You don’t have to join the church to attend. In fact, you can stake out your pew and sit there for years without joining. God still knows the number of hairs on your head, whether you’re a member or not. But for me, becoming a member of FUMC felt like a return home.
See, I’d been a member in years past, when my children were small. I served as a confirmation mentor and watched them both take their vows as Christians. I also served on the Finance Committee, a role I decided to tackle so I could learn something about finance, not because I had any experience or aptitude therein. And may I add, it wasn’t the best decision. Financial terms were Greek to me.
Then, after a move to Asheville, North Carolina, and subsequently 12 years living there, my husband and I moved back to Winter Park and rejoined FUMC. The staff had changed some in the time we were gone, and while we had loved Bob Bushong, we heartily embraced David Miller.
Which brings me to our decision to re-join FUMC. I don’t remember attending a New Member Class when we originally joined, but if there had been any instruction on spiritual gifts, I doubt I would have joined the Finance Committee. Having that instruction through the New Member Class we attended in 2019 was a great benefit. It helped us hone in on the gifts we’d been given by God as Christians, and it pointed me in directions that were more appropriate to my experience, my aptitudes, and my expertise. Plus, I made some new friends.
So, here’s my plug. JOIN. It’s a commitment that bridged the years for me. Thomas Wolfe once said, “You can’t go home, again,” but in my experience, you can.
~Susan Blexrud, Lay Member
Are you interested in becoming a member? We would love to invite you to our next set of new member classes this July via Zoom!