Dear Friends,
I met this past weekend with our newly elected Compass Team. This is the group of dedicated leaders who have agreed to serve this congregation as a vision casting and governance team. Each of them brings spiritual maturity, a servant’s heart and experience in giving leadership to the church.
At our first organizing retreat, this team reaffirmed two very important commitments for Royal Oak First and our movement. First, we continue to stand by our vision of “Making Christ’s Love Real!” We want people’s faith experience to be something that matters, and that makes sense in their day-to-day living. For us, faith is more than ideas, doctrines, and beliefs – it is a way of living with each other and the world around us.
The second was our commitment to saying, “All are Welcome—and All Means All!” In a world that seeks to divide us in every which way, we seek to hold a community that finds its unity in Christ. We will continue to build a movement where people of different ages, races, economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and political persuasions can come together in love. This is the sign and symbol the world needs. It is not always easy. It sure can be messy. And yet, it is at the very heart of the ministry of Christ.
Please keep the members of this team, Brian LaRose, Ann Brown, Tim Ryckman, Carrie Beerer, Robin Richardson, Jeff Vickers, Jay Dunstan, Jennifer Tripoli, and myself in your prayers. The work ahead of us is exciting.
We are glad you are here!
Grace and Peace,
PS – Don’t forget that this week’s Faith & Film movie is Little Women and it has moved to a new location. Please join us at the MJR in Troy, right on the corner of Livernois and Maple. Parking is ample and free and the cost is only $7.