2023-24 Ministry Focus

For 2022-2023, our Church Council discerned and adopted the above churchwide ministry priority. Every clergy, staff member, committee and council has been encouraged to bring this vision to reality through prayer, acts of discipleship, and reliance on God’s grace.

What is Christian Community?

The Acts of the Apostles tell us what it means to be a Christian community: “The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. … They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone.” Acts 2:42,47a (CEB)

Worship. Learn. Fellowship. Serve. That’s who we are.

What are Habits of Hospitality?

Welcome — Posture of invitation and extension of belonging

Attentiveness — Noticing needs, affirming the image of Christ in all people

Listening — Listening to the Holy Spirit and others

Loving like Jesus — Serving, caring, giving, extending table fellowship

Welcome ALL. That’s what we do.

Why Focus on Hospitality?

Soapstone UMC has long been a Christian community that practices hospitality. In the 1970s a handful of families and individuals banded together and organized a community-wide home visitation that saved a church on the edge of closure. Through the efforts of the growing congregation, new sanctuaries were built on Norwood Road in 1990 and 2002.

In 2020 a worldwide pandemic brought another turning point as we launched outdoor and online services and learned to be a Church in new ways to new groups of people.

In 2022-23, we weathered a time of denominational upheaval with resilience and faithfulness to our membership vows “to be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church, and to do all in our power to strengthen its ministries.” We continue to engage deeply in scriptural conversation, to acknowledge that our church family holds a variety of views on many issues of faith, and to love one another as we sit side by side to worship our Triune God.

As we practice habits of hospitality and encircle all we encounter with Christ’s love, a new generation is discovering Soapstone UMC to be a place where the Holy Spirit is on the move. Wisdom-Keepers who teach us our treasured traditions have planted the seeds. Newcomers to our family are bringing fresh energy and ideas to water them. But it is God alone who brings the growth. (1 Cor. 3:6) Thanks be to God.