One of the greatest gifts of Cason United Methodist Church is the people who have faithfully shown up, stepped forward, and served; often quietly and often for far longer than anyone should have had to carry a role. Before anything else is said, it needs to be said clearly and publicly: thank you. The leadership, care, prayer, and commitment that so many of you have offered over the years has sustained this church through seasons of growth, challenge, and transition.

Over the past several months, we have been engaged in prayerful discernment about the future of leadership at Cason. That discernment has led us to make changes to our leadership structure as we seek to be faithful to where God is leading us next.
Several years ago, Cason adopted the OC15 committee model with the hope that it would simplify leadership and reduce the number of people needed to serve. While the intent was good, in practice this structure has not functioned as we hoped. Attendance and engagement have remained ongoing challenges, and too often leadership roles have been filled because people were willing or asked, rather than because they felt clearly called to that work.

As a result, many faithful leaders served far longer than was healthy. Burnout became common, rest became rare, and sustainability suffered. That was never the goal, and it is not how the church should care for its people.
Cason now finds itself in a valley between seasons of leadership. We are deeply grateful for those who have carried the church faithfully for many years. At the same time, we are preparing for those who are coming, leaders who will grow as disciples and serve out of a deep sense of calling. In this in between moment, we must consolidate our leadership structure so that we are working with a smaller group of leaders who feel both called and committed, while intentionally focusing on discipling and developing the next generation of leadership. The Church Conference announced for January 25th will be held for the purpose of approving this new Leadership Team.

For those who wonder why change is necessary, it is important to state something else clearly: You cannot pursue new vision, new ministry strategies, and new priorities without also embracing new structures and systems. Healthy churches recognize that shifts in vision require shifts in how leadership is organized and how ministry is supported. When structures remain unchanged while the mission evolves, frustration and fatigue follow. Faithfulness sometimes means letting go of systems that no longer serve the work God is calling us to do.

And the truth is, more changes will be needed. Adjusting service times and restructuring leadership is not the end of this work. It is the beginning of a broader transformation. We are paying close attention to what is happening in the wider church, and one trend is especially clear. Gen Z is now the most frequent church attending demographic. This is not a gradual generational shift. It is a significant increase in engagement from a group that barely attended just a few years ago. Young adults are showing up with deep spiritual hunger and a desire for authentic community. [1]

 If we are going to be faithful to the people God is sending to us, we must continue to transform. Churches today are being called to become more flexible and more community focused, serving as places that respond to modern realities like isolation, loneliness, recovery, and spiritual pluralism. This means moving beyond rigid models toward adaptable structures that embody faith in contemporary ways and engage people where they are.
 At the same time, this work is not about abandoning our long-term members or those who have faithfully sustained this church for decades. This is not an either-or choice. The goal is not to serve one group at the expense of another. Faithful change allows us to serve all of God’s children more fully. By becoming more flexible and more responsive, we create space for meaningful worship, care, and discipleship across generations. Our older members matter deeply, and this transformation is meant to strengthen the church so that everyone can continue to belong, be cared for, and be spiritually nourished.

 Michael Beck captures this truth beautifully when he writes:
 “Jesus teaches that different kinds of wine require different structures. New wine, still fermenting and expanding, will destroy rigid old skins. Vintage wine, settled and matured, belongs in strong, time-tested vessels. The wisdom is in recognizing that God’s Spirit produces both kinds of wine, and each needs the right container. This is not an either/or but a both/and: ‘both are preserved’ when new wineskins hold the fresh ferment and old wineskins hold the vintage. The church, then, needs structures for the new and for the old so that God’s love is carried faithfully across generations.”

 Restructuring allows the church to move beyond internal maintenance and toward outward mission. It helps us direct energy and resources toward real needs in our community. This is not about abandoning who we have been. It is about becoming more fully who God is calling us to be.

 I am sharing this so that you know this is not change for change’s sake. It is a faithful effort to prepare Cason to be a home for those who are desperately seeking God and community, while continuing to care well for those who have already found that home here.

As we step into this next season, I again say thank you. Thank you to those who have served faithfully, sometimes quietly and sometimes for longer than you ever expected. Thank you for the prayers, the meetings, the late nights, the patient listening, and the steady love you have poured into this church. Your faithfulness has shaped Cason in ways that cannot be measured or easily named. I invite you to be part of this next chapter in the life of Cason. This vision is still unfolding, and it will continue to grow and change as we discern together. There is room here for questions, for prayer, for new ideas, and for new callings. My hope is that we will move forward together as a church that is rooted in faith, open to transformation, and be a place where people can “experience grace, find community, and follow Jesus together.”  

 This moment did not appear out of nowhere. We are standing on the shoulders of the saints who came before us, reaching out to the saints who will be here after us. Because of what has already been given, we have the opportunity to listen closely to where God is leading and to respond with courage and trust.   [1] 7 disruptive church trends that will rule 2026 - careynieuwhof.com. https://careynieuwhof.com/church-trends-2026/.

# Serm: "Lions and Tigers and Tax Collectors"on Notes
**Series: Come to the Table
Scripture: Luke 5:27–32**
*Theme: Jesus’ table is a place of radical grace, surprising inclusion, and divine transformation.*

I. **The Power of the Table in Divided Times**
Our nation feels more divided than united. People seek hope in politics and economics, but true transformation comes through surrendered lives and the Spirit of God. Jesus doesn’t show up in palaces—He shows up at tables.

**II. Meals in the Gospel: More Than Food**
20% of Jesus’ words happened around meals (Markus Barth). Luke’s Gospel is structured around meals (Crossan). Eating together in the ancient world = spiritual connection, acceptance, identity.

**III. Jesus Calls Levi—and Goes to a Party**
Levi (Matthew) was a tax collector—a hated collaborator. Jesus calls him before he cleans up. Grace first. Levi responds not with theology but hospitality—a banquet with “sinners.” Jesus joins the party, not reluctantly, but joyfully.

**IV. Jesus Redefines Holiness and Hospitality**
Pharisees object: “Why eat with sinners?” Jesus' response: The sick need a doctor. Table fellowship becomes a means of grace—God’s love through ordinary acts. Hospitality isn’t about changing others, but creating space where change can happen (Henri Nouwen).

**V. Holiness in the Methodist Tradition**
Wesley taught social holiness—faith is lived out in community. Tables become sanctuaries, homes become mission stations. True discipleship is lived around spaghetti-stained tables, not just in sanctuaries. Jesus still says, “Follow me,” at your table, in your life, among the least expected.

**Reflection Questions**
Who would be at your table if Jesus asked you to host a meal today? Who might surprise you?
*→ Challenge your assumptions about who belongs in your circle.*

How does your home reflect the hospitality and grace of Christ?
*→ Think practically: open invitations, shared meals, listening ears.*

What barriers—social, emotional, or spiritual—keep you from offering grace like Jesus?
*→ Name them. Then imagine what it would take to break them down.*

What is one simple way you can make your table a place of healing this week?
*→ It doesn’t need to be elaborate—just intentional.*

Do you find it easier to be like Levi, welcoming others, or like the Pharisees, questioning who belongs? Why?
*→ Be honest. Let God speak into that place.*

As many of you know, Cason was approached by a developer and offered 1.4 million dollars to sell our parsonage.  Via a Called Church Conference, the congregation unanimously voted to accept the offer.  At that same meeting, the church created a Parsonage Committee, charged with locating a new property for a parsonage.

The Nominating Committee asked for volunteers to serve on the committee, and after deliberation, along with the Head of Finance and the Head of Trustees, the Nominating Committee picked 6 individuals to serve; Heather Ruthven, Pat Milor, Jim Row, Dave Heisler, Debbie Douglas, and Jessica Weir.  This team interviewed real estate agents, and then spent several weeks reviewing properties that had to match a rigorous set of criteria set forth by the Conference.  It became apparent that inventory that met our criteria, especially the fact that it could not be further than five miles away from the church, was low.  However, several homes that met our needs were visited, and one in particular was unanimously endorsed by all.
The Parsonage Committee requested permission from the Trustees to negotiate a contract on the house, and the Trustees approved the request, pending a final approval from the Trustees and a vote by the congregation.

In light of the information I just provided you, we are scheduling a Called Church Conference for September 5th at 7:00 pm, with the sole intention of obtaining permission from the church to purchase the property.  This meeting is authorized by the conference for this purpose, as prescribed by the Book of Discipline.

There will be information about the house available at the meeting, but the physical location is at 12729 Oak Run Court in Boynton Beach.  It is located off of Coconut Lane, near the intersection with Military Trail.  It is approximately 3.6 miles from the church.  

Please put this date on your calendar and plan on being in attendance.  As this is a Church Conference, all members are eligible to vote.

As we reach the halfway point of 2023, the issue of disaffiliation remains unresolved for many churches throughout The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. In April of this year, the Bishop called a Special Session of the Annual Conference, where fifty-five churches were formally approved for conditional disaffiliation from The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church at that virtual special session. I was present, along with our Lay Delegate from 2022, Sandi Schmidt, and the SE District At Large Delegate, Nancy Reams.

These churches met the requirements in Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline regarding separation from the denomination over the issue of human sexuality. This included meetings with their district superintendent to understand the ramifications, prayerful consideration for discernment, and open meetings with professing members in their respective congregations.

Their departures became effective on June 1 if they fulfill all financial and other requirements. This includes producing a certificate of insurance to cover potential civil liabilities incurred before disaffiliation and the payment of all apportionments for 2023, plus an additional year. In return, they can keep their buildings and real estate, which would normally revert to the Conference.

As of December 31, 2022, there were 29,257 professing members in the 55 churches, representing 15% of the 191,902 total membership in the Florida Annual Conference. The Conference placed the value of the assets in the departing churches at $35.8 million, not including real estate. The real estate is valued at $306.4 million. Those churches also paid $13.6 million in apportionments over the last five years, representing 16% of the Conference apportionment receipts.

In June, Florida held its Annual Conference in Lakeland; however, in an attempt to promote unity and hope, there was no discussion or action on other churches that had filed for disaffiliation since the April meeting.

Pursuant to ¶603.5, Bishop Berlin has called another special virtual session of the annual conference for August 5, 2023, to deal with the matter of churches seeking to disaffiliate from The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. The lay members for the special session will be the same lay members or alternates for the regular 2023 Annual Conference session held in June. This includes district at-large lay members. I will be present again, along with our 2023 Lay Delegate Sam Owen and the 2023 SE District Delegate, Drew Foreman. While the number of churches asking for permission to disaffiliate at this meeting is unknown, I expect it to be in the same range as the April Meeting.

What does this mean? Beyond a sadness over the split in the United Methodist Church, and the Florida Annual Conference in particular, there is not an immediate impact on us. The Conference believes that the final number of churches that will disaffiliate will be between 23 and 25 percent. The Bishop has pledged to cut the Conference budget and reduce apportionments so that the remaining churches do not take on the financial burden left by those who chose to move on. He has already made moves in this direction by reducing the Cabinet staff and not replacing some positions. It is my belief that the overall impact will be minimal on Cason.

I also believe that this gives the UMC the opportunity to regain our focus and get back on mission. For too long, we have allowed these internal and very human arguments to keep us from the work the Church was called to, and as a leaner, more united people, we can again go about doing the work of making disciples for the transformation of the world.

"I'm tired of the same old worship experience. I feel disconnected from God and am looking for a new way to connect with Him. I'm not comfortable with going into a sanctuary or with organized religion."

These are just some of the things I hear when it comes to today's worship services. These sentiments are not limited to Cason but are expressed in churches everywhere. The main problem is that we have forgotten that everything we do should be worship. Praising God should not be confined to the one hour we spend at church each week; it should be something we do as we encounter the glory of God's creation. We should worship with the words we use and the actions we take. By reducing your entire worship experience to the Sunday service, you're overlooking all the opportunities to praise God. The early Church understood this: they met in homes, fields, and any place they could gather in the joy of God's world to worship His name.

In that spirit, we are excited to announce Worship Outside the Walls (WOW), our revolutionary worship experience that will leave you feeling renewed, inspired, and deeply connected with God. Our approach is fresh, exciting, and designed to meet you where you are. At WOW, you will have time to reflect, pray, and contemplate God's presence in your life while also enjoying the company of others who share your passion for faith. Through breakout sessions, large group gatherings, worship, and small group discussions, we will connect more fully with God, ourselves, and our church family. We will also learn how to love and serve our community beyond the confines of the church walls.

Additionally, we are privileged to have Jessica Taylor from the Fresh Expressions Florida Conference Team join us. Fresh Expressions are new forms of church designed for our changing culture, primarily focused on reaching those who are not yet part of any church community. These expressions emerge through principles of listening, service, contextual mission, and making disciples. They have the potential to become mature expressions of church shaped by the Gospel. Jessica will share with us how Fresh Expressions are reshaping our understanding of worship and outreach, and she will discuss how churches can create their own Fresh Expressions.

Our keynote speaker for the weekend will be Jimmy Dorrell. Dorrell is the pastor of Church Under the Bridge, an interdenominational church that started as a Bible study with five homeless men in Waco, Texas, in 1992, under an interstate bridge. Today, over 300 diverse individuals of different races and economic backgrounds gather under the same bridge each week. Dorrell is also the founder and executive director of Mission Waco, an urban ministry, and has founded four nonprofits benefiting the poor. He has written for numerous publications and authored three books. Jimmy, as an adjunct professor, teaches urban mission classes at George W. Truett Theological Seminary and civic education classes at Baylor University. He will share insights on the cultural challenges faced by the modern church regarding wealth and relationships, as well as practical ways that Christians can serve and empower the poor and marginalized in their communities.

Finally, there will be breakout sessions where participants can engage in smaller group discussions about the lessons learned and how to implement best practices in church mission and ministries. Each breakout group will have the opportunity to share their insights with Jimmy and the whole group, aiming to create initial action plans to take back to their respective churches.

I encourage you to attend. Step outside your comfort zone and be a part of this special and uplifting weekend. This will be a worship experience unlike any you have participated in before. Praise, prayer, discussion, enlightenment, and action are what true worship is about. Please plan on joining us. You can come for the entire weekend for $75.00 or join us on Saturday, including lunch, for $30.00.

We hope to see you there!

Pastor David.

There is an interesting phenomenon in churches: people don't want to talk about money. Correction, people don't want the church talking about giving money to the church. It never fails that when the subject of giving comes up, the immediate reaction of individuals is not introspection; not reflecting on what they give or what they could give. No, inevitably the reaction is "the church needs to watch its expenses and cut its budget."

Hypocritical is a strong word, so let me use a softer word. It's disingenuous for us to assume that the answer to financial situations is for the church to find ways to cut missions, ministries, and perhaps even staff so that we don't have to rely as much on the congregation to fund the operations of the church. Don't get me wrong, there are times when church budgets are bloated with all sorts of expenses that may not be necessary in that season. However, congregants need to understand that the work of the church requires money to do its job, and that their commitment to the church compels them to support its operations. Plus, talking about money is essential to equipping the members of our church to live out their faith in Christ.

I get why people are sometimes reluctant. You know what's not exciting? Paying bills. It's hard to get energized and motivated to give to the church just so that it can pay its bills. If all you ever hear is "we have to replace this air conditioner, or our insurance premium went up 39%," it starts to feel like a shakedown. The truth is, unless we cast a vision for how the funds will be used to forward the missions and ministries of Christ, there probably won't be much movement in giving.

You know what's not easy? Asking for money. I know many of you are on fixed incomes, and your tithe is a part of what you can afford. I also know that many of you aren't, and your tithe is what you are willing to give. No judgment, just fact. As I said, you may not be giving or you may give more if you understood a clear vision for how the money was being used. I know this is true because when we asked you to underwrite a child for Kid's Club, you overshot our goal. When we challenged you to give so we could redo the flooring in the hallway and office, you stepped up.

So, let's talk money. Our expenses this year are up because the maintenance on the church and parsonage is up. This is not a new trend, and it's not one that is going away. Of course, replacing three air conditioning units in one year will do that. Still, lawn costs are up, utility costs are up, and if we're honest, the cost of everything is up. Our financial team has done an excellent job of streamlining most of our expenses, and there is very little that can be done to lower them further. The flip side is giving is down. Our pledged giving is down six thousand dollars from last year, and we are behind in receiving a portion of the money pledged to date. Simply put, that means money was pledged, but for some reason, that money was not given. We haven't had any weddings this year, and the funerals that we performed were all members of the church, to whom we charge no fee. Due to an undetected leak, our water bill was almost 4 times the normal amount. Finally, we had some unwanted four-legged visitors that required extra expenditures to deal with.

We have been blessed by some wonderful partners and rentals which have helped our income. We were also given a $50,000 gift to use as we saw fit. Originally, the plan was to put that gift into our new Endowment Fund; however, there was a greater need to tackle. The second of our two compressors for the sanctuary air conditioning failed, and because of the blessing of the gift, we were able to replace them both for a significant discount over just replacing one (It was supposed to be almost $50,000, but by buying them together, we saved $10,000).

I tell you these things not to spread fear that the sky is falling but to be transparent with you about our financial health. While we are showing a deficit, I believe that God has plans for us and that we will find ourselves in the black at year's end. When we needed money for air conditioning, God provided, and I believe that through our continued faithful service and loving kindness to those in need, God will continue to provide.

However, that does not mean that we can sit back and be complacent. As Mark Batterson says, we must "pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on us." It depends on all of us. We must step up and reconsider our gifts of time, talent, and treasure. There is still much work to be done, and this church is reemerging as part of the community, not an entity unto itself. We have so much to offer the people of Delray, and God has placed us here to be the hands and feet of Christ. If we are truly to be the place where "all will find and know the love of God," then each of us needs to be part of that process. That may require us to look at how we spend our time and give more of it to missions and ministries. It may require that we examine the needs of the church and give of our talent in leadership, service, or simply working around the church to help maintain and improve the facility. And yes, it might require us to look at what we are giving monetarily and make a decision to increase our giving. These things are separate and distinct and yet related to our commitment not just to Cason UMC but to God as well.

One last thing, I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you of the ways that you can give. If you have the Cason App (and if you don't, I recommend you get it), you can click "Giving" at the bottom of the screen. This will take you to the payment system where you can set up the frequency of your gift. On the Website, you can click on "Giving" on the main menu and follow the same prompts. You can drop a check in the offering or at the main office. You can even ask your bank to mail a check to us on a regular basis. If you'd like to make a donation of stock or property or are interested in doing some estate planning for a future gift, you can see Barbara Wooden, Dick Weir, or myself.

Thank you for your stewardship, thank you for your gifts, and thank you for making a difference in the life of Cason and the community.

Cason is very blessed to have Pastor David as he willingly stepped into the shoes of our Pastor Alexis when she was transferred to Sebastian Methodist Church last year. It is now a year later, and he is about to finish his seminary studies and will graduate in May. Next will be his ordination.

Pastor David came to Cason to participate in the Bethlehem Production and became a Casonnite in 2007. He branched out to become the Youth Minister and Worship Leader. The rest is history.
After much deliberation and mentoring (by Pastor Alexis) he had the “calling” and began seminary training in 2019. In March of 2020, he married Tricia Foreman, who is a pillar of strength for him as he moves forward. She has become the perfect pastor’s wife and helpmate. The bright point was when he was appointed “interim” pastor, and then ultimately Senior Pastor.

Cason has gained a lot since then. We have added new ministries which has helped us grow. Since April of 2022, we have added twenty-six new members. The Seekers have joined us for Sunday Dinner and Devotionals. This group is not traditional but is a crossroad for many seeking a new path.

A new Children’s Ministry was introduced last fall with over seventeen youth now participating. They have their own chorus and actively perform service projects helping others, from collecting food to donating earned money from Alex’s Lemonade Stand, an origination started by an eight-year-old little girl with cancer. She passed away but the Lemonade Stand lives on with donations from the sale of lemonade going to cancer research as well as other organizations and non-profits who aid those in need.
 
We continue to have Caring Kitchen preparing and serving meals to the underserved, as well as Cason’s Bag Lunch Program which has been actively feeding over eighty food-insecure individuals every Saturday for over twenty years.

Cason continues to grow, as we celebrate not only Pastor David, but our 120th Anniversary on March 19th, 2023. Pastor David is already establishing his legacy with a lot more to come.
 
We praise God for Pastor David.

I wanted to take time this week to talk to you about an upcoming book study that I will be hosting at 6PM, starting March 6th.  We are going to be looking at the book When Helping Hurts, a book by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

This book comes at the right time, as many North American Christians and churches have a growing interest in helping low-income people. The authors do a fantastic job of appropriately directing this zeal by providing insight on how good intentions can actually make matters worse for those in poverty.

Some of the questions asked in this book are: What kind of relief is needed, who can offer the best help, and what should our attitudes be in helping? If you are experienced with helping the poor, you may believe that you already know the answers to these questions.  But this book may force you to reconsider those notions and inspire you to think wisely and practically about helping the poor.

The term for this process is Christian development, and while it may sound like new age, hippie fluff, it is actually Biblically based.  All one has to do is look at the Old Testament story about Nehemiah as a role model for community transformation and renewal. The book of Nehemiah is, in essence, the memoirs of an urban developer who transformed a decaying city into a place of security and vitality. Placing Nehemiah's story in juxtaposition with contemporary realities offers encouragement and concrete models for how our own cities can be revitalized. Nehemiah's example offers guidance and hope for all who would seek the welfare of their cities. (By the way, if you’re not familiar with the story, don’t worry, we’re going to talk about it as an intro to our book review)

Cason has always excelled at the desire to serve those in need, but I’m not sure if the results were helpful or hurtful.  My time in Waco, along with the directed study I am doing for my final project in Seminary has really opened my eyes to how we can make a difference in a truly lasting, uplifting and developmental way.

Please join me during Lent for this walk the When Helping Hurts, and be part of the important discussion about how we as Christians and Casonites can make a real, positive, God inspired difference.

Pastor David

Welcome to Ordinary time!  That’s what the liturgical calendar calls the space between epiphany and Ash Wednesday.  Seems pretty anticlimactic after the paramount seasons of Advent and Christmas.  Contrary to what people may believe, Ordinary Time is far from vanilla or insignificant.

Ordinary Time isn’t meant to be ordinary at all. Rightly understood, it is a time not only to rest from what has passed but also to prepare for what is to come. Often times we think of these times as merely filler times between the times of preparation and of celebration. We sometimes take a little mental break from our spiritual lives because there really isn’t a major holy time that we are immediately preparing for or celebrating. But Ordinary Time cannot just be filler time, we have to use this time to continue to grow in our faith and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. But this will look different than our times during Easter and Christmas time and different than Advent and Lent. So how can we approach Ordinary Time so that it becomes spiritual fruitful and helps us grow rather than remain stagnant in our faith?

Ordinary Time is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Jesus, grow spiritually, and participate in the life of the Church. A friend of mine shared with me the following list of things that he found in a blog somewhere.  I wanted to share them with you to contemplate during Ordinary Time.

• Start each day by thanking God for five ordinary things that you are grateful for.
• Read the daily Gospel and meditate on Jesus’ everyday life.
• Spend more time praying in nature, such as praying while you go for a walk.
• Take a look at your daily routines and determine if there are old habits you need to break or new habits you want to start.

The presence of Christ is with us during this time just the same as it is during our holy times of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, which means we should not treat this as Ordinary, but extraordinary opportunity to continue to grow closer to Him.

Pastor David

Happy 2023! It’s the start of a new year, an opportunity to look at where we were, where we are, and where we’re headed.  I’m sure you all have been making the annual resolutions, or if you’re like me, you might have already broken a few.

One of the reasons that it’s hard to keep resolutions is because we’re not fond of change.  As much as we talk about change, and want to change, when it comes right down to it, we just don’t like to change.  And when it comes to the church, change never happens in a vacuum. It always happens to people, includes people, and affects people. And wherever there are people, there are countless personalities and types of power that can come into potential conflict. Regardless of the practical and physical issues facing a church undergoing change — which alone are usually hard enough — the process is almost always complicated by prejudices and personalities.

Still, if we’re being honest, we must admit that sometimes change happens to us, and sometimes we cause it, but either way we must deal with it. Many of us are reluctant to choose change, especially if we are in a traditional church, such as Cason, that has experienced past days of growth and glory. But even though we can’t control whether change comes, “we can choose whether to embrace or resist it. We can choose the kind of changes that advances the kingdom of God into our world, or we can retreat into a subculture that attempts to isolate us from the world” (Stetzer and Rainer, Transformational Church).
 
The hard-to-hear truth is this:  either we change, or we die.  Now, I’m not trying to paint a dark and dreary portrait here.  The truth is that the Cason has survived this long, and who knows how long it could continue.  But there are churches that are still open and just don’t realize they are dead.  They exist to serve the dwindling number of people who worship there, and little else.  Sure, they may still have a few programs that operate, but the truth is they have long since stopped fulfilling their purpose.

You see, a healthy church is always missional.  A genuinely healthy church is a church that is clearly growing both internally and externally, though that growth does not have to be numeric. Rather, the growth is about what God seems to be doing for his beloved children who are both inside and outside the church.  Jimmy Dorrell, the founder of Mission Waco and the Church Under the Bridge said this during my Capstone class last week, “the measurement of a church’s health is the transformation of both the membership and the community. A healthy church is more interested in what God is doing in hearts, neighborhoods, and the world than with new strategies for growth (Dorrell, Witness and Ministry in Global Context: Experiencing a Culture of Homelessness).

We here at Cason, have seen this firsthand. Last year we took a huge step in our transition from a self-focused church to a missional church, and while there were some uncomfortable moments due to the change, the results have been undeniable.  Due to our new focus on external transformation, the missions of the church are growing at an unprecedented rate.  In fact, so much so that we have to be intentional about our space and resources.  People have found that Cason is TRULY the place where all will find and know the love of God, and they are coming to find Him and know it.  From children to young adults to retirees, people are coming.  In fact, the transformational effect of our external focus has caught the eye of those in the city, and as such they have decided to have Cason be the location of the MLK Day Worship Service.  Not bad for the “old, white church on the corner”, huh?

That external focus has invigorated the congregation and people are getting involved like never before.  Not one person said no to a leadership position for this year, and there is a sense of kingdom-mindedness and vision in the congregation to be about God’s purpose.

This kingdom-mindedness is being felt by our visitors, too.  For the first time in years, we are seeing an increase in attendance AND retention.  People used to visit us and then we’d never see them again.  Now, people visit and come back week after week.  This is because they sense a joy and purpose, and quite frankly, they want some of that.  For the past few months, we have had a couple worshipping with us and one day after church, they told me that “something was happening here.”  I couldn’t agree more.  That something is us living into the missional call of God – to put others ahead of ourselves, to love others as we love ourselves, and to make disciples for the transformation of the world.

There’s more work to be done, but if we are to change graciously and effectively as people and the church—and remember, we are going to change—we must begin by striving to see ourselves and our churches as honestly as possible. We humans are God’s highest creation, made in his image and for his glory, and the church is the body of Christ in the world. That’s why God lovingly calls us to change because he wants his people and his church to look more and more like him.

I’m grateful to be your pastor, and I’m grateful to see a congregation so hungry to truly be a place where all will know and see the love of God.  I’m excited about 2023, and our opportunity to continue to serve our church, our community and the world.  I encourage you to come to the Strategic Planning session on the 21st and join in Cason’s future for the next 120 years.

Pastor David

As we come to the end of our time of preparation and expectantly wait for Jesus to enter the world on Christmas, I’ve been spending some time reflecting on the state of this blessed occasion in our world today. Christmas…it’s a word that for millions brings joy, excitement, and fond memories. The excitement of waking up and finding presents under the tree, of Christmas dinner, and cookies.  But, to quote Justin Elmers, “Christmas is no longer Christmas, but is Commercialismas” (yes, that’s a made up word… roll with it).

The truth is, Christmas is supposed to be about the birth of Jesus, the coming of Immanuel, God with us.  Yet today, it seems as if everything needs to be scrubbed and edited in order to avoid “offending” those who may not agree or believe.  To have a little fun (and to make my point), I share with you this version of the birth of Christ, by John Leo.

And Joseph went up from Galilee to Bethlehem with Mary, his espoused wife, who was great with child. And she brought forth a son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

And the angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds and said, "I bring you tidings of great joy. Unto you is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." "There's a problem with the angel," said a Pharisee who happened to be strolling by. As he explained to Joseph, angels are widely regarded as religious symbols, and the stable was on public property where such symbols were not allowed to land or even hover. "And I have to tell you, this whole thing looks to me very much like a Nativity scene," he said sadly. "That's a no-no, too."

Joseph had a bright idea. "What if I put a couple of reindeer over there near the ox and ass?" he said, eager to avoid sectarian strife. "That would definitely help," said the Pharisee, who knew as well as anyone that whenever a savior appeared, judges usually liked to be on the safe side and surround it with deer or woodland creatures of some sort. "Just to clinch it, throw in a candy cane and a couple of elves and snowmen, too," he said. "No court can resist that."

Mary asked, "What does my son's birth have to do with snowmen?" "Snowpersons," cried a young woman, changing the subject before it veered dangerously toward religion. Off to the side of the crowd, a Philistine was painting the Nativity scene. Mary complained that she and Joseph looked too tattered and worn in the picture. "Artistic license," he said. "I've got to show the plight of the haggard homeless in a greedy, uncaring society in winter," he quipped. "We're not haggard or homeless. The inn was just full," said Mary. "Whatever," said the painter.

Rum pa pum pum. Two women began to argue fiercely. One said she objected to Jesus' birth "because it privileged motherhood." The other scoffed at virgin births, but said that if they encouraged more attention to diversity in family forms and the rights of single mothers, well, then, she was all for them. "I'm not a single mother," Mary started to say, but she was cut off by a third woman who insisted that swaddling clothes are a form of child abuse, since they restrict the natural movement of babies.

With the arrival of 10 child advocates, all trained to spot infant abuse and manger rash, Mary and Joseph were pushed to the edge of the crowd, where arguments were breaking out over how many reindeer (or what mix of reindeer and seasonal sprites) had to be installed to compensate for the infant's unfortunate religious character. An older man bustled up, bowling over two merchants, who had been busy debating whether an elf is the same as a fairy and whether the elf/fairy should be shaking hands with Jesus in the crib or merely standing to the side, jumping around like a sports mascot. "I'd hold off on the reindeer," the man said, explaining that the use of asses and oxen as picturesque backdrops for Nativity scenes carries the subliminal message of human dominance. He passed out two leaflets, one denouncing manger births as invasions of animal space, the other arguing that stables are "penned environments" where animals are incarcerated against their will. He had no opinion about elves or candy canes.

Signs declaring "Free the Bethlehem 2" began to appear, referring to the obviously exploited ass and ox. Someone said the halo on Jesus' head was elitist. Mary was exasperated. "And what about you, old mother?" she said sharply to an elderly woman. "Are you here to attack the shepherds as prison guards for excluded species, maybe to complain that singing in Latin identifies us with our Roman oppressors, or just to say that I should have skipped patriarchal religiosity and joined some dumb new-age goddess religion?" "None of the above," said the woman, "I just wanted to tell you that the Magi are here."

Sure enough, the three wise men rode up. The crowd gasped, "They're all male!" And "Not very multicultural!" "Balthasar here is black," said one of the Magi. "Yes, but how many of you are gay or disabled?" someone shouted. A committee was quickly formed to find an impoverished LGTBQ+ wise-person among the halt and lame of Bethlehem.

A calm voice said, "Be of good cheer, Mary, you have done well and your son will change the world." At last, a sane person, Mary thought. She turned to see a radiant and confident female face. The woman spoke again: "There is one thing, though. Religious holidays are important, but can't we learn to celebrate them in ways that unite, not divide? For instance, instead of all this business about 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo,' why not just 'Season's Greetings'?" Mary said, "You mean my son has entered human history to deliver the message, 'Hello, it's winter'?" "That's harsh, Mary," said the woman. "Remember, your son could make it big in midwinter festivals, if he doesn't push the religion thing too far. Centuries from now, in nations yet unborn, people will give each other pricey gifts and have big office parties on his birthday. That's not chopped liver." "Let me get back to you," Mary said.

It’s interesting that the people who seem to want to sanitize Christmas are the same ones who have bumper stickers and social media posts telling everyone to “coexist.”  I find it amusing that Christians are told to “coexist,” as if Jesus didn’t preach that message throughout his ministry.  “Love your neighbor as yourself”, “What you do for the least of these,” and on and on.  Don’t get me wrong, I know we’re still not there, we need to work on loving one another and serving one another, but I think those who want us to “coexist” really want us to stop being us…stop being Christian, and just be like everyone else.

We’re not like everyone else.  We’re different, we’re set apart.  We are a royal priesthood.  We are children of the darkness who have seen a great light.  And we should never hid that light.  No matter what the world says, we have to be children of the God that was born of the Virgin Mary in that small town of Bethlehem.  We should not, we cannot, and we will not hide that light.  We are called to make disciples for the transformation of the world, not to be transformed by it.

Our salvation was sealed that night, the moment God became man in the form of a baby. The world can do what they want with Christmas, but they can never take that away from us.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor David

Rejoice!  Again I say Rejoice!  I love that word.  As I told you on Sunday, rejoice literally means joy practiced and repeated.  And the definition points to something that we don’t often think about, namely that joy has to be practiced.  God provides for us joy in the form of His son Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection.  Yet, it is up to us to accept that joy, to practice living in and through that joy.  It doesn’t mean that the pain in our lives will be erased, it just means that we have the pain does not define us.

Joy operates as a sort of buoy in our lives, is stops us from sinking down into despair and darkness, it helps us keep a float when the waves of pain and misfortune try to sink us.  Think about it this way, joy is God’s life preserver as we navigate the dark seas of this world.  You might experience some rough times, but because of the joy that God provided and continues to provide, you know you are not going under.  What’s more, when you worship god because of His gift, you jump start your joy.  Repeat this (I.E practicing joy – rejoicing) and the less the rough seas will be able to knock you off course.  Don’t get me wrong, every so often a big wave will hit you and you’ll feel like you’re going under, but God will never let you down.  Of course, if you choose not to live in God’s love and practice accepting joy, it’s going to be a much rougher ride.
 
Think of those shepherds.  Just minding their business, watching their flocks at night, when all of the sudden a brilliant light appears and an angel tells them good news of great joy for all.  Once you get past the “do not be afraid” moment (I think you know my feelings on this subject), you find that their fear was reduced, and their joy increased, by worshiping the baby.  What an amazing thing!  When we worship, our fear is reduced and our joy is increased.  If we look at the 3 weeks of Advent so far, we can see that God has been giving us reasons to worship Him - Hope, Love and Joy.  What amazing gifts.  All three help us to know that while it may seem dark around us, we are not orphans in the dark, we are children of the light.

This season of Advent we have focused on the star as our guide, that which pierced the darkness with its light.  This coming Sunday we will look at our final candle, peace.  God wants nothing more than for us to love, serve and care for one another.  He sent us the greatest gift of all, His son, to show us how to live united.  It reminds me of the song written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955, Let There Be Peace On Earth. “Let there be peace on earth/ And let it begin with me./ Let there be peace on earth/ The peace that was meant to be./ With God as our father/ Brothers all are we./ Let me walk with my brother /In perfect harmony.”

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday as we really look at peace.

Pastor David.

More than two thousand years ago, a star appeared in the East as a beacon and a guide to the newly arrived Messiah, Jesus. We talked a bit last week about the biblical account of the star. It receives a more central role in Christmas pageants than it got in the Gospel accounts of the Christmas story. But despite its brief biblical appearance, it was a star that led people to Jesus, just as the star leads us to Jesus this Advent season.

This week is all about love.  As we hear from John, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  This is true love, and true love is meant to be so overwhelming that we are moved to share it with others.  This time of year, the world would have you believe that love is shown by what you buy for someone, and it is measured by the cost of that gift.  But Jesus payed the ultimate price for the gift He gave us and there is nothing more precious for us to give than that love He shared with us.

Christmas is something that was born in the heart of God -- who motivated by pure love -- sent his son Jesus to save us. Yet, Christmas comes alive today when we allow its true significance to be born in our hearts. May the beautiful holiday lights, parties, shopping and the exhausting rush of these days not distract us from the true meaning of what Christmas really is -- and can be.

I came across a poem the other day that I think sums up the gift of love.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that you keep hope and love in your heart as we follow the Star on our Journey to Christmas.

The True Gift of Christmas by Phillip Wenz

What started two thousand years ago with a gift from above,
was given to all mankind with unconditional love.
It was given to all who would accept its mysterious beauty and joy,
when a young mother gave birth to a little baby boy.

The little boy's life was like no other ever recorded on stone, paper or clay;
he taught us many a lesson on life as he went through his days.
During his Passion he fully gave of himself to all others,
as he laid down the gift of his life for the sins of his sisters and brothers.

Long ago his birth was made a day of mass and commemoration,
which is celebrated by men, women, and children of every nation.
His simple birth is a reminder of what is true, pure, and believed;
that it is genuinely better to give than to receive.

Centuries have come and gone; with man adding secular traditions to his birth;
there are reindeer, sleigh bells, candy canes and gatherings with much mirth.
Sometimes we forget what was given from above,

Keep CHRIST in CHRISTMAS; THE TRUE GIFT OF GOD'S LOVE.

Over two thousand years ago, a starburst through the darkness and signaled the long-awaited, yet still unexpected birth of a Savior.   Christmas can still truly give us a taste of the most wonderful time of world history. Jesus—the Messiah, the Savior—came as the light into the darkness and stress and pain of the world—our world. That world then, just like our world now, including our lives, needs the light to illuminate, clarify, guide, and heal. Christ’s coming brings that ultimate light through hope, love, joy, and peace. This is the journey of following the star to Christmas—and beyond!

Jesus' humble birth was not what the people of Israel were expecting. The people were weary of waiting for their Savior. Sometimes we also give up too soon on what we're believing for.  Our journey this Advent will take us through the true gifts of Christmas: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, and it will realign our expectations and experience of the Christmas season.
The first week of Advent is the week of Hope. The story of Jesus’ birth actually began thousands of years before he was born. God promised the people of Israel that he would provide a Messiah (Savior) to save them from their sins.  He did this through the prophet Isaiah, who lived hundreds of years before Jesus, who predicted the birth of Jesus as a promise of hope from God. The word Immanuel means God living with us and was fulfilled when Jesus came to live on earth as the Messiah.

But there was a long, dark period between Isaiah’s words and the arrival of Christ.  And even then, the  Jewish expectation for the Messiah was as a "Son of David", to come as a conquering Messiah, restoring the political fortunes of the Jews.  They got a baby who was a suffering servant, prophet, priest and king.  Not what they expected.  No wonder they thought God had forgotten them. Regardless of what they believed, Advent is that moment in time when hope entered a world of darkness and despair. In a time of bleakest outlook, where injustice reigned and oppression was spreading like a plague, hope was born.

Hope is a funny word.  To me, it’s kind of a nebulous word for a nebulous idea or feeling. How many times do we say, “Oh, I hope so!” or “I hope you have a good day.” or “I hope you have a great time!” It’s kind of like a wish.  Other times it’s an expectation for something to happen or for someone to make something happen. We often put our hope in things, in people, in events.  Recently, a lot of people placed their hope in political candidates; hoping their candidates would win and make our country a better place. This is exactly what the Jewish people living more than two thousand years ago were hoping and wishing for; rescue from the tyrannical rule of the Romans.  They were hoping for the arrival of the Messiah to rescue them and bring about a just and peaceful kingdom.

As weary people, we all have a longing or hope in our hearts.  We hope for something better.  We hope that God will answer our prayers.  And He did.  He sent his son to Earth to live as us and die for us.  Each Advent, we have the opportunity to again see the light in the darkness, to follow the star to the feet of Jesus.  A chance to let go of what we have accumulated throughout the year and again bask in the glow of the baby Jesus.

Jesus freed us from sin and shame.  He made a way for us to live in love and joy and peace. Whatever our circumstance Jesus has provided a way for us. And he has placed in our hearts a desire for something more than this world has to offer. We know that God has something better for us. And yet, while we are here, we should not only live in hope and expectation but live well because of that hope.

Pastor David

This week during my sermon, I asked how thankful do you think you would have been if you were among the first pilgrims?  They left Europe on creaky wooden ships; bound for a place they had never seen and could only imagine.   The trip was stormy and dangerous.    Not all completed the journey.   They landed in a place where the soil was rocky and hard to till.  They had to hunt for food with muskets.  With bare hands and few tools, they built houses.  They suffered from diseases that killed half of them.  After all of this, they took the time to thank God with grateful hearts.

The deeper meaning of Thanksgiving is not so much about thanking God for the bounty of our lives.  Rather it is learning to live our lives with grateful hearts no matter our circumstances.  To have a grateful heart is to be open to all that life offers, the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the happy and the sad. To have a grateful heart is a way of being in the world; it is not an act we must perform.  Life itself is the gift and being able to live that gift in a community of caring folks, such as here at Cason, is truly a blessing.

The thanksgiving holiday is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, although thanking God for our blessings is a spiritual discipline that should not be limited to a single day.  Along with expanding our waistlines, our preparation for and celebration of the holiday can be the impetus toward growing an attitude of gratitude that will carry over into the rest of the year. In his commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, John Wesley writes, “Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer; it is almost essentially connected with it.” Giving thanks is as essential to our spiritual growth as prayer.

The practice of “saying grace” or “asking the blessing” or “giving thanks” for the food–whether it is a meager bowl of soup or a filled table of a thanksgiving feast–is to acknowledge that we and our bodies rely upon something outside of ourselves to sustain us. We give thanks for the people whom we don’t see or often acknowledge the people who plow, plant, and pick, the people who grow, harvest, and process, and the people who bring it to our markets, our doors, and our tables.

We also say thanks for the people who are around the table and remember those who have no table to gather round nor loved ones with whom to gather. We take a moment to PAUSE and acknowledge our need for the sustaining physical and spiritual nourishment which we receive from God our Creator–asking that God would bless our food that we might truly be a blessing to others.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the pastor here at Cason.  Although it was never my intention, and I had a few questions for God when I was called, over the past few months I have felt so blessed to work with all of you and to lead this amazing church into the future.  As I said Sunday, something is happening here at Cason.  There is a feeling, an almost tangible feeling of excitement, such as I have not felt in my time here.  That feeling is the Holy Spirit at work, and so many are being touched and moved to give, serve, pray and love.  I’m excited to see where this takes us, but for now, I just give thanks that God continues to bless us.  And Wesley was right, giving thanks is essential for Spiritual growth.

So, again, Thank You!  Thank you for being so welcoming, so supportive, so filled with grace for my ministry and the ministry of Cason.  I’m looking forward to the end of this year, and for what God will bring us in 2023.


Pastor David.

I woke up today and I realized something: it’s two weeks until Advent.  That doesn’t seem real to me.  Where has the year gone?  I blinked, and we find ourselves at Christmas.  It’s time to break out the decorations, figure out where in the house the tree is going, and don’t forget about Christmas shopping.

Yes, it’s Christmas time again.  The beginning of the Church year, the time when we again rejoice over the gift of a baby who would save the world.  More specifically, the real gift of Christmas is the completed work of Christ, a work which began at His birth and ended as He walked alive and well out of the grave...the living Savior, the Redeemer, and the resurrected King.  He came to earth out of compassion and love, He was crucified on Calvary as my sin, and He walked out of the grave as my Righteousness.  That's the real gift of Christmas.  A gift better than anything we could pick up on Amazon or at the mall.  It is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

About now, you’re probably asking why I’m writing a blog about Christmas the week before Thanksgiving.  The answer is simple, Advent is a time of preparation and expectation. The Church describes Advent as a season “of devout and expectant delight.”  So, I want to give you time to prepare to do what we are called to do; share the gift of Jesus Christ with others.  That’s right, believe it or not, Christmas is the perfect time to invite someone to church.
 
For non-Christians, an invitation to church can be uncomfortable, intimidating, or downright scary. They don’t know what to expect, so they’re reluctant to accept. But Christmastime changes all that. Statistics on inviting someone to church say it’s actually the perfect time to invite people to church.  That’s because most Americans already celebrate Christmas, even if they leave baby Jesus out of it. They probably have some basic understanding of the traditional Christmas story, so a visit to church for a Christmas concert or Christmas Eve service feels less weird. Even if they don’t know the whole story of Jesus’ birth, they can at least hum along to familiar carols and enjoy the pretty glow of candlelight. But here’s the thing: Even though most Americans celebrate some version of Christmas, most aren’t planning to attend a church service. They need to be invited.

According to some recent surveys, 55% of Americans are somewhat or very Churched.  34% are Dechurched meaning that they attended at some point and have stopped, and only 11% are Unchurched.  The really interesting statistic is that of the Unchurched, 55% would attend church if they were invited by family and 51% would if they were invited by a friend.  Furthermore, 71% of Unchurched people say a Christian has never shared with them how to become a Christian.  For years we have been bemoaning the fact that people aren’t coming to church like they used to, but the truth is that the real problem may just be that we as Christians haven’t been doing our jobs!  We haven’t been actively asking people to come to Church and we certainly have not been sharing with others how to become part of the family!

The reality is that Christmas and Easter are the two holidays that almost anybody would be willing to come to a church service. At least, it’s a higher probability than normal.  On some level, we all yearn for belonging; it’s part of our nature. We were created in the Image of God, after His likeness. God is a community. He is the one who eternally exists in three divine persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). As His image-bearers, we were created for community. Inviting people to Christmas services is an opportunity to get them connected into our church community, so that they can experience love, peace, harmony, beauty, and God through the body of Christ, in short; find and know the love of God.

This Advent, our theme is “The Star”, and as part of this series, I encourage you to invite people to attend Cason at Christmas to take the first or next step on their journey of faith.  We’re actively branding this evangelical opportunity “Follow the Star”, and we will be commemorating their visit with a wall of stars in the Narthex.  So, invite your friends, family, co-workers, classmates, and neighbors. In fact, welcome anybody whom you have regular contact. Invite them so that they can get connected to your church family, so that they can witness people publically demonstrating their devotion to Jesus, so that they can hear the good news of the cross of Christ, and so that they can get a foretaste of God’s kingdom.

The point of Christmas is the birth of Christ, God has come into this world, Emmanuel!  Share the best possible news with those you love and invite them to celebrate what truly matters most.

I have to say I’m really bummed about having to postpone our First Annual Worship Outside the Walls event.  I began working on this time of family, fellowship and worship shortly after becoming pastor, and now 7 months of work has been ruined because of an impending storm…in November, none the less!! It’s really frustrating to be so close and have to postpone.

But the truth is, we all know what it is like to have things not go the way we think that they should go.  It happens all the time.  It is a natural part of life.  If you have never had something not go the way you wanted it to go then we need you to share with us the secret to that kind of living.  We all know what it is like to not have things go our way.  That’s no great revelation to anybody reading this.

If I’m being honest, the real problem is not in how things don’t go our way.  The problem is how we respond when things do not go our way.  When things do not go our way our default response is to complain.  We complain when the weather does not accommodate our plans.  We complain when a server doesn’t refill our drinks in a timely manner.  We complain when our well-crafted schedules are interrupted or interfered with.  We complain about people, politics and even our churches when they are not doing as we think they should.  Complaining has become so commonplace in our lives that some have labeled it as our “national pass time” and many think that it is a God given right.
 
The truth is, our well-laid plans fail us.  And one of the reasons why it upsets us so is that it reminds us that, as much as we say otherwise, we are not in control of our lives.   Oh we try.  We work very hard to be in the driver’s seat, to steer things in the way we want them to go.  But then a hurricane shows up after 7 months of planning and you’re faced with the fact that the amount of control you actually have over your life is pretty minimal.  It reminds me of a line from one of Tricia’s favorite songs, “Man plans and God laughs.”

But His words are not our words.  His ways are not our ways.  God has a plan, and that plan may not be the same as ours.  Of course, a part of human nature is that we will work hard to try and take matters into our own hands. But ask yourself this, have you ever tried to take matters into your own hands? Did it work out?
If you’re anything like me, the answer is a resounding no.  Sometimes, we are simply called to step out in faith.  Abraham praised God beneath the stars — even though he didn’t understand how he’d ever become the father of nations.  David praised God in the wilderness — even though he didn’t understand why he was running for his life instead of sitting on the throne.  The Israelites praised God with a mighty shout — even though they didn’t understand that Jericho’s wall would fall without a fight.  Still, it requires that you “let go and let God.”, and learning to trust God, learning to walk with God means that we keep working on a relationship with God regardless of what happens in life, no matter how small or large we think it may be.

Last Sunday, I challenged you all to step out in faith and trust God when you got your Commitment Cards in the mail.  Remember that you may not know what God’s plan for you is, and it might just start with what you write on that card, how you decide to donate your time or talent.  What we might consider small gifts may be just what God is counting on.  And remember, no matter what the Lord has planned for you, and whether or not He has revealed His plan to you yet, you are not alone in the journey. We have no reason to fear. Rather, we should embrace the uncertainty, rejoicing in the truth that no matter what happens, the Lord is with us.

It’s hard to believe, but Pumpkin Patch is over and November is upon us. And if November is upon us, that means it’s Stewardship season.  This Sunday the 2023 Stewardship cards will be available for pickup at the church, and during the next week you will begin to see them in your mail.  What does Stewardship mean to me? What should Stewardship mean to you?  These are questions that have perplexed churches since the first church budget was ever proposed.   It is not a subject that many people like to deal with since money and budgets are not “proper” topics for church members to discuss.  We believe that God will provide.

As you begin to give serious thought to your pledge for next year, I thought it was worth doing a bit of a review of 2022.

It would be an understatement to say that this has been a significant season of transition and change for Cason.   New appointments often lead to change, but the truth is Cason has been in transition for several years.  As I said in my State of the Church report to Charge Conference, Going from an internally focused church to a mission focused church is not easy.  It requires replacing our preferences with God’s purpose. It requires that we replace “how we’ve always done it” with “how God wants it done.”  In short, it requires change.  And people don’t like change.  Change requires that we step into the unknown, into the uncomfortable.  And being uncomfortable is challenging.

 I recognize that the evolution of the church and its ministries can be difficult for some long-time members to connect with, but I believe that the changes that have been happening have strengthened and reinvigorated the church.   I also believe this transformation is preparing us for the new ways in which God will use Cason for His purposes in the future.

That being said, 2022 has been a year of significant successes.  For the first time in over a decade, Cason has seen real growth in its Children’s Ministry.  Yes, we have had kids on our campus for special events and VBS, but we never had a true ongoing program for children.  Due to the hard work of many, especially Emily Popolizio, we have 20-25 kids who participate in several programs during the week.  Cason Kids Care, Cason Chorus, and Bible Buddies are just a few ways in which we are ministering to the children in our community.  Cason Kids Club, run in conjunction with KOP Mentoring, sees us working with almost 20 underprivileged or homeless children.  This program, which runs for 6 weeks, 4 times a year, has been a great success and has made a difference in the lives of those in the program.  And as a result of all of these ministries, we now have 7-8 children attending our 9:15 service.

We also hosted several events this fall that were unqualified successes.  Our Family Fun Fest and Trunk or Treat were both extremely well attended, with over 200 children attending each event, not to mention our yearly pumpkin patch.  The response we got from parents and families was overwhelmingly positive, with the most common comment being “this is such a warm and kind church.  We feel so welcome here.”  We truly showed our community that we are the place “where all will find and know the love of God.”

This year we opened our arms to a ministry that was looking for a home. The Seekers, a group that provides food for the body and food for the soul for 60- 70 young adults who are actively seeking the love of God, were housed at St. Paul’s on Swinton for many years.  Due to changes after the pandemic, the ministry found itself needing a new home and contacted us about becoming part of Cason.  The ministry has flourished here, and has begun integrating with the church from helping unload and sell pumpkins to attending worship and even going with us to our first Worship Outside the Walls event.  More importantly, they are so grateful for a home that loves and supports them.

Not only are our ministries growing quicker than we anticipated, our membership is headed in the same direction.  By then end of 2022, we will have brought 21 people into membership.  Some of these are new to Cason within the past 6 month, but many of them are people you may have seen in worship over the years who have decided that they like the direction the church is headed and want to make a commitment to membership.  COVID-19 played havoc on all churches, but we are beginning to see signs that attendance is trending in the right direction.  While we're still shy of our numbers before the pandemic, many have begun to return to worship and others have begun attending after spending time in our ministries.  Last Sunday, for the first time in almost 6 years, we had over 200 in our worship services, 126 at 10:00 and 79 at our 5:30 service.  Things are looking up.

 However, just as we have had successes, we have had challenges as well.  Our facility is over 50 years old, and as such, maintenance is an ongoing issue.  This year we were forced to replace several of our air conditioners units, including units in the sanctuary as well as one in the education wing.  The ACs cost more than $25,000 each, so having to replace two units in one year is a significant expense. The education wing unit has been replaced, and we are doing our best to “nurse” the sanctuary unit along as long as possible.  However, it will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

While inspecting the education wing unit, we discovered there was a significant mold infestation, which we later learned began in our hallway bathrooms.  This meant that the bathrooms had to be stripped to the studs. At the same time, during an inspection of the parsonage, we discovered another significant mold issue, which led to stripping the bathroom and part of the kitchen to remove the infestation.  As with the hall bathrooms, we are faced with having to replace the parsonage bathroom and kitchen.  The good news is insurance should cover the repairs, but we still have up to $10,000 in deductibles to pay.

While we’re thrilled at the growing ministries and our strategic partners Coco Plum and Caring Kitchen, a consequence of this success is rising utilities.  Not much happened on our campus during the pandemic, and if we’re being honest, for a significant time before 2020.  Now that we are past the pandemic and are seeing an increase in activity on our campus, there is a related increase in our consumption of electricity, water, etc.  This has led to higher than expected utility bills.  I’d classify this as a good problem, but the expense is outside of the projected usage, which affects our bottom line.

At the same time, there is the concern about giving.  If you regularly check our monthly finance reports, you already know that our offerings are less than anticipated year to date. Some of this is attributable to the ebb and flow of attendance due to our “snowbirds”; however, some of it is a trend that all churches are seeing.  With a plethora of causes to give to, many have reduced what they are giving to the church so as to be able to help other organizations that serve an interest they feel strongly about.  

We are blessed to have leveraged our physical facility and have solid strategic partners who rent from us.  Church leaders and the finance committee have been diligent in delaying or forgoing as much spending as possible. While we are confident that we will end the year in the black, the dip in giving is cause for prayerful concern.

As we plan to take our giving to the next level in 2023, I’m looking forward to what is to come. As the Lord continues to transform and mold us, I believe that His blessing on Cason and to the Delray community through Cason has just begun.

Stewardship is a direct reflection on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who called us to a discipleship role whose scope would extend “to the ends of the earth.” An important part of your stewardship is your financial giving to our church. I am asking you, over the next few weeks, to prayerfully consider your financial giving for 2023. Ask what God is calling you to do to support HIS work at Cason. Will you raise your annual giving? Will you decide to pledge again after a period of inactivity? Will you pledge for the first time? 

Your investment in this kingdom work is so valuable!  Every gift matters! As you can see, your tithes and offerings are impacting real people, solving real problems, making the world a little more like heaven. You will shortly be receiving your Stewardship Letter, which will include your pledge card for 2023.  Once we receive all of the cards, we will determine a budget based on the resources available for ministry.  Once that is accomplished will be distributing the narrative budget, which outlines what your commitment will do to impact this community and the world. We have also created a pledge form which you may submit online at www.casonumc.org. We encourage you to use this tool.

 It is important that we receive your responses timely, so we ask that you return your pledges on or before Stewardship Sunday, which is November 20th (As a side note, that is also Thanksgiving Sunday, appropriate as we give thanksgiving to God as we return a portion of what he gave us).  Please prayerfully consider your commitment in 2023 as this will enable us to determine our impact in the community for the upcoming year. Let us do everything we can to support each other and wonderful work Christ is doing.

We’re all in this together!
Pastor David

What a difference a year makes.  It was almost a year ago that Cynthia Weems, our DS, informed me that Pastor Alexis would be moving and that I would become the interim pastor.  It’s been 8 months since the transition, and believe it or not, it’s been 3 months since I was appointed as Senior Pastor.  It seems like forever and yesterday all at the same time.

There are many things I’m still learning about being Senior Pastor, but of one thing I am sure - it is a true privilege to join the list of amazing men and women who have been called to walk alongside this great church. I am grateful for the extraordinary gifts of our community of faith: in resources, talents, leadership, and so much more.  Cason is blessed with amazing staff and congregational leaders, and a congregation filled with people who are sold out for Jesus, and truly want to be part of a church that makes disciples for the transformation of the world.  I am deeply grateful for all you who have made this first nine months productive and, dare I say, challenging.

It might sound odd to thank people for making things “challenging”, but hear me out.  Over the past 5 years, Cason has been undergoing a transformation.  Shortly after I started here, Cason experienced a traumatic moment, the decision to close the church.  While ultimately, the Church was given a reprieve, it set into motion a decade of internal focus.  Our real purpose was to stay alive and open so that we could worship here with our friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, we were still doing good things for people, but we, like the sheep in Jesus’ parable about the least of these, we had lost focus on “why” we did these things.
 
However, in 2017, Cason found its core message: inSPIRE.  Focusing on service, worship, discipleship, hospitality and generosity might seem simplistic, but the truth is these 5 “pillars” as we call them are the 5 tenants of Christianity.  These areas are touchstones that remind us of what Jesus taught us.  And what Jesus taught us is to focus on others, not ourselves.  It made us realize that the church needed to leave the building and again serve those outside of our four walls.

Now, I know you are saying to yourself “thanks for the history lesson pastor”, but I do have a point.  Going from an internally focused church to a mission focused church is not easy.  It requires replacing our preferences with God’s purpose. It requires that we replace “how we’ve always done it” with “how God wants it done.”  In short, it requires change.  And people don’t like change.  Change requires that we step into the unknown, into the uncomfortable.  And being uncomfortable is challenging.
 
So when I thank you for making the past 9 months challenging, I’m really saying thank you for being willing to be uncomfortable.  Thank you for being willing to step into the unknown with me and continue the hard work of transforming the church.  I see my role as not only continuing the good work that the church has undertaken, but guiding it even further in our quest to be servants of God’s people.  This includes things like strengthening our relationship with Caring Kitchen long term – including them in any plans to renovate our campus.  It includes opening our arms to ministries looking for a home – like The Seekers, the group that provides food for the body and food for the soul for 60- 70 young adults who are actively seeking the love of God.  It includes continuing to strengthen our family ministries such as Bible Buddies, Cason Kids Care, Cason Kids Club, and Cason Chorus while also expanding programming for our active adults and senior citizens such as the return of Daytripper’s and our Creative Writing Workshop. And it includes focusing on our interaction with those outside our walls through Cason Cares ministries like helping mow a lawn, doing grocery shopping, driving people to appointments and just sitting and praying with those in need.

I’m sure the thought in your head is “that’s nice, but there aren’t enough people in worship for all of that.”  True, attendance took a hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re still far short of our weekly attendance before 2020.  However, the truth is that the entire paradigm of church attendance has been flipped on its head.  Instead of people coming to worship and then finding their way into ministries, people now come out to serve in ministries and find their way into worship.
 
Statistics clearly show that 18-35 year-olds are looking for ways to make a difference in the world and are attracted to the ministries of the church because they do that.  And we know this is true because our ministries are growing faster than our worship attendance.  Because of the growth of our ministries, we find ourselves facing space issues because there is so much going on.  But in my opinion, this is a GOOD problem to have.  We spent many years with not much going on in our facility but now, we’re bumping into each other.

And, being honest, it’s going to be tricky.  We’re going to have to be flexible and roll with the waves as we figure out how to make all these things work.  We’re going to have to commit to remaining uncomfortable.  We have not yet finished the work of transformation, and the truth is, we probably never will. We have made progress, but there is much more to do, and we must continue to ask ourselves: What kind of church will we be? Will we do the risky work of Jesus?
As we move toward the end of the year, I have been blown away by how God is faithful to His church. We turn 120 years old next March, and I’m proud to say that we will reach that milestone as a church that is just as dedicated to God’s mission here on earth as we were the day we opened – a place where all will find and know the love of God.

Pastor David

Church,

As you know, we decided to approach our Stewardship Campaign a little different this year. “Stewardship” is such a “church-y” word, but if we look at the definition, it is just responsibly overseeing and protecting something worth caring for and preserving. We have certainly done that because next year, Cason is going into its 120th year of serving the community of Delray. We continue, as those who came before us, to care for and preserve the programs, ministries and facilities of Cason with our time, talents and treasures. We all have our individual gifts and resources and together we can do great things.  I feel we all give in response to a loving God who has blessed us in so many ways, both personally and as a church.  It has not been without challenges, especially over the last couple of years, but Cason is continuing to collaborate with others in the community to serve the hungry, mentor children, support those in need and spread the love of Jesus any way we can.

At our Finance Committee meeting last night, we discussed roll out of our Commitment Cards for 2023. I shared how touched I was by Pastor David’s sermon on giving last Sunday; it was a completely different perspective on stewardship and giving than I had heard before. I was prompted to go back and listen again and I would encourage you to do the same. Spend some time talking to God about how you can be a blessing to others through the Cason faith community. Here is the link to the message.  You can also find it in the Good News, as well as on the Cason website and app.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ey3f-EUnKU
 
Thank you for everything each of you do. No act is too small. It takes each one of us. As Pastor David reminds us “We’re all in this together.”

Patti Alexander
Finance Chairperson

It's finally here!  During the next few weeks, thousands of people will pass through our patch. For 27 years, we here at Cason have been in the pumpkin business. Every year we are peddlers of pretty pumpkins, suppliers of the fall gourd and hawkers of orange orbs. Pumpkin Patch originated as a fundraiser for our “Wee Care” program, providing funds that kept the school operating.  Later, after Wee Care closed, the funds from the patch were used to fund individual missions and ministries at the church. For a short while, the United Methodist Women ran the patch and the money was used to fund their programming, as well as various mission and ministries of the church.  Then, a few years ago, the patch became the major fundraiser for the general operations of Cason as a whole.  Regardless of what it funded, throughout its entire history, the patch has been viewed as a way to bring much needed money into the church.

But I believe that the Pumpkin Patch has a much larger purpose, one that is often neglected.

Not only is the pumpkin patch a fundraising effort for our operations, missions and outreach programs, it is also a way for our church to be involved with the community. Every year, people from all over come to enjoy the "sea" of orange pumpkins. Many families mark the occasion with photographs of their children taken at the patch. As a part of The Patch, preschools and elementary schools have come to visit, hear a story and choose their unique pumpkin that is just their size.

True, there aren’t many theological reasons for pumpkins, although if pressed I could riff on pumpkin themes. A single seed can grow a larger pumpkin, a nod to small acts of faith growing. The different colors and shapes can be a message, too. And there’s the connection to farming and food. Our Patch helps employ growers and truck drivers. Our pumpkin supplier, Hamby, employs 30 full-time employees and 600 seasonal workers on a Native American reservation in New Mexico where the unemployment is more than 40 percent. Hamby’s company sends out between 900 and 1,000 semi-trucks each year, each with around 2,400 large pumpkins and 1,000 smaller ones.

Furthermore, the patch creates time for fellowship among church members. Whether it’s working together to set up the parking lot, unloading pumpkins or selling them, those involved have the opportunity to make new friends, meet new members and reunite with people they may not have seen or spoken to in a while. It also creates a shared cause, an opportunity for everyone young or old to participate in the fulfillment of our mission.

But finally and probably most importantly, it’s an opportunity for those outside our walls to spend some time on our campus. It’s a good family opportunity that lets people see the other side of the church, people hanging out and talking to each other and enjoying themselves. The Pumpkin Patch is an outreach opportunity where we are able to share the love of Christ with our neighbors and friends! People who may have never turned into our parking lot are excited to visit or buy pumpkins, and if we do our jobs right, have the opportunity to leave knowing more about Christ.

In the past I have heard some say that Pumpkin Patch is not the place for proselytizing, that people do not come to the patch to hear about Jesus; they come to buy a pumpkin, and we should respect their beliefs.  That is an example of “stinking thinking.”  Let us not forget that first and foremost, we are a church. And the true business of the church is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. It is literally our JOB to be the Good News for those who have not heard the Good News. These people have come on our campus, and we should never be afraid to tell them about Jesus. After all, the money they give us to purchase a pumpkin goes to promoting mission and ministries that spread the name of Jesus.  Pumpkin Patch should be a place of opportunity: opportunities for us to get to know folks outside of our church, opportunities for us to share the love of Christ through our actions, and opportunities to show our community that we are a place they can come to that is friendly and inviting. That’s really what the pumpkin patch is all about.  Yes, proceeds fund operations, outreach activities, and worship opportunities. But it’s not about selling pumpkins; it’s about relationships, creating a space where all will find and know the love of God.

 So this year, if you find yourself in the patch, remember:  these aren’t customers; they’re potential believers. The patch isn’t a sales floor; it’s our mission field. Remember our call to spread the word, and do so with confidence and joy. You don’t have to hit them over the head with the Bible. Remember the advice of St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”  Smile, be joyful, be friendly and make our friends feel welcome. Don’t haggle over prices; don’t scold overly enthusiastic children.  Instead, remember that these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Cason, we have an opportunity over the next few weeks to truly show others the love of God. It is my prayer that we have a very successful patch … not just because we raised a lot of money, but because we touched a lot of souls.

Pastor David

As we find some distance from the “end” of the COVID-19 era (let’s be honest, COVID is going nowhere; we are just understanding how to live with it), we’ve find ourselves facing an unknown time.  The pandemic changed the way the church functions, and we’ve been told by all the “so called experts” that we should never expect to return to the way things were, but instead we need to embrace the “new normal.”  A fellow pastor told me that all churches are now “new church plants,” that we are all starting over and rebuilding.  Some may view that as scary and disheartening.  I see it as a huge gift from God!

You see, we had become stagnant.  I mean the “Big C” church, but I also mean Cason.  We were a church that had lost its mission.  Yes, we were doing good things for people, but we were like the sheep in Jesus’ parable about the least of these. We were doing good things, but we had lost focus on “why” we did these things.  Our real purpose was to stay alive and open so that we could worship here with our friends. I can recall in one of many vision workshops someone said that we were the “homeless” church…not the church that feeds the hungry or the church that shows God’s love by providing clothing and shelter and comfort.  The “homeless” church.  Kind of fitting in my eyes.  We had forgotten that our home was the Kingdom of God.  We had forgotten that what we did for the least of these, we did for Jesus.  We had forgotten that our job was not to be open so that we could worship but so that we could serve. We had lost the “Jesus” in all of it.

It was at this point that Cason found its core message: inSPIRE.  Focusing on service, worship, discipleship, hospitality and generosity might seem simplistic, but the truth is these five “pillars,” as we call them, are the five tenants of Christianity.  These areas are touchstones that remind us of what Jesus taught us.  And Pastor Carey Nieuwhof puts it best, “A focus on the core purpose of church: introducing people to a relationship with Christ, with each other and life-changing discipleship, will be the one thing that church can offer that the world doesn’t.”  It’s true.  The core purpose of the church is to introduce people to a relationship with Christ, who taught us to serve, to worship, to make disciples, to show hospitality and to be generous.  The world wants you to focus on your needs; Jesus tells us to focus on others’ needs and your needs will be met. Let me put it this way; People in this world are not just looking for information—they’re looking for transformation. So our job is not to give them information about God; we need to let them experience God.  And Cason’s core is all about experiencing God.

Back to my original point.  We were told that people would not come back to church.  We were warned that we had to change how we do things in order to reach people in the post pandemic age.  But we have seen such transformation in the church since we adopted our core message that we just kept following God’s plan.  We kept pushing service and worship, discipleship, hospitality and generosity…even in the midst of low attendance, lack of volunteers and a season in which no one wanted to serve in leadership.  We stayed on message, and now a funny thing is happening: people are being reached!

It started with the re-commitment to our Children’s Ministry.  We decided to use the pandemic time as a chance to revisit and revitalize our commitment to Children.  Meetings were held, parents consulted and plans made.  But most importantly, the church prayed for the opportunity to once again minister to children and families.  It was slow going; however, our committed Sunday School angels Sara Knight and Andrea Rawls never gave up on reaching children and created a system of online and mailed curriculum that kept children connected to the church.  As the pandemic restrictions eased, Emily Popolizio, the Chair of Family Ministries, began to put plans in place to expand our offerings to children beyond Sunday School.  This resulted in the creation of our Cason Kids Chorus.  Then a partnership was formed with C. Ron Allen to create Cason Kids Club.  Dick and Marleen Weir assembled a team that worked with 15 underprivileged kids, many who are homeless, and provided them with food and fellowship three days a week for six weeks.  They learned about public speaking, computers, table manners – even aeronautics!  It was an amazing success, which prompted Emily to create Cason Kids Care, a social action group for children.  Coupled with the Cason Children’s Chorus on Saturdays, this group of 15 children will do projects for social awareness and justice throughout the year.  Their first project was the creation of a lemonade stand that will raise money for a nonprofit organization. (You can see the announcement in the Good News this week.) Core purpose in action.

In early 2022, we were approached by a group known as the Seekers.  This is a group of 20-30 year-olds who gather each Sunday for dinner and spiritual exploration.  We partnered with them and currently there are 60+ young adults who call Cason home.  The exact group that we have been told over and over we would never reach now meets here once a week and are so thankful for a church that shows them such hospitality and generosity.  And worship!  Currently, once a quarter we have a worship service on Sunday nights with the church and seekers, followed by a time of food and fellowship.  It’s amazing to see the way that this group praises God.  This ministry has borne amazing fruit!  One of our couples in the congregation made it their mission to attend the Sunday dinners, and when one of the young adults fell on hard times, they welcomed him into their home.  Core purpose in action.  But wait, there’s more.  Several of the young adults have children, and so Emily created “Bible Buddies” so the children have a place to be while their parents take part in the Sunday dinner and discussion.  This Sunday I brought the message, and one of the parents couldn’t stop raving about Bible Buddies.  He said, “I thought it was just going to be child care, but my kids came home and told me about a Bible story they had learned.”  Core purpose in action.

There’s so much more.  But here’s the basic point: The truth about moving forward after COVID is that the advantage of the local church isn’t content; its community and connection.  It’s reaching out to those in need, those who don’t know Christ, or those who have forgotten that what they are doing is for Christ.  Despite all odds, Cason is growing.  While the last place it will show up is in worship, it is showing in our missions and ministries.  And that is the way you bring people into the church post pandemic.  Connect with them, serve them, show them hospitality and generosity.  Doing these things is a form of worship and discipleship.  CORE MESSAGE IN ACTION.

There was a lot happening at the church this weekend, and Saturday after the new members class, I was surfing through some blog sites that I read regularly, and something jumped out at me.  It was written by Chad Napier of Crosswalk.com and I think it’s worth sharing with you.

“We had high hopes Covid-19 would be eradicated by all the safety precautions and of a return to our normally scheduled lives. A return to full “normalcy” has yet to happen after over two years for many occupants of our world. We have been disconnected for so long from our families and friends physically and from our churches spiritually.  The virus, through its variant strains, is still present in our society to a degree. Most American churches have returned and opened for business as usual. Unfortunately, many of its members have not and are still resorting to watching services in the comfort of their own homes via streaming. The result is predictable – spiritual coldness.  The side effect of home worship and virtual attendance is a spiritual coldness because of a lack of spiritual connection with the physical church. Man left to his own devices in today’s world becomes disconnected spiritually and socially.”

As hard as that is to read, Napier isn’t wrong. When it comes to religious communities, spiritual coldness is definitely the number one lingering side effect of the pandemic. People still feel unsafe coming to church, although they don’t seem to have a problem going about the rest of their lives in much the same way they did before COVID-19. In fact, there are several who come to drop things off, or attend meetings or events, but still have not returned to worship. Is the reason really of fear of contracting COVID-19, or is it that at some point of the last two years, the decision was made that in person worship is not a necessary component of the Christian faith.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not trying to shame people into returning to church. The truth is, even for those who did return, things were different. At first, it was social distancing, the antithesis of gathered worship.  People were told, “yes were open, you should be here”. But when they arrived, they couldn’t greet one another, they couldn’t sing with one another, and they certainly couldn’t sit by one another.  And most importantly, they couldn’t receive the sacrament of Holy Communion together. Gone were the days of coming forward as the spirit led you. Gone were the gathering at the table, the act of dipping bread into juice, even receiving the blessed elements from the pastor. Instead, you picked up a pre sealed cup of bad juice and stale bread. People didn’t even take the elements at the same time, many just opened them and took them when they felt like it. The experience of corporate worship sharing in the mystery of God’s covenant was shattered.

So it’s no surprise to me that some have said to me that they feel a bit mentally and emotionally disconnected during communion at your church. I think many of us struggle with that sense of detachment during communion; we know something important is happening, but we’re not quite sure what it is. So I think it is important that we find a way to become reconnected, to become part of that mystery again, in some small way.

In the first 15 verses of the 6th chapter of John, there’s a miracle story about how Jesus fed a whole multitude. In a miraculous way, he took a young boy’s barely five loaves and two fish, he blessed and broke them and fed the 5,000. It was the ordinary bread of the day, but the crowd loved it. They had been hungry. He had given them the bread freely. The message, of course, is that some things that appear to be ordinary are not. Sometimes it’s not just bread we’re offered. Sometimes it’s God-given bread, “heaven-made bread” offered by the spirit of Christ himself. Sometimes it’s homemade bread made with nurturing, loving hands.
 
So I’m announcing the creation of a new ministry: Bread for the Soul. This ministry, quite simply, is about making bread for communion here at Cason. Over the past year or so, I have spoken with several friends who have this ministry at their church, and it is amazing the effect it has had on people.  In many places, it has gone from a simple task of making bread to an entire small group focused on the spiritual aspect of making bread.  Let me explain. Preparing Communion bread can be a spiritual exercise. The hands-on preparation of mixing and kneading, combined with the meditative nature of waiting on bread to rise, offers an opportunity for active contemplation. Those baking the bread are encouraged to mix, knead and bake prayerfully.  

There are 6 steps involved in the process:

1. Choose a recipe
2. Prepare through meditation
3. Gather the ingredients
4. Lay out the ingredients.
5. Bake the bread
6. Present the bread.

Interestingly enough, there are 6 steps in the communion process:

1. Choose to worship Christ.
2. Meditate on this bread of Life.
3. Gather yourself as you did your ingredients.
4. Lay yourself before Christ as you laid out your ingredients.
5. Allow Christ to measure and mix and knead and bake.
6. Present yourself to Christ.

So the truth is that homemade bread made with nurturing, loving hands is also God-given bread offered by the spirit of Christ himself. Starting in October, there will be packets that you can pick up in the office that will include a recipe, and blessed napkin to wrap the finished bread in and some devotionals that you could read while making the bread. It is my hope that by engaging in the process of making the bread for Communion, we can find ourselves again connected to the truth of Communion: That we are created by God’s hands, saved by God’s love and maintained by God’s grace. I hope you will prayerfully consider being a part of this ministry, either by yourself, or with a group of others.

Oh, and by the way, any extra bread we have will be given freely to those who need it.

Pastor David

On December 15, 2020, the church voted to sell the West lawn to Azure Development, with the understanding that the process from agreement to sell to closing would take approximately 18-24 months. As part of that agreement, Azure placed $100,000 in escrow in case of default. After 180 days, that money became nonrefundable and was placed in Cason’s account. The money is part of the purchase price and therefore can only be spent on capital improvement and not as “general budget” money (except for legal fees related to the sale of the land).

Now that we have passed the 18-month window, I thought it was time that you were updated on where we are in the process and what we can expect moving forward.

Over the past year and a half, Azure has developed plans for the West Lawn parcel and have been working closely with the City of Delray Beach to obtain the permits and approvals necessary to move forward. These plans have been reviewed and revised many times, and the Board of Trustees has been kept apprised of the status of development and have had had the opportunity to reflect and comment on the plans on a few occasions.

 One of the changes that occurred due to consultation with the city was the creation of a 1 acre shared retention area, which reduced the area that we are selling to Azure from 3 to 2.5 acres (the other .5 acres would come from our land). This reduced the purchase price from 2.74 to 2.625 million. Other than that, the original proposed deal remained in place.  

The anticipated closing date for the West Lawn parcel was August 22nd. Shortly before that date, we were notified that Azure was exercising their first extension period, as per their contract, and now have until December 27th to close on the deal. As part of this extension, Azure deposited a further $50,000 in escrow that becomes Cason’s if Azure were to default on the agreement. This extension was required in order to allow the City to review final plans and obtain our input and approval. In the next week, Trustees will review the final Plat Application for the City of Delray and, if appropriate, sign off on the application. This is the last step in getting the City’s approval, so we are hopeful that closing will happen within the 120-day window of extension one. Per their contract, Azure does have two more extension periods, meaning that the process could extend until August of 2023; however that seems unlikely.

In anticipation of closing and the receipt of funds, a committee was appointed to vet potential money managers, and based on their recommendation, the Trustees voted to appoint Primerica Financial Services as the West Lawn Funds management team. I am recommending that leadership appoint an “investment team” made up of members of Trustees, Finance and the congregation at large who will meet with the Primerica team manager, Brian Cartland, to discuss the deposit of the funds and potential strategies of investment. This team will help create an investment plan that will be presented to Trustees for consideration and approval.  

I am assembling a short term committee specifically to look at immediate needs of the church. This may include exterior landscaping, painting, review of our monument sign; possible renovations of Fellowship Hall, including new flooring and acoustic tiles; improvements/modifications to the sanctuary, including repairing the organ, painting, audio/visual tech, etc. In short, this committee will make
recommendations about things that we can do to refresh and revive our physical plant. It’s about time that we showed the community that we are proud of our facility by taking care of our largest asset. If you are interested in being part of this committee, please let me know.

As we look forward to receipt of the funds, I want to be very clear about something:  no money from the sale of the West Lawn can be used to supplement the general budget. According to the Book of Discipline ¶ 2543, “The principal proceeds of a sale of any property shall not be used for the current budget or operating expense of a local church…. the principal may be used for capital improvements beyond the regular operating budget”. We are forbidden from using the proceeds from the West Lawn for anything except capital improvements; however, we may use the interest from the investment of the funds to supplement the general budget. Regardless, per the original proposal to sell the land that the members of the church approved, the funds from the sale cannot and will not be used, in any way, without a corresponding vote of the membership. It is my promise, and that of the appointed leadership of the church, that any use of these funds will be done transparently and with full advice and consent from the congregation.

This brings me to my final point. Yes, Cason is poised to receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.3 million dollars. It may be tempting for some to say that the church doesn’t need to worry about giving anymore because we have so much money. However, as I just pointed out, use of these funds is highly restricted. At this time, more than ever before, we need to continue to encourage those in the church to give in response to God’s grace, not on what they believe they’re commanded to give, or based on what money may be in our bank accounts. The need for the missions and ministries of Christ continue as does our commitment to serve those in need. I encourage you all to continue to be faithful in your giving to the church and to remember that the gift we received from the sale of the West Lawn allows the “church” as a noun to function, but only your generosity and faithful giving allows the “church” as a verb to do its Kingdom building work.
 
Pastor David

Church,

This week I have given the space I usually use for my blog to Loreley Hinderling, chair of our Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Committee. I encourage you to read her article as it will bring you up to date on information related to our staff here at Cason.

Pastor David

Greetings from SPPRC!

Over the past year, your Staff/Pastor Parish Committee has been busy reviewing and refreshing the job descriptions for all of our staff positions. Our goal was to make sure that we had the most up to date and functional understanding of the duties for which each of our staff are responsible. We also wanted to make sure that the job descriptions reflect the current needs of the church, as well as forecasting the needs for the future and that any changes that needed to be made were identified and made.

As a result of this process, we realized that to meet our current needs, we needed to modify things a bit. Our first change was adding the position of Assistant to the Pastor. This position not only supports our Senior Pastor, but is also responsible for many daily office functions as well as our social media presence, our website, and our communications. It has not been hard to see the change in the way we communicate internally here at Cason, but also the way we communicate with the community at large, and we are blessed to have Marcella Fileto in this role. If you have not met Marcella yet, we encourage you to stop by her office and say hi. The other position that we added was actually a combination of several job descriptions that have been the responsibility of Andrea over the years. A decision was made to consolidate all of these varying responsibilities into one position, Facility Liaison. This new position for Andrea makes her responsible for the daily functioning and security of the church, including all Cason's events and ministries as well as external rentals. Andrea has great institutional knowledge of the church facility, and had a real gift for facility management. Again, we are blessed to have Andrea in this position, and we believe she is well suited for the job.

You may notice something missing. Andrea used to have the duties of “Child Care Coordinator,” and was responsible for the care of children ages 0-3 during worship services and other church functions. While we are seeing a resurgence of activity in our Children’s Ministries ages 5-11, we are not seeing a corresponding change in attendance of the 0-3 age group in our Sunday Services. In the same way that we changed our Youth Minister position to volunteer because of a lack of youth, the decision was made that we could no longer expend resources to have an individual paid in the Child Care Coordinator position. To help facilitate this change, Trustees decided to move the nursery to the Narthex so that it could be used by parents or staffed by volunteers, and the money left in the Child Care Coordinator line was moved to the Facility Liaison line. Andrea has always had a strong presence as a volunteer in Children’s Ministry, running the Easter Egg Hunt, helping with Sunday School, and working at many of the Children’s Ministries events. We expect that will not change, as she is heading up a family event at Pumpkin Patch on October 22, leading our Trunk or Treat event on October 30th, and hosting a Gingerbread House night on December, just as she did last year.

SPPRC also reviewed the Staff Policy and Procedure Manual, which was last amended in 2014. Along with Pastor David, the committee made significant changes to make sure that the manual met current local, state and federal guidelines, as well as best practices of the United Methodist Church. The changes to policy were reviewed by our District Superintendent, as well as the legal team of the Florida United Methodist Annual Conference, and were found to be in good order. The committee unanimously voted to approve the manual, and the staff met and reviewed it as well. Each staff member signed off on the manual, acknowledging that they understood its provisions and that they would abide by them. These approvals were forwarded to the conference.

With the changes and tweaks to the job descriptions of the staff and the review and modification of the Staff Policy and Procedure Manual, SPPRC believes that our administrative unit is the strongest it has been in many years. We are thankful for the wonderful people who have chosen to serve through their employment here at Cason. Please make sure to thank them when you see them!

Loreley Hindeling
Chair, SPPRC