Christ Community UMC
Update
July 9, 2025
Hi everyone:
Thank you so much for your kind and generous welcome this past Sunday. I was deeply blessed to see so many old friends and to meet so many new friends. Your “welcome back” and “welcome home” hugs reached me and blessed me. Again, Thank you!
Here are some things to know:
1. This Sunday, July 13, worship will feature Luke 10:25-37. An expert in religious law asks Jesus what he must do to inherit life. The answer is the Great Commandments: Love God; Love your Neighbor. The legal expert, wishing to justify himself, asks, “who is my neighbor.” Jesus responds by telling the story of a man who falls into misfortune, is passed by two very religious people, and helped by the unlikeliest hero in the entire New Testament. The sermon is titled “Everyone (Anyone) is (can be) a Minister.”
Worship is at 10:00 a.m. here is the link to our You Tube page: www.youtube.com/@christcommunityumc3320
2. A Celebration of Frank Walter’s life will be held this Saturday at Christ Community. Friends can greet the family at the church at 10:00 a.m. the Celebration will begin at 11:00 with a luncheon to follow.
3. Barb Wilcox’s mother, Annette Goodman, died on Tuesday morning this week. A funeral service will be held for Annette on Friday, July 11 at the Amboy United Church. Calling hour is from 11 a.m. to Noon with the funeral at Noon. Annette was 97 years old and a member at the former James Street UMC and Brown Memorial.
4. SMALL GROUP MEETINGS WITH THE PASTOR: There are 5 (five) meetings and locations:
July 21 at 11:00 at Cathy Monticelli’s home
July 22, at 6:30 at the Kline/Strazi home
July 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Bonnie DeBoer’s home
July 29 at 6:30 at Jen Tse’s home
August 2 at 11:00 at the Church hosted by Jim and Chris Hockey
Reply to this email to sign up for any of these dates or sign up at the church. We will set up additional gatherings if necessary.
5. I am also setting up one-on-one meetings with church leadership and others – if you would like to meet with Pastor BJ please call him at 315-726-2815 or reply to this email.
6. Community Night is July 17 – watch for more information.
7. In our prayers: Please pray for the families who lost loved ones in the Texas and New Mexico flooding; pray for the people of Gaza and Ukraine and all who are in active war zones, pray for our country; At Christ Community: Denise Weeks-Bush’s husband, Dick, was briefly hospitalized over the weekend; Barb Wilcox and family; the Walter family,
Pray for those who are shut-in at home or in nursing homes.
Pray for Pastor BJ as he prepares to travel to Kenya and Uganda in October
8. Interested in an international adventure: Pastor BJ along with Pastor Alicia Wood, are leading a group to Egypt in October of 2026. Cairo, Alexandria, a four-day cruise on the Nile, overnight at Mount Sinai with an optional extension to Petra and Mount Nebo in Jordan. Brochures are available through Pastor BJ
9. Calendar Items to remember:
July 10 – Church Council at 6:00
July 11 – Annette Goodman funeral at Amboy United Noon
July 12 – Frank Walter Celebration of Life at CCUMC at 11:00
July 17 – Community Night at 7:00 at CCUMC
10. Thank you for responding to our Persons needed to help
Someone volunteered to help in the office (more later)
Someone stepped up to be our Treasurer (more later)
Someone has checked our phones (thanks Jim Hockey)
The Trustees are working on a clean and paint of the Pastor’s office (Yea!)
When everyone recognizes that they are in ministry, the ministry of a church is no longer limited by the time and energy of the pastor.
A parting Thought:
For the past couple of months, I have had the Holy Spirit laughing at my ego and pride. I clearly remember saying that I would NEVER go back to being under appointment to a local church. I remember saying 43 years was enough and I wanted to do some “other types of ministry.” Yet here I am under appointment. I remember saying, the one thing I would never do was to go back to a church I had served as Pastor. Never. And yet here I am in my second go around at 3474 Stiles Road. The Holy Spirit laughs at our self-imposed limitations and barriers.
Maybe that is the critical lesson. God is never done with us. As followers of Jesus, we willingly make ourselves available to serve where we are needed, when we are needed, however we are needed, with whomever needs us. I am trying (I am really trying) to rise every morning and ask “OK, Lord, where, with whom, and what would you have me do today. Try that for a few days and see what amazing adventures the Lord might have in store for you!
Have a blessed week,
BJ Norrix, Pastor, Missionary, Lead Servant