1,324

Jenny recently finished filling out the annual end-of-year reports for the annual conference. This year those reports included a number of new questions including the following: “Number of persons served by community ministries for outreach, justice, and mercy.” Our number for that question was 1,324. This is an estimate, but a conservative one. It includes all the kids we gave toothbrushes and/or backpacks to, all the people we helped through the food pantry, Christmas baskets, and lice kits. It is a large number. We know that our membership and attendance are not what they were in the past, we’re concerned about those numbers and spend quite a bit of time thinking about them, but we want to celebrate this number. It’s a large number, it’s an impressive number, it’s a number that indicates that the Holy Spirit is active and at work in our church. And the movement of the Holy Spirit is always cause for celebration.