The young people in your life

Hello friends and family of faith,
Who are the young people in your life that fill your heart with joy? What makes each one of them special? How can you pass on your living faith to them in ways they can receive it? This greeting of Paul gives us some guidance.

2 Timothy 1:1-7
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
 
  Paul had a special relationship with Timothy. Paul loved Timothy as a son. And knew of the vital faith of Timothy’s grandmother and mother. Paul recognized the gifts of God present in young Timothy. And encouraged him to develop his unique gifts. I commonly hear complaints about younger generations. But here Paul is giving courage to Timothy. Reminding young Timothy to claim his power and leadership. Paul doesn’t tell Timothy how to live and lead. He leaves that to the spirit. Instead, Paul reminds Timothy to fan into flame the gift God has given him. He wants Timothy to be his best self. To offer his unique gifts to the world. That is a great model for us.
  How can we encourage the young people in our lives to fan into flame the gifts God has given them? How can we make space for them to live and lead in their own way? And, how can we do this in our churches? Sometimes, the church is known for wanting young people to fit into our expectations. Let’s learn from Paul and pass on our living faith in a way that allows young people to flourish.
 
Worship Corner
This Sunday I’ll be preaching at Grace at 8:00, Pine Creek & Zoom at 9:30, and Holbrook at 11:00. We’ll be exploring a Dr. Suess’s story. What do the North-going Zac and the South-going Zax have to teach us about living faithfully in our world? Join us for worship and we’ll see!
 
Shrove Sunday Deluxe Pancake Breakfast Feb. 27th
Grace will host the parish for a scrumptious breakfast with Devotions and Dilemmas from 11-12:30 on the 4th Sunday of February. Bring a friend and come to 9th and Clark at 11:00 am. Join this breakfast feast before Lent begins.

I’ve attached a flyer for you to post and advertise. If you are on Facebook, please share the event on your page using this link: https://fb.me/e/n3OT1tux4

Daily Devotional Begins March 2nd
We are producing a Lent Devotional written by members of Methodist Churches across Montana. We will have print copies available Feb 27th and Mar 6th. I will also send out a devotion each day via email. If you want to receive those emails, please reply to this email and let me know.
 
Current Small Group opportunities:
·  Men’s Group All are welcome to join this lively gathering of men who discuss books and topics of the day. Join on Wednesdays at noon at Grace UMC.
·   Hymns and Prayers I am restarting Hymns and Prayers on the 2nd Thursdays each month at 7 pm on Zoom. We connect to God and one another through scripture, hymns, and prayers. As we draw close to God, God draws close to us, even though our screens. Here is the Zoom info: Meeting ID# 889 9872 6182 Passcode: Join our mailing list to receive the password! Or you can click on this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88998726182?pwd=S09NOW80UkdKc0FSSmkrd3Z5UG9UUT09Join us next month on Mar. 10th at 7 pm
·   New small groups. We are getting organized to offer more small group opportunities. If you are interested, let Pastor Patti know at [email protected]
 
Mountain Sky Conference News
If you would like to be more connected to our conference, you can click on this link and subscribe to a weekly email that shares news and events that you can participate in.
https://rmcumc-email.brtapp.com/subscribe
 
May the Lord Bless you and Keep you!

~ Pastor Patti