also shared that it is a witness to each of us that have also made that decision. There is nothing like coming to church and finding your friends here!

So might I suggest that our witness begins with coming to worship - regularly - and from there our witness is further shaped as to how we will go forth to live it in the world. How will you "serve as evidence of" being a Christian in the world today?

I recently changed the bulletin board downstairs and it is entitled "What Is Your Witness?" We took some time to do some good research into the data base to get a good picture of the spiritual health of the congregation, at least what we could learn from those numbers. We were not able to discern some things, but others we were.
There are 1131 members of First UMC
516 people attend more than 1/month (not all of these are members)
543 members have not attended worship at all in the past year
(the difference in numbers are those who attended less than 12 times in a year)
414 people attend worship and give to the church in someway (could include one time gifts)
137 people attend worship, give and are part of a small group whether that be Sunday School, choir, a study or volunteer group.
So if our discipleship is about prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness...where do you fall in these numbers? As I say above...part of our witness is choosing to go to church and attend a class and give to the church and pray for each other....

I also assure you that First UMC is no different than any other church...these numbers would compare to many a church; so don't shake your head and sigh about how "bad" we are, but look into your own life and ask where you can go a little deeper and then by all means: GO!