A great day of celebration is in store for us on Sunday. When Rachel Pedersen, our new Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministry, began to coordinate her installation service, the staff decided together it should take place on a Worship Together Sunday, when children (4th and 5th graders) and youth stay through the whole worship service so they could be part of the celebration.
And when we discovered the best first-Sunday-of-the-month choice this fall was World Communion Sunday, even better. Rachel said, “That’s one of my favorite Sundays of the year!” You may remember that Rachel comes to us having served many churches, including St. Columba’s Presbyterian Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has international experience with the church in China, Ghana, Thailand, Egypt, the European Union and Nicaragua, as well as the Presbyterian Union Nations Office in New York. Rachel has a special love for God’s church and children all over the world.
World Communion Sunday is a perfect day to install Rachel as our new Associate Pastor during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Whether you worship at 8:00 a.m., when you will have the opportunity to hear from the Rev. Lorraine Stevens, BMPC’s Seminary Intern for Youth Ministry; worship at 10:00 a.m., when you will hear from the Rev. Christiane M. Lang Hearlson, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and a PhD candidate in Practical Theology/Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary; or teach our younger members in Sunday School, I hope you will join us for the reception welcoming Rachel to the BMPC family in Congregational Hall at 11:00 a.m.
A wonderful new day is dawning in Children and Family Ministry under Rachel’s leadership and we are blessed. She already knows most of our children by name and she and the whole staff are praying for them and their families. She wants to get to know you and your hopes and dreams for family ministry too. So join us Sunday as the church and presbytery welcome Rachel and all that she brings to further God’s vision for our ministry together. A great day of celebration is in store for us on Sunday, indeed.
