A Letter From Our Pastor
Dear Church Family,
With summer coming to an end, I pray that you and your loved ones had an opportunity to experience rest physically but more importantly in Christ.
In the past month, we said farewell to Pastor Van Son Truong and his family after serving our Box Springs Parish for the last two years. With grateful hearts for his ministry and gifts, we wished him well. It is with jubilation that Pastor Tran and I have been reappointed by the Bishop to the Box Springs Parish for the next annual Conference year. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and be servants of yours.
As I reflect on my sabbatical leave to the Island of Tonga in June, I am overwhelmed by your continuous radical hospitality and genuine love. Throughout the year our congregation has been committed towards supporting the ‘Tongan Donation Project,’ which consisted of
collecting and distributing various donations to those in need. As we distributed your donation offerings to those in need, I witnessed absolute joyfulness and happiness by each individual at the Prison ministry, Orphanage home and the Methodist Church. And with each drop off, I was remined of what Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” [Matthew 25:40]
May our service and ministry dwell on the same spirit of Radical Hospitality which reminds us to not be satisfied for less and to go to the extreme when showing our kindness, compassion, and love to one another in God’s name.
For the month of August, our theme is, “Family’s Blessings.” We invite you to join us as we explore what it means to be a family, what are our duties to the Church family and how we can nurture our faith as a family. Be sure to join us on August 6, 2023, for a special “Blessing of the Backpacks” for all our children and families. Let us continue to support our Church family and send our children with prayers and support as they return back to school.
With love,
Pastor Martin Niponi Finau
