Thoughts for September

As we begin September, we begin to transition from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of the year. This means we are headed to busy and important months for the rest of the church year. Not only are fall festivities and the holidays closely upon us, but the church leadership will also be doing visioning and planning for next year. We will be looking at putting together the 2026 budget and a new slate of officers, elders, deacons, and trustees. (Side note, if you have committed to giving to astro kids and or a regular tithe and have not done so, but still can, we ask that you do as this helps us with our ministry now and with our future planning.)

I think it is helpful to look at dreaming, visioning, and planning in increments of fives. As we find ourselves moving toward the last quarter of 2025, I invite the church to look not only at 2026, but also look at where we want to be five years from now. Where do we want to be in 2030? Who do we want to be in 2030? And most importantly, what is God asking of us and for us in the next five years? These questions remind me of Proverbs 29:18 which states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." It is important to have vision as we plan for our future. It is critical to not only plan for one year, but to plan for years ahead.

As I think over the summer months and what we witnessed on VBS Sunday and Camp Sunday, I am overwhelmed with joy. While many churches have no children, we have many! And not only are they a part of the church family, but they are active at Unity, they feel at home at Unity, and they are serving at Unity. I think back to Easter Sunday when we had six children make their confession of faith and were baptized. And two weeks later, another youth made her confession of faith and was baptized. As I talk to new members of the church who have joined over the last few years, they tell me how grateful they are for the church and how at home they feel here at Unity. We also have long-term members who love the church and who committed their life to the church, and now need the church to reach out love, and serve them. This past Sunday we had new people worship with us that are reliant on the busing system in Radford, because buses do not run on Sunday, they walked a good distance to get here.

Every Saturday, almost 120 meals go out of the church and daily, our neighbors access our blessing box full of food, toiletries, and other supplies. Our most recent addition of activities, Lunch Bunch, has grown in numbers of participants where we enjoy a meal and conversation together. All of this tells me not only do we have a future, but we have a great and long one. However, that does require the commitment of all of us to prayer, visioning, giving, and serving. The community, the nation, and the world needs faithful, serving, thriving congregations to keep the light, love, and promise of Christ visible.

Continue to pray for our church, look for ways to serve and participate, and know that you matter not only to God but to our church family!!

With love, gratitude, and prayer,

Wendy