I am writing this while sitting in the Dallas airport, waiting for my flight. (Are lap top computers wonderful?)  I have been attending a national United Methodist Conference for large churches.  I want to share with you that when I hear what The United Methodist Church is doing across our nation I become excited.  The United Methodist Church is alive and well!  Saint Paul UMC is no different!  We are a healthy UM Church trying to do what we can to meet the needs of God's children.  We are a church with a heart that has been "lit" by the love of God through Jesus the Christ.  Someone recently asked me why we have so many announcements about things we can financially support.  My response was: "So we can choose which ministry or mission outreach we wish to support."  It would be fantastic if each of us could give to every need asking for our financial support, but most of us just cannot.  We have to choose, and that is okay!  What is God leading you, asking you, to do?  That is one of the questions each of us needs to ask, then pray, and choose!  Don't feel guilty if you cannot give to everything!  Celebrate what you can do! 

Let's celebrate what Saint Paul UMC can do!  Our celebrating is one way we can say "Thank you" to God. We have a lot to be thankful for.  Look at what we are doing by providing a meeting place for community programs and groups that are touching lives (check the monthly calendar at Saint Paul).  Look at the various worship experiences, small groups, the children, youth and adults who are being ministered to by our church.  Again, Saint Paul is a healthy UM Church trying to do what we can to meet the needs of God's children.  We have things we can improve and explore - but that doesn't negate what we are and what we are doing! 

Let's celebrate being a church that is trying to respond to the call to be in mission and ministry. 

Grace and Peace, 

Dr. Keith W. Johnson, Senior Pastor