To the church of God as found at Marion Salem Church, called to be saints together with those in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: You are miracles of God’s grace and mercy! 

On November 12th, a small group from Salem Church gathered in the sanctuary for our annual church conference. Part of that meeting includes the pastor sharing a vision statement for the congregation. What I shared that evening is important to the future of Salem Church and needs to be shared with the congregation at large. It would take too much space to reprint it in our newsletter, so for space sake, I am offering an abbreviated version of the six items that I believe we need to take on. There is hard truth telling that we need to do: 

• We need to fill the vacancy in our youth director position. More importantly we need more interest shown by the congregation in our youth. 

• Ideally, we need to actively work towards a family life director—not just a youth director. It is the lack of programming for the entire family that has caused two active young families to seek out other congregations in the last two months. How can we grow if we cannot hold onto those already here? 

• This congregation needs a lay leader. This pastor needs a lay leader. The lay leader is the chief cheerleader or encourager for the congregation. Helping everyone to connect their life as disciples in church to their everyday life as witnesses of Jesus Christ in the home, workplace, school, neighborhood and community. 

• Our facilities are well cared for, however we have big ticket items (roof and HVAC being two) that require us to go beyond a regular maintenance budget. Salem’s facilities were designed to hold 200+, yet we worship on average 91. We need a building and capital campaign that will account for all these needs over the next several years before they overwhelm us. This includes plans for future parsonage families years from now. 

• We need to encourage spiritual generosity. Salem is excellent at mission giving. We need to work on stewardship for budget planning purposes by participating in New Consecration Sunday. In looking at the future, we should also prepare for a potential funding gap through endowed gifts and utilize partners that make such giving possible. 

• We need to prayerfully dedicate a group of people to the work of a Vision Team. This team would articulate a preferred future for Salem, and they would provide the ground work for a disciple making system to get us there. They would spend much time in prayer and learning and pass their findings on to the Ad Council for adoption or action. 

Nothing of what I share here is new. I have mentioned such things going back to the Pastor Meet and Greets last summer. While I am putting words and framework to these items, none of this is unique to me either as others have shared these thoughts as well.

The end of the story is this: we have a lot of work to do. Disaffiliation is easy in comparison to the hard work that being and making disciples asks of us all. I shared at the church conference that we have two years to make inroads on these matters before we are overwhelmed by decline and forced to make drastic and unwelcome changes. Unprompted, the elder presiding at our church conference echoed that sentiment and warned that other churches have had the same opportunity, squandered the time they had, and now struggle to do the ministry they feel God calls them to do. I know that there are many good people here at Salem ready to step up to the work God has called us to do. Now is the time to dedicate ourselves to it. 

Blessings!

Jason

 1640 Salem Road, Caledonia, OH 43314 

419-947-5383 • MarionSalemChurch.org 

10 am Worship 9 am Sunday School 

 

 

To the church of God as found at Marion Salem Church, called to be saints together with those in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: You are miracles of God’s grace and mercy!

October is such an incredibly busy month; I’m always impressed with how it sneaks up on me and can become overwhelming. Our 19th Anniversary is on Oct. 1, and we have plans as usual to go on a family vacation (though we’re going to the beach and not the mountains) over the second weekend in October. October 6th is World Communion Sunday, a day set aside by many Christians around the world to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in unity.

Here at the church, we’re gearing up for the Charge Conference season which means the Nominations Team has been very busy preparing the slate of officers for next year. We’re also entering budget planning for 2025 and your leadership is working diligently with a new process now that we have a year of actual expenses and receipts to plan from.

A group of  Sunday School leaders has joined together to bring back the Donuts & Devos time on the first Sunday of each month. I understand that on October 6th, we’ll have a joint time of learning together at the 9am hour following fellowship at 8:30am.

Our Outreach Team has taken on the task of supporting our local Gideon Camps and helping them to recruit more members to spread God’s Word. That event is Saturday, Oct. 19. On the 20th, we’ll have a Family Fall Party at Tony and Charisse Smith’s. And, as I type this, the Conveying Conference is wrapping up its penultimate day and heading for a finale tomorrow.

By the end of the month, my attention will return to matters at home again. Emily is preparing for surgery on Oct. 31. Your prayers are certainly welcome as we begin that journey of recovery. Which brings me back to: October is overwhelming. Yet as I was talking to Amy today in the office the phrase came up in conversation, “it all just feels…right.” We have a lot of good work going on now.  Christ is lifted up. Disciples are being encouraged in their walk. And not too long from now—I believe we will see new disciples coming to Christ in our midst.

So, yes, it is busy. Yes, there is much going on to pay attention to and be involved with. There is much to celebrate and strive to achieve. At the end of the day, it is all about Jesus and making disciples.

Blessings,

Jason

 

 

To the church of God as found at Marion Salem Church, called to be saints together with those in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: You are miracles of God’s grace and mercy!

It is hard to believe that we are already in the last month of summer. August is now upon us and we are beginning to see the return of habits and routines. I know it might feel early to be talking about September, however the planning stages are on now for National Back to Church Sunday on September 15th. There are several parts and pieces that we will be doing in getting ready for this major event in the life of the Church.

• In August my sermon series will focus on the life of King Hezekiah, encouraging us to understand the importance of legacy. The central question: What are we doing to leave a legacy at Marion Salem Church and what kind of legacy will it be? ¨ T

•The Allegheny West Annual Conference will be holding a Lay Ministry training in Marysville, OH. This is an important training and I would like to see as many people go as possible. The training is September 6 & 7. For more: https://alleghenywestgmc.org/september-2024-awaken-registration/ The registration fee is $75 after August 1 and includes breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

• We’ll be welcoming new members on Sunday, August 25. Following the service, we’ll have a potluck welcoming our new members and a church family fellowship event.

As we think through our legacy, we ought to be inspired (or perhaps challenged) to give our best for the Gospel through Marion Salem Church. In giving our best, it never hurts to learn more about serving in the Church and the Awaken event is only 45 minutes from Salem. Again, I highly encourage your attendance. Awaken will be an opportunity to form relationships with other congregations in our conference who we are working with together to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Finally, the day we receive new members is practice for when we seek to welcome new guests and visitors on Back to Church Sunday.

So get excited church! This is a great time to get involved, live out our faith, and be a disciple of Christ!

Blessings,
Jason

To the church of God as found at Marion Salem Church, called to be saints together with those in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: You are miracles of God’s grace and mercy!

You would not have guessed it with how much I utilize Facebook for ministry now, however many years ago I greatly resisted joining Facebook. I honestly did not see the point of it 14 years ago. Yet, many of the students in my youth ministry at the time were begging for me to join and getting on Facebook enabled me to reach out to new students and opportunities. Since then, I have found Facebook to be a great way of networking with other pastors and ministry colleagues as well as keeping in touch with extended family.

Early on while starting to use Facebook I saw it as more of a ministry tool than as a personal outlet. So as friends started have birthdays and Facebook would remind me, I realized that it was an opportunity for ministry. Why just say “Happy Birthday!” when I could also share a Bible verse as well. Thus began a long tradition for me of sharing a verse on Facebook when I shared birthday greetings. The passage was an opportunity to encourage someone to open a Bible and read because I would only leave the reference. For years I shared the same verse, John 3:30. It was the theme verse for my youth group as a teenager. After starting seminary I realized that I should share other passages, so each year at my birthday I look for a new passage.

As time has gone on, I added to this by using a card ministry as well for members of the congregation I serve. This actually happened by accident. The congregation I served at the time was doing some cleaning and we found hundreds of old birthday and anniversary cards. Instead of letting them go to waste, I utilized the church database and started sending out cards—including the Bible verse. Why else would the church office need your birthdates and anniversary than to send you greetings? It’s been a fruitful ministry as a means of touching base with members. I’ve seen “long lost members” return to worship. Who doesn’t love to receive good mail?

So as we enter July it is time for a new Bible verse. As I was reading my devotions a few weeks ago, this passage came off the page: Philippians 3:13-14 (again I’ll encourage you to look it up). This past year has been one of major accomplishment for me personally. I have finally been ordained as an Elder, something I have spent the last 16 years working towards. However, I do not consider this an arrival or destination. Far from it! I am working diligently in ministry just as much now as I did before. However, as the passage says “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” — that speaks to me! I hope it encourages everyone in this coming year too. Forget about the bumps and curves of our history, there is a prize before us in Christ that we get to keep working towards. No arriving in this life. That’s not a bad thing-it’s a purpose to live for until eternity.

Blessings!
Jason

To the church of God as found at Marion Salem Church, called to be saints together with those in every place who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: You are miracles of God’s grace and mercy!

I’ve had some conversations lately that greatly encouraged me as it concerns a deep spiritual desire that seems to be bubbling up in our congregation. These conversations have centered around the topic of Communion. What’s so encouraging about this is that there are folks here at Marion Salem that want to make Communion more available. This comes in a couple of ways. The first is making certain that we are appropriately extending the Table of the Lord to our shut-ins. The second is offering Communion at gatherings besides Morning Worship. The only hard thing about either of these is already behind us, the desire within the congregation to celebrate the Sacrament. So, let’s talk about how to accomplish both.

It is the historic practice of the Church that ordained Elders are responsible for overseeing the sacramental life of the church and presiding at the Table. This does not exclude the laity from assisting in service, and those who are willing have served in worship regularly here at Salem Church for years. When we talk about extending the Table we are essentially saying that on Sunday mornings, when the Table is put back in order after we partake in worship, it is appropriate for lay folks to come forward at the end of the service and take bread and cup to those who were unable to attend the service. I recall reading this was done even in ancient times. Those little cups of juice can make it awkward to drive to someone’s house. There are solutions both with prefilled-sealed cups and mobile kits. In either case, those elements are blessed with the others during worship and taken along with relating the Word shared that morning. If you’re interested, please see me and we’ll get this started.

The other means of increasing our participation in the Sacrament is having Communion during small group meetings or at other gatherings. Again, this is easily accomplished yet there is a right order. First, the pastor has to be involved (no worries if this slipped by in the past). The usual manner this is accomplished is that I would attend and participate, either for the entire meeting or simply to offer Communion at the time appropriate. If I’m unavailable or it is best for the small group that I not attend, I would simply meet with the leader of the group and we’d prepare the elements for Communion together before hand. It only requires a little planning ahead, just reach out about two-weeks before hand and we can make sure this happens.

The Protestant Reformers looked towards two things as the sign of the Church: The Word of God being rightly taught and the Sacraments rightly administered. It is a joy to serve where there are those who are just as concerned with the latter as to the former because as a pastor I dedicated my life to such service. So if you’re a small group leader who wants to incorporate communion in an upcoming meeting, let me know. If you are interested in helping serve our shut-ins, let me know. And if you have been unable to receive communion for any reason, please reach out to me or the office so that we can ensure you have the opportunity to receive the gift of grace that Christ offers us in the Bread and Cup, His Body and Blood.

Blessings!
Jason