Pastor's Page
Pastor Sam and Abby
Greetings to you all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!
I can hardly believe that my first month here at CCUMC has already come to a close, what a joyful whirlwind it has been! Over the past few weeks I have been blessed to get to know many of you and to begin leading our outdoor worship services. While there are still many unknowns and our plans continue to change, I am thankful to Jesus our Lord and Saviour for all the comfort and strength he provides in the midst of this time of transition.
Our first four weeks of outdoor worship on the Town Point lawn have been a great success, and we plan to continue to use this location for the month of August as well. While many of us are eager to worship inside once again, for the health and safety of the community we will continue to have the majority of
our functions outside at this time. This is not an easy decision to make, but following Christ's teaching to love our neighbor as ourselves, we continue to
hold everyone’s health and safety in prayerful concern (Matt. 22:39-40). While we will not be having worship inside, CCUMC is making plans to relaunch
many of our various missions and ministries in the fall, so please be in prayer for the church and its leaders as we discern how to best carry on the work of the church in this strange time.
This first month in Chesapeake City has certainly been an exciting and joyful time for myself and my fiancé, Abby. We have had the great pleasure of getting to know many folks in our church community, both at Sunday service and over dinner or via phone calls. Both of us look forward to continuing to meet and get to know more members of our church community as we begin to find ways to re-gather and reconnect as a community. As a reminder, I am available anytime Sunday through Thursday 9am - 9pm. I take Friday and Saturday as my weekend, but do not hesitate to contact me in the case of any emergency.
I strive to keep Friday as my Sabbath day, a day of rest and set aside for God and loved ones, and I encourage all of you to find a time to set aside as your own Sabbath. In this difficult and challenging time in which we live, it is more important than ever to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exo. 20:8-11).
This instruction from God gives pattern to our lives and also ensures that we spend specific time with God and with those close to us. When the stresses and uncertainties of life seek to overwhelm us, we must hold fast to God and loved ones, and what better way than setting aside time to intentionally spend with them. As we move into the month of August, I ask us all to prayerfully consider keeping our Sabbath that we might better connect with God and one another.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Sam Mitchell