Perhaps it is because of having some time away to reflect. Perhaps it is because during this week of Thanksgiving, I am aware that I am so very thankful for where our church is going today. In any case, I would like to take a moment to update our Berry friends on where we are and where we are going.
The last few weeks have been big ones for our congregation. We made the decision to enter into a lease to share a church home with First Vietnamese United Methodist Church in Albany Park. The work to renovate the building is going on in earnest. There is much to do, and all of it is being coordinated by Church Properties Reimagined who are the owners of the building. This building offers us a right sized space in a neighborhood that is only a few minutes from where our former building is. It is exciting to have some certainty about where we will worship in the long-term.
Over the last few weeks, we also have had a number of formal and informal gatherings with members of Big Shoulders Church. It has become clear to me that the two congregations share many values and visions for ministry. The Berry leadership board recently voted to begin the process of a merger with Big Shoulders Church. There are a number of steps to this process, but I judge that a big step is making the decision to begin the conversation.
Both of these decisions have the opportunity to multiply our efforts in ministry. Thank you to our leadership team and to all of our congregation for your time working toward making this a reality. If you have questions around anything going on in the church you can contact me, or any of our board and we would be happy to share more details. As we move forward, I ask you to continue to hold Berry, our leadership team, and me in your prayers. I am convinced that God has work for us to do.
Peace,
Matthew