Pastor's Note | Saturday, April 19th

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Those words are echoed through churches around the world on Easter Sunday as Christians gather to celebrate the most phenomenal and history-changing event of all time - the resurrection of Jesus. That Jesus rose from the dead has been disputed and there are many who try to explain it away. But nothing else can explain the amazing transformation of Jesus' disciples from those who fled in terror when their leader was crucified to those who, a short time later, stood against the powers of the Roman Empire and the dominant religious forces that opposed them and proclaimed, "He is risen... and He is Lord of all."

Our faith and our continued existence as a church are further evidences of the reality of Jesus' resurrection. We, along with billions through the past two millennia, are confirmation that the risen Jesus transforms lives, frees people from a propensity to run and hide from God, and enables us to love others - even our enemies, as ourselves.

This year, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we can also be grateful for the prospect of aligning with the Reformed Presbyterian body known as ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. We can celebrate this possibility because this denomination is committed to helping Good Shepherd be a flourishing church that is making new disciples of Jesus and strengthening disciples of Jesus at their various stages of spiritual development.

There are some things I would ask you to pray for related to this re-affiliation opportunity. The Joint Discernment Team (JDT) - consisting of representatives from Good Shepherd and the Presbytery of Los Ranchos (PLR) - has completed its task of formulating a Joint Solution for dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA). This Joint Solution will be presented to the Presbytery on April 24th for a first reading. It will be presented a second time on either May 31st or June 7th for a second reading, debate, and a vote of the Presbytery to accept, modify, or reject it. Please pray for a graciousness on the part of the Presbytery Commissioners as our Joint Solution is considered and pray for a positive outcome.

You will be receiving a letter with more detailed information during the week of April 21st. On April Sunday 27th and May 4th, after both services, there will be a time to meet with our Congregational Representatives who will address your questions about the Joint Solution.

Because the Joint Solution had to address the concerns of 1) the congregation, 2) the Presbytery (PLR), and 3) the denomination, there is a financial element in it. It will cost us to be dismissed from the PC(USA). That is fair to expect for many reasons including acting graciously ourselves, maintaining partnerships with churches like Covenant Presbyterian, and to meet church constitutional obligations.

I am confident that we are making the right move and that God will provide the needed funds. I am also confident that this Joint Solution is a win-win proposition. It blesses the Presbytery of Los Ranchos and the partnerships we deem to be valuable and important to maintain. Also, it blesses us with the opportunity to experience a "new life" as a congregation - focused on and better supported in our call to make disciples of our risen Lord.

Jim