Earlier this year, a new song came across my Spotify app. The song is entitled, “Walk with Me.” The lyrics at the beginning go like this:              

Walk with me, Lord. Walk with me. Walk with me, Lord. Walk with me.
While I’m on this road, I don’t want to go alone. I want Jesus to walk with me.

The song goes on, but those are the words to carry us in the month of October and beyond. Some of you will no doubt recognize the same theme in one of our hymns in the red hymnal, “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me.” As a community of faith, we have organized our ministries into three areas: Worship, Grow, and Serve. After living with these three umbrellas for a season or two, those involved in the Serve area of ministry asked for some reconsideration of our branding for our third umbrella.

We have worked with intentionality and integrity to develop and design our ministries outside our walls to encompass the model of accompaniment – the idea of walking alongside our ministry partners instead of “bringing our ideas to their doors.” In earlier days, this area of ministry was called “Mission Outreach.” In the month of October, we are redefining and reforming our meaning and purpose once again to align our ministry with the important work of accompaniment. Those involved in the hands-on work of accompaniment asked us to consider rebranding this area of ministry under the umbrella of “Walk.” It makes sense. The renaming allows us to focus our ministries outside our walls on a parallel track alongside those who invite us to “walk” with them in our local, national, and global ministries.

As we look to the dreams of our Arise 2035, our Ten-Year Strategic Plan and Vision, your voice and your dreams for your church are important contributions to the days ahead. Beginning in October, you will have the opportunity to add your dreams to the “action items” on the posters in the narthex/lobby of the church. As you dream, consider sharing your ideas on those posters, so that we can offer the greatest imagination to the work God will lay before us in our future.

The hymn in the red hymnal begins with these words:

I want Jesus to walk with me. I want Jesus to walk with me.
All along my pilgrim journey. I want Jesus to walk with me.

I believe that is all any of us ever want in this life. I, for one, am happy to have each of you to walk alongside me on this journey of faith and life. To God be the glory.

See you in church,

Pastor Chris