August 25, 2023
Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We write to you today with hearts filled with hope, anticipation, and a deep sense of purpose. We believe that the Holy Spirit has led us to embark on a journey that has the potential to bring about powerful transformation in our congregations and our community.
As you are probably aware, WordServe Church has been on the First Fulshear Campus for the past two years as a tenant in the Fellowship Hall. Both churches successfully navigated the change to the Global Methodist Church. Now, Pastors and Leaders from both churches are prayerfully considering the path ahead and have selected teams to explore ways we might partner more closely for a greater impact in our community.
To guide us through this important process, we have enlisted the help of Mike Bonem, a Harvard-trained facilitator with a wealth of experience in guiding churches through times of transition. Mike's expertise, along with our unwavering trust in the Holy Spirit, will lead us through a series of joint meetings and exercises aimed at fostering communication, understanding, and unity.
Our ultimate goal is to seek a common vision that glorifies God. We are committed to prioritizing the central mission of making disciples of Christ. Our combined efforts hold the potential to reach more hearts, transform more lives, and share the message of salvation more effectively than ever before. We are prayerfully seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us what this might look like: two churches become one, two separate churches on the same campus that partner in ministry and mission, or some other version of ministry to grow God’s Kingdom.
None of this can happen without your involvement. We humbly ask you to pray that God’s will be done as we navigate this journey of discernment. We seek your intercession for discernment, wisdom, and the ability to hear clearly from the Holy Spirit. Your prayers are essential in guiding us and aligning our steps with God's plan. If there are formal decisions to be made that impact both churches, they will be made by a church-wide vote. This is truly a decision from the Body of Christ.
In the coming weeks and months, we will launch a landing page that keeps everyone informed on the process, and we’ll announce a series of gatherings to provide ample opportunities for open dialogue, sharing of perspectives, and collective discernment for as long as this process continues. We believe that the Holy Spirit is present in these conversations and will continue to guide us as we move forward.
Regardless of the outcome of these meetings, we want to assure you that our shared commitment to Christ remains unwavering. We are excited about the prospect of this journey and the potential it holds, but we also recognize that drawing closer to Christ and deepening our faith is the ultimate goal, no matter the result.
We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your faithful dedication as disciples of Christ. Your commitment to growing in faith, serving our community, and bearing witness to God's love is truly inspiring. Let us continue to uplift one another in prayer and support, that our unity in Christ transcends any earthly circumstance.
With hearts united in Christ's love,
Alex Lupo Bill Hogan
Lead Pastor Lead Pastor
First Fulshear Methodist Church WordServe Church
TEAM MEMBER ROSTER
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FFMC Bill Beck Rev Erik Gragert Jason Hall Rev Alex Lupo Cheryl Peschke-Benton Bud Simmons Pete Wardenburg |
WordServe Jimmy Gagliardi Rebekah Harwood Rev Bill Hogan Mark Mahoney Ryan Rodgers Mike Yates Erika Yelverton |
As more information becomes available, it will be posted here