Where has the first day (and night) gone?
Bishop Park and his wife, Lisa, following his episcopal address.
My apologies for not getting to this sooner!
But we shared a wonderful first day with an amazing laity workshop on evangelism presented by Rev. Dr. Kwasi Kena. Thanks to his presentation, I won’t soon forget the biblical story about the blind beggar Bartimaeus. He encouraged us to make the Bible our own, to learn the stories and tell them in our own words – words that can help bring others to Christ.
So we need to get over our fear of the "E" word – evangelism – and embrace all the possibilities that sharing the message of Jesus Christ can bring. Our discipleship goes hand in hand with evangelism. Our own stories about coming to faith may be the most powerful tool we have in talking to those seeking a change in their lives.
During the opening worship last night, Bishop Park offered his episcopal address and challenged us to join him in the journey to become a "beloved community of hope".
He said," I am a dreamer of the beloved community of hope because I believe in hope. I am an optimist of the beloved community of hope because I believe in love. The beloved community of hope lives by the simple faith that hope makes our faith real."
So how are you keeping hope alive for yourself, your church and your community?
Peace,
Joanne