Dear Congregation,
“Life is about change, sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s beautiful, but most of the time it’s both.”
Kristin Kreuk
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Thank you so much for the lovely, warm welcome you gave me last Sunday on my first day with you as your Interim Pastor! I was really touched from the minute I drove up and saw the great sign Daniel Best had posted in front of the church! Sharing worship, communion, and the Litany of Welcome, in which we made our promises to each other and to God, was very meaningful to me. I also appreciated the gifts given on behalf of the church by Moderator Lorrie LeGrand, her daughter Isabella, and Anasofia Godley. The colorful red and blue sparkly sign the girls made for fellowship time was also great! Your kind and affirming words of welcome really meant a lot.
And so we are off on a new time of being the church together. I know this is quite a change after Pastor Hudder’s many years with Christ Congregational Church. Such a successful long-term pastorate is a wonderful testimony to your work together.
As we begin, please know that I am committed to helping the church be, above all else, faithful to Jesus Christ. In addition to performing all the usual tasks of ministry, I’ll be working with the congregation on the five tasks of Interim Ministry and will be sharing more specific information about them with you in the future.
As you know, I am contracted to work thirty hours a week, essentially three-quarters time. I plan to be in the office on Mondays, Thursdays, and, of course, Sundays. I will be working from home on other days. I really appreciate this flexibility to maximize productive time and minimize time in Miami traffic! I will always be available to you by cell phone (925-640-9289), text, and, e-mail at cccpastor@att.net. I sincerely want to know of any pastoral needs.
One of my favorite sayings is “There is much work to be done in the world!” I look forward to doing that work together with you!
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Candy Thomas
Interim Pastor
Christ Congregational United Church of Christ