In Case You Missed It
Monday, March 7, 2022
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sign Up for Lenten Study and Devotional Books
A reminder that the Lenten Study begins this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. (subsequent weeks will be at 7:00 p.m.) If you haven’t registered to receive the devotional booklet and/or attend the study you can register online here: bsumc501.breezechms.com/form/lent2022.
Manna Café Sponsors
Are you looking for a way to make a difference in a quick and tangible way? Our Manna Café ministry team is looking for a sponsor for meals on March 30th, April 6th, and April 20th. Contact the team at mannacafe@broadstreetumc.net if you’re interested. (“Sponsor” means to provide and/or prepare meals to be served in to-go containers and distributed at the entrance to the church.)
Sunday Morning Worship Opportunities
If you’d like to serve as a Sunday morning liturgist or greeter or to sponsor Altar flowers in the Sanctuary, there is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. You can also sign up for Altar flowers here.
Remembering Lisa Dostie
Memorial arrangements have been completed for Lisa Dostie. There will be a Celebration Gathering on Wednesday, March 9, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. at Ohio Cremation and Memorial Society, 5464 N. High St., between Clintonville and Worthington.
A Staff Update
Many of you know Justin Nelson Nowakowski was hired as our interim church administrator in June 2021. In this interim time, Justin has worked diligently and strategically to bring new life to some of our ministries and the building. He moved us from, “How does the building look?” to “How does the building feel?” He developed systems to bring efficiency to new levels, and he worked tirelessly to welcome any and all who come through the doors of Broad Street Church. We are immensely grateful and far better for all that Justin has brought to Broad Street in this interim period. This interim period has now been completed, and together with SPRC, we are now assessing our new needs and structure. SPRC will host a reception in Justin’s honor so that we might appropriately thank him for his work. Keep watching for details about the reception.
An Update on General Conference
An announcement was made this week that the 2020 UMC General Conference, originally rescheduled for 2022, has now officially been postponed to 2024. The Reconciling Ministries Network has prepared an official response with helpful information and perspectives regarding this announcement. You can find the RMN response directly below.
Dear Reconciling family:
By now you have likely heard that General Conference 2020 has been postponed after two previous delays. We acknowledge the Commission’s wisdom in delaying this meeting during a time of global duress; we thank the members of the Commission for their hard work; and we wholly support their decision. And yet, we also lament this lengthening test of our patience. These circumstances only prolong the road to justice for our LGBTQ+ kin and to parity in the global Church. We know that you may be feeling disappointed, hurt, or tired.
During this time of continued delay, we encourage you to dig deeply into the mission of the Church and engage in ministry locally. We also invite you to engage with the Reconciling movement near you or nationally. If there isn’t a Reconciling Church or Community near you, then reach out to the Organizer in your area to learn how you can connect. The RMN staff is here to support you, and RMN will continue to provide virtual gatherings, educational resources, and new modes of connection as we strive together toward justice and inclusion in The United Methodist Church.
Let us be honest here: holding a pandemic-era General Conference with myriad barriers to safe and equitable participation would not have been a Christ-like way to be the Church. We also know that there is no General Conference outcome that can create the kind of justice that LGBTQ+ people deserve. Legislation is important, and RMN will continue to engage in collaborative work to influence legislative change; however, no legislative solution can transform our Church. The work of transformation is not merely legislative and is our work. This is our daily fare. And, we do not need the permission of the General Conference to seek connection and healing in the denomination.
We urge you to remember that the Beloved Community is being built today by our cooperation with the Spirit and will continue to be built long after the General Conference finally meets. RMN will continue to work for the fullness of life for God’s LGBTQ+ children no matter when the next General Conference is held, and we will continue to work toward the same goal after the General Conference, too.
In the coming weeks, you will hear more about how you can get involved at your local level. Among upcoming opportunities to advance justice in the Church are Annual Conferences and, hopefully, Jurisdictional Conferences. These are important opportunities to prevent harm, do all the good we can, and elect leaders who will help advance justice for those whom our Church has historically marginalized. And, the time is always right to begin or continue discerning a call to affiliate with RMN as a Reconciling Ministry.
For the last two years, RMN has focused on resourcing and growing the movement with you, equipping you to be changemakers in your own contexts, providing pastoral care through virtual events, and more. RMN will continue in the work of transformation and support for LGBTQ+ families throughout The United Methodist Church and in separating groups including the Global Methodist Church. Every LGBTQ+ person and everyone learning to love LGBTQ+ people more fully will find kinship and support at RMN. RMN has never turned away those seeking the love of the Church, and that will not change no matter the denomination in which you or your congregation find yourselves in the future.
We are also excited to unveil updates that have been in progress for over a year, now: changes that we hope will give you more tools and capacity to be in ministry for God’s LGBTQ+ beloveds. We cannot do this work without you. And we ask for your prayerful discernment to be in financial partnership with RMN in this upcoming season. To invest in RMN, click here.
For all things and in all seasons, we give thanks to God. We may not have chosen this course, but we are on it, and we give thanks that we are on it together.
If you weren’t able to join us for Worship on Sunday, below are a few quick links to portions you may be interested in viewing.
Sunday’s Pastoral Prayer was not captured on the livestream due to technical difficulties.
