Pastor's Page

Welcome, pilgrims and partners in ministry!

The spiritual hunger of our time is, I believe, great - but a few adults identify the local congregation as a place where that hunger can be met in a spirit of acceptance and nurture. I would like to invite you to join in this vision that I describe here. Gethsemane will give you an opportunity to grow deeper in faith and share the Dream of God for ourselves and the world through your ministry.

““Then Afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh: your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your men shall see visions. even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit””
— Joel 2:28-29, NRSV

“What is God calling the church to be and to do?”

Discipleship shapes how we live; Theology forms how we think. When the two are naturally together, we have resilient and lived faith. This is the goal of twenty-first century pastors and church leaders. We strive to be church.

We read in Letter to the Ephesians,

“The gifts [Christ] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” ”
— Ephesians 4:11-12

The purpose of gifted leaders in the church is to prepare the people of God for the works (service) of faith. The role of the pastor and Christian leader is, therefore, to call, equip, and commission the people of God for ministry.

For the sake of God’s truth in Jesus Christ we must begin to think of the church as a learning organization. The church as a learning organization embraces grace - we are not perfect and we need not pretend to be. We are open to asking about the goal, and how we can best achieve it in Jesus's name.

This I believe, is the vision for the twenty-first century congregational life. The focus of worship is God. The focus of our ministries is to reach and extend the vision of the church through the people.

I hope you will join me in prayerful celebration of our commission and the privilege and promise of the work we call ministry!