Greetings Glen Mar,

What a week! This past Monday was Glen Mar’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. While this has been happening for 12 years, it was my first time witnessing firsthand the beauty of what God does through this church. We welcomed over 1,000 participants into the building, and who knows how many more at our satellite sites. Of course, everything we did on Monday was in honor of Dr. King’s legacy, which reminds us that “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.” With the help of Kingdom Investors, Ames Memorial UMC, St. John’s Baptist Church, and many other partners, we packed and shipped 106,000 meals to people in need.

At one point in the afternoon, as the meal count kept climbing, I stepped into the chapel to give thanks. As people who have been given much, we are called to give much away, as we say, “We are blessed to be a blessing.” What a joy it is to live out Christ’s call in Matthew 25: to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and love our neighbors in tangible ways. I sat there quietly, praising God and marveling at what God was doing through us.

As this potential winter weather event (I won’t call it a blizzard yet) unfolds and leadership discerns plans for Sunday, I can honestly say we have already worshiped several times this week, on Sunday through our worship services and Communion gathering, and again on Monday through our Day of Service. To serve God and neighbor is itself an act of worship. While God no longer asks for burnt offerings, I believe God is deeply pleased when hearts are offered in love and service, just as this community did so beautifully on Monday.

Thank you for all you do as we live out our mission of “Praising God, Growing Disciples, and Serving the World” together. It is a joy to serve such a faithful, generous, and service-oriented community.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris

P.S. Stay tuned for communication about this weekend’s worship and Sunday School schedule related to the potential weather.