Glen Avon Presbyterian Church

Rev. Robyn Weaver

In her book, Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World, Becky Pippert writes, “One of the cries we hear in our modern culture is the search for family, for community, especially with the isolating, fragmentary nature of the modern life. The longing for community arises out of a search for connectedness with God, with others and even with nature. The modern sense of being disconnected due to isolation, loneliness, broken relationships or simply the frenetic pace of modern life creates a profound longing for integration and a longing for a sense of place.” (Pg. 248)

Here at Glen Avon we offer to one another and to the larger community a response to this cry. Our life together in Christ opens for each of us a context for hope, care and the inclusion to all who find themselves in a place of need. (Acts 2:42-47)

This fall we are challenging ourselves to respond to Jesus’ call to ‘love our neighbor as we love ourselves.’ (Mark 12:31) What does it mean to take these words seriously and to reach out to welcome and care for those who live around and near us? What might it mean to discover one need a neighbor has and consider how we might respond?

We also are entering a season of reflecting on our ministry together to celebrate where God has led us and to begin to listen for new opportunities to serve the community we find ourselves in. What are our responses to the needs of those around us? What new steps do we need to take to discover how we can respond to the yearning for a sense of place? Are there new initiatives we can take to reach those who find themselves in great need?

Our first step in this prayerful work is to invite all church members to Home Gatherings that will take place all over the Duluth area. Glen Avon church members will be opening their homes to conversations about our lives together, our common life bound together in Christ. This is also our route to our collective path toward faithful stewardship. The theme fits with our Neighboring project: Uniting to Make a Difference for Christ. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24) When you are invited to a Gathering, we hope you will join in on the conversation. Our life together offers to each of us an opportunity to be a voice for neighbors we are getting to know. Our ministry together depends upon the exercising of the gifts and talents God has given each of us that, together, the members and friends of Glen Avon Church can make a difference for Christ.

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