Happy New Year, Friends!
I am writing to you with hope that your experience of the Christmas Season was reflective and peaceful, and that you are starting the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and hope! I was grateful to have time with family during this holiday season. After the service on December 29th, we travelled to Virginia to ring in the new year with Paul’s brother, as well as our sister-in-law and nephew (whom Clara and Lillian adore). I am so grateful for Scott pulling double duty (leading the music and the message) on January 5th to make this possible. We have such a great team at Bright Hope Laurel, made up of both staff and congregational leaders. Thanks be to God!
As I look back on 2024, I give thanks for you all. As I say often to those who ask – Bright Hope Laurel UMC has restored my hope in the local church. You all were the hands and feet of Christ this year, serving in the midst of a new pastor and a storm that brought quite a bit of destruction. I got a front row view of your selfless acts of kindness through the work you did with the Ebbs Chapel Community Center’s clothing closet and food distribution center, and through the medical clinic that serves the Laurel Valley community in profound ways. You went to work after the storm helping through the sorting and distribution of goods (that was a lot of clothes!), through the chopping of trees, through caring for your neighbors in Wolf Laurel and other areas, and working alongside the fire department to help in the best ways possible. Wow! What a testimony to the care of God for all of us!
As we move into 2025, my excitement is barely containable within the confines of my body. There are a couple of things I am especially excited about:
- Handbells will be starting back! – I cannot wait to learn to ring a bell and make music with you all. Scott has his work cut out for him. I haven’t had a music lesson since 5th grade! If you want to be a part of our up and coming, intergenerational handbell group (is group the right word?) let Scott know. We’ll all learn together from those of you who have many years of practice.
- We will take part in a year-long cohort funded by the Duke Endowment through the North Carolina Rural Center which will help us discern some strategic ways we can build even stronger relationships within our community and work alongside our community in ministry. Bright hope Laurel was chosen along with 20 other congregations across North Carolina out of a pool of about 70 applicants, because of your strong passion and desire to learn and grow, and because of the strong ministries you are already a part of. I cannot wait to see what comes out of this time of discernment!
Of course, I get excited about worshiping with you, taking communion with you, singing with you, making apple butter with you, discussing theology and our lives every Tuesday in Spiritual Support Group, the lunches, the laughter, and all the in-betweens as well. I just know it’s going to be a great year, and I can’t wait to live it alongside you!
A Word About Winter Weather: I hope you all know the joy it brings me when I get to see you and hug your necks! I love the ritual of Sunday Worship, and the stability of knowing that when other things in our lives are chaos, we can always count on Sunday. And, I want us to all keep safety in mind when winter weather rears its head.
In the event that winter weather keeps us from being together on a Sunday Morning, this year we will try our hand at worshiping via Zoom. We will send an email notification by 8am on Sunday morning if Worship will be held via Zoom that day. In order to receive these notifications and a link to attend via Zoom, please make sure you are subscribed to our email list. You can find a form to sign up on the right-hand side of our webpage if you scroll down a bit – brighthopelaurelumc.org. Scott will be prepared to lead us in a few hymns, I will give a brief message, and we will try to have some slides ready to do some congregational prayer and reading. Afterward, we will have a short time of fellowship (as much as we can online). I am hopeful we will only have to go this route a few times, but it will be nice to at least try to be together in some capacity when the weather prevents us from being present in person.
Friends, I truly give thanks to God for you all and want you to know how much of a joy it is to serve as your pastor. I pray that this year our relationships will be strengthened and we will grow to know more of the love of Christ through each other.
With Joy & Love,
Pastor Shonnie
