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Dear friends in Christ, Our staff went on retreat yesterday. We spent the day off campus reconnecting with God. It was a meaningful time. One of the things we talked about was how important it is sometimes to disconnect in order to reconnect. We thought about that verse from Luke 5:16 which says, "And Jesus withdrew to a lonely place where he prayed." I gave each person a Scripture text and asked them to spend 20 minutes in solitude and open themselves to God in prayer. When we returned we shared our experiences together. I was amazed at the insights and discoveries that resulted from time alone with God. There is no substitute for this. We must detach in order to reattach. Then we moved from personal connection to communal connection. We talked of our need to be connected through a common vision. When an organization is confused about her mission, confusion results. Our mission is clear. We are called "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." But what is our part in this? What does it mean to embody the mission? What does that look like for us, as leaders? What are we risking for the mission of Christ? We then moved from communal connection to kingdom connection. We ended the day with Bishop McAlilly and our superintendent, Harriet Bryan sharing with us the greater vision of the Tennessee Conference and the role they felt Brentwood played in this vision. I felt blessed to be in alignment with these special leaders. It was a memorable day. I want to remind you that on Wednesday night, September 10, at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary, we are going to begin a 6-week Bible-based study called "Embody." We are going to be sharing with you our
emerging mission and strategy for ministry in the days ahead. How can we plug into God's mission for Brentwood UMC? What is our role as servants of God? Come and see. (Click for detailed information about the study.) I hope you will make every effort to be present. We are planning on 600 of you being here. We will have materials available for you as you enter. For those who have conflicts, we are planning on videotaping these sessions and making them available on-line and on DVD. Please join us for this important series. Finally, it was good to welcome new members Sydney Reedy, Pate Smith, Mack Terrell, Bryan and Stacey Wolf, Cathy Robinson, Keith and Kim Johnson, Kathryn Mastin, Janet Jarriel, Samantha Jean, Mike and Nancy Cunningham, Paul, Mandy, and Hallie Derrick, Carole Faucette, and Ned, Missy, Brady and Flinn Michaels to our Brentwood campus. Welcome to our church community. See you Sunday, and Wednesday! The peace of Christ be with you!
Davis