Hey Glen Mar!

Just this past week, I had the privilege of standing with another person who decided to join and make Glen Mar Church home. Each time folks join the church, they are asked a familiar question:

Will you faithfully participate in the ministries of the church by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?

And the response, which I lead them in, is a simple, “I will.”

And while those are only two words, they carry quite a bit of weight.

When we join a church, we are not simply putting our name on a membership roll or saying that this is the place where we prefer to worship on Sunday mornings. No, we are making a commitment to God and to one another, and we are saying that this is the community that we are willing to pray for, show up for, give to, serve within, and represent in the world.

This past week, our Lay Leadership Development Committee met to begin looking ahead toward 2027 and thinking about who might serve in some of the leadership roles throughout Glen Mar Church.

I know. I just used the words “committee” and “leadership roles,” and some of you are already thinking about how not to make eye contact with me on Sunday morning!

But this is about more than filling empty slots on a roster.

Some of you have gifts and experiences that could help your church continue to live out our mission more fully. Some have spent years managing people or organizations, while others understand buildings, finances, human resources, or how to navigate difficult conversations. Some of you are really good at seeing gifts in other people. Some of you have leadership experience that you have never really thought about using in the church.

But maybe you should. Better yet, I would invite you to not just think about it, but pray about it and ask God, “Is there somewhere you are asking me to serve?”

Maybe the answer is, “No,” and that is okay.

But maybe something stirs in you. Maybe someone has mentioned church leadership to you before, and you brushed it off, or maybe you have been waiting for someone to ask.

Consider this the ask.

When we became members of the church, we stood together and said, “I will.”

Perhaps this is one of the ways God is inviting some of us, maybe even you, to live those words out in a new way.

See you Sunday, and please reach out if you would like to talk about ways to serve.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris