Dear Glen Mar friends,

This Sunday we will have an in-person “Missions Fair” after the 930 service. Come see a sampling of what Glen Mar is doing to serve the world (and our community)! In Worship, we will pray and praise, and begin a new sermon series called “The Ties That Bind,” pondering how we are connected to God, to each other and to the world. This Sunday’s topic is “Formed” – we are clay in the Potter’s hands. We will have baptisms and the chance to remember our own baptisms as well. If you join us, I know you will find it a blessing!

Looking ahead in worship, for the Sunday where the theme is “Woven Together,” we need your input. What does “Woven Together” mean to you? Send photos of things that display “Woven Together” literally or figuratively, to Pastor Melaina Trice by Wednesday, October 19.

Folks are signing up for Journey to Bethlehem! October is the best time to let us know that you are “in” to help make this gift to our community happen.

Finally, our Bishop recently hosted a Town Hall to address some misinformation that she has found circulating about United Methodism, what it means if a church wants to disaffiliate from the UMC and join the offshoot denomination, etc. The recording of that town hall was just made available so I wanted to share it with you. There are no plans at Glen Mar Church to disaffiliate or to join any other denomination. Our Leadership Board is monitoring developments in the denomination and also, looking toward the next world-wide meeting of the General Conference (the legislative body of the UMC) in 2024. You are invited to watch the video from our Bishop and view the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

As I have shared before, church leadership and I are committed to having Glen Mar remain who we are, doing what God is calling us to do – praising God, growing disciples and serving the world, welcoming to all and loving of all people. If you have questions about the video, or anything the Bishop is talking about, please feel free to contact any pastor, or Amanda Thomas, our Leadership Board chair.

See you in Church,

Pastor Mandy

PS: Here is the link for our upcoming Church (Charge) Conference (our yearly business meeting of the church) on October 29 at 9 am. All members are eligible to vote. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL ATTENDEES (by clicking on the zoom link above). The District Superintendant (DS) has shared that General Conference 2024 or denominational issues will not be on the agenda for any local church. It is our “regular” church/charge conference.

For more information on what’s going on at Glen Mar, check out our blog “This Just In.”