So, the Sprakers and Fort Plain Reformed Churches have launched a “New Thing”: this website! Just for the record, ‘new thing’, for me means CHANGE! And change is difficult. I won’t say I don’t like change, for without change, I would not be who I am today; the seasons would be stuck in one place; life would be very drab and dull. I think you understand my meaning, change happens, the question is what do we do with it?
Maybe we start by asking why are we changing or doing this new thing? In this instance, we hope that by having a website more people will be able to connect with our two churches; that people with catch the vision we share of how God is working in our midst; that you, the reader of this blog and website, will get to know us and understand our unity in ministry. Not entirely a new thing, but a new way of doing this ‘thing’ called ministry in the valley.
Our congregations are unique in many ways and yet similar in some ways. We share a denomination (The Reformed Church in America); theology (God first loved us, so we love others); a pastor (Rev. Nancy Ryan); and other things throughout the year (Holy Day worship services, workshops, learning). Our uniqueness comes in our particular way of living out those shared things. We each value mission, Sprakers expresses that with multiple mission opportunities not the least of which is the Bike Path Ministry (see the drop down menu for more information). Fort Plain, also, engages in multiple mission activities, one of which is the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. We seek to help one another in these ministry situations and so, we work together to share God’s love in Christ in each of our places, encouraging one another along the way.
In the Bible, Paul writes to a church in Thessalonica (today the second largest city in Greece) these words: “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” We hope that providing this website, with a prayer chain, calendar of events, information about ministry and worship, and other neat stuff, that YOU will feel encouraged. YOU are welcome here and we hope to see you along the path, at the pantry, or maybe in worship at Sprakers or Fort Plain. May you experience the peace of Christ which is beyond this world in your life today. Pastor Ryan