Soul Tired

Dear Friends in Faith,
I am in my 27th year of ministry as a United Methodist pastor. It’s hard to believe! I am soul tired from the wear and tear of ministry over the years. I have requested a 3-month renewal leave and SPR and Parish Council have graciously granted it to me. I am so very grateful! I have 10 or so more years of ministry before I retire, and this gift will restore my soul and empower me to continue strong. I appreciate the support and encouragement I have received in this process.

My leave will begin the day after Easter, April 5th and I will return July 5th. I will move out of the parsonage to make it available for guest pastors to come enjoy Livingston while they fill in. We have a series of guest preachers including Tom Boller, Fred Amborn, Paul Kottke, Sue DeBree, Rusty Harper, and Deb Christine who will preach on Zoom and in-person each week. Each one of them is wonderful and will do a great job. Fred Amborn will take care of pastoral care needs. You are in good hands with the leadership of Parish Council. I am enjoying the gifts and challenges of ministry here in Park County. I will return and plan to stick around for a while. There is no guarantee beyond one year in our United Methodist system, but we have been assured by the Bishop that I will serve here through 2022. My hope is to continue here beyond that.

While I am on renewal leave, I want to reconnect with the Jesus of the gospels. Over the years I have gravitated to my favorite stories and have lost touch a bit with Jesus’ whole story. There are 89 chapters in the gospels (Matthew-28, Mark-16, Luke-24, John-21). I invite you to join me in reading one chapter each day and enlarging our knowledge of Jesus.
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Again, I want to express my appreciation for this gift and investment in me and my ministry. God is good and I am truly hopeful about our future together.

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL BAGS
I am excited about my latest project! We have daily devotion bags to guide us through Holy Week this year, March 28 – April 4. There is a scripture passage to read and reflect on, along with a token to connect with the idea, and a prayer. It is for all ages but works well with children. The colorful bags are at Holbrook, Grace (2 in box by front door and several inside), and Pine Creek churches. If you need one delivered let me know. Feel free to share them with others. A big thank you to Lisa Held and Anita Brawner who helped put them together!

WORSHIP and SERMONS
This season of Lent we are exploring what happens when divine love meets humanity. This coming Sunday we will dig into the disciple Peter’s story. Join us on Zoom at 9 am or in person at Holbrook at 11.

Here’s the link to last week’s sermon, What Happens When Jesus Meets Us in our Traditions https://www.methodistsontheyellowstone.org

GARDEN MISSION DONATIONS
We are creating a new mission project to help feed families through gardening! We need donations of seeds (bush beans, bush cucumber, carrots, zucchini, buttercup squash, beets, radishes, lettuce). We also could use cash or gift cards to help people get soil. Just designate on your check Garden Corner. Bring donations to your local church, or place in the box to the left of Grace UMC’s front door.

We will be hosting a series of workshops on the 3rd Saturday of each month to help people plant, grow, and harvest. May 15th will be the first workshop helping people get a garden started, focusing on container gardening. If you want to join our planning team, our next meeting is Tuesday, March 23rdth at 4.  Meeting ID: 815 7879 2161 Passcode: 899617. If you have ideas, contact one of our current team members: Carol Beadle, Stacy Jovick, Carol Kron, DeeAnn Durgan, Susan Payne, and Luan Peterson.

UPCOMING EVENTS
· Upper Room Retreat Join us on Saturday, March 27th at 10:00 am on Zoom to discuss the Upper Room devotions and enjoy fellowship with one another. Meeting ID: 835 1181 2312 Passcode: hopelives
· Holy Thursday worship on Zoom. Join us on Thursday, April 1st at 7 pm for a service where we will consider the last week of Jesus’ life and how that connects with our lives today. (Check out our weekly email for the meeting ID and password!)

WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES (Check out our weekly email for the meeting ID and password!)
· Meaningful Conversations on Zoom Wednesdays at 11 am we gather on Zoom. 
· Men’s Group on Wednesdays at noon meets at Grace UMC. Their current book is The Rock, The Road and The Rabbi. All are welcome!
· Hymns and Prayers on Thursday evenings at 7 on Zoom. Join us for deeper connection. It refreshes our souls and lifts us up each week. 
· Sunday Morning Digital Worship on Zoom at 9 am! 
· In-person Worship at Holbrook on Sundays at 11 am. Masks and social distancing observed.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,
Pastor Patti

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Peace and grace,
Pastor Patti (she, her, hers)