Dear Church Family, This week's e-note will cover the following three subjects: • Impressed Again • October Blues • Significant Weekend Impressed Again: Since I'm still so new to BUMC, I continue to experience many "firsts." Last Friday night I experienced my first Day School Fall Festival. Director Mollie Johnston and her committed and competent team put on a firstrate event for the children and families of our Day School. It was a joy to see so many children having a wonderful time at BUMC. Seeing such a large number of young families who are connected to our congregation made me feel exceptionally optimistic about the future of our church. October Blues: Like most Middle Tennessee pastors, I'm not crazy about the month of October. Why? Because, as one of my clergy friends said at a meeting last week, "October is the new summer." He was referring to the hit every Middle Tennessee church takes in worship attendance during October. In my last pastorate, October was the worst attended month of the year. It's the same here at BUMC. Several factors contribute to low attendance in October, including the Columbus Day holiday
weekend, fall break, and football games. Although preachers don't like this reality, we cannot change it. However, I do have an important request about the upcoming last weekend of October. Significant Weekend: I know that this Sunday is a major home Titans game. Many of you will be at the game. Many more of you will watch it on TV. I hope you have a great time watching the game and I hope the Titans beat the Colts! But I have a request of you. My request is that you come to one of our four weekend services this Saturday or Sunday. Between Saturday night (6:00) and three Sunday services (8:30, 9:50 and 11:00), it can easily be done. Let me explain why this is so important. This weekend we will focus on a subject that is crucial for the future of BUMC. During the weekend message, I will share frank and straight talk with you about the current reality at BUMC, including our financial reality, along with some of my dreams for the future. We need "all hands on deck" as we discuss this important subject, so I hope to see you this weekend. Finally, it was good to receive Spence, Katie, Madelyn and Ella Maners; Rachel, Emily and Catie Weller; and Matt, Cindy, Chey and Casie Beatty as new members. Welcome to our church family. In Christ's Love and Service, Martin