It’s common topic of conversation, how much the world has changed because of COVID. From social distancing, masks, to vaccines, the world is a different place. In a few ways it has been good for our congregation. It forced us to become more deeply involved in social media and offer online worship, education, fellowship, and meetings. We have found through it all that our church actually grew in participation and now we have regular attendees that live way beyond Southern California. Our average Sunday attendance in worship is greater online than in person.

Some have been asking what does this all mean for our life together and the future of the congregation. I wish I knew. The future is a mystery that we live into. Every time I think I have a line on the future of the church, we seem to make a hard right or left turn and I’m wondering what’s next.

I guess that’s why the congregation is sustained by faith and hope rather than certainty. Faith and hope are the guides we use to be our best in the present. If we choose to be gracious, open, and loving every time we come together, we will be living out our call to follow Christ. As a church, we have demonstrated a great amount of flexibility and resilience over the last 2 and half years. No one would have thought at the beginning of this journey we would be in this place. Faith, hope and love have sustained us, and we continue to live out this faith and hope in a myriad of ways. The future has never been certain for us, but we remain faithful to Christ’s call upon us all and to the congregational life we share.