Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known
to everyone.  The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Dear Friends,

What a blessing it has been these past few weeks to hear of the ways that you as individuals are living out your baptismal covenants to uphold our local congregation of the United Methodist Church in prayer, in presence, in giving, in service and in witness.  Hearing your stories of your commitments to Jesus Christ and to the church inspires me to reflect upon my own membership vows to the Southwest Texas Conference and the ways in which I am also living in covenant with the Lord in and through First United Methodist Church of Bertram.  What we do as the gathered community of faith matters in the up-building of the Kingdom of God.  What we do as the church is to offer the hope of Christ and new life to a hurting world.  If you have not considered the vows you have made to this local congregation in a while, ask yourselves these questions:

      Why is it important that I pray for the First United Methodist Church of Bertram?
       Why is it important to be present at First United Methodist Church of Bertram?
       Why is it important that I give financially as well as offer my God-given talents to First United Methodist Church of Bertram?
       Why is it important to serve the Lord through First United Methodist Church of Bertram?
       Why is it important to witness to my faith in Jesus Christ and invite others into worship at First United Methodist Church of Bertram?

I encourage you to spend time with these questions.  Take a sheet of paper and write down the ways that you are living into your own membership vows.  Then, ask God how you might live more faithfully into this covenant we have made before God and one another and that we renew every time we baptize or welcome a new member into the congregation.  How is God calling you to remember your baptism and keep it holy through these vows to the local church? 

Considering our Baptismal Covenant leads us to consider the ways that we joyfully become good stewards of all that God entrusts into our care.  God gives us amazing gifts as well as the responsibility to care for one another and to care for the church to the glory of the Lord.  More than any other topic, Jesus spoke of money and our spiritual attitudes toward wealth.  We will be talking about money in October, too.  In this newsletter you will discover once again some basic principles of stewardship as well as a chart to inform your decision on your tithe to the church in the coming year. Let us be in an attitude of prayer as we make new financial commitments to the church in the next few weeks that will honor and glorify all that God has done for us in and through Christ Jesus.
       Grace and peace,

        Pastor Chris