 Spiritual: July 09, 2025 Issue [#13235] |
This week: A Year In Edited by: Jeff  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
"Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief."
— C.S. Lewis
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm one of the regular editors of the official Spiritual Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site in that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly or submit feedback in the comment box at the bottom of this newsletter. |
A Year In
As I've mentioned in past Spiritual Newsletters, my family currently attends a small church in our city that we helped our friend (the church's Lead Pastor) plant. We actually officially just passed the one-year anniversary of forming the church, which was incorporated in June 2025 and began holding services in people's living rooms and parks, then moved to a small, local coffee shop starting in September 2024, and then moved to our current space (a smaller chapel on the campus of a local Christian university) in January 2025.
I've been spending a lot of time thinking and praying through the road we've been on lately, and thought I'd share those reflections in this issue of the newsletter.
One of the things about being a very small church plant is that there are a lot of times where you just have to roll up your sleeves and jump in, or something isn't going to get done. In addition to helping our pastor with the administrative and operational needs of the church, he and I have also been the ones doing the setup and breakdown before and after each service, arranging the food for church meals, and handling all of the church communications (recording and uploading the sermons to YouTube, sending reminders, etc.).
There have even been a couple of times over the past year where I've had to step really outside my comfort zone and give the sermon when our pastor has been unavailable. As someone who does not like being the center of attention, it hasn't been my favorite experience, but it's one that I've definitely learned and grown from. And ultimately, while it's been really difficult at times (it's hard to put so much effort in on a weekend where only 10 people show up), it's also been really rewarding as well (seeing people really connect with a message, or bond over a shared meal).
July marks the start of a new ministry year for our little church, and our main goals are going to be to grow this year. We'd love to find a space that permits us to hold a more traditional Sunday morning service (we currently meet on Sunday afternoons), and increase our revenue so that we can start to get our pastor a little more salary (he's currently working for way less than the going rate for pastors in our area), and have a little more operating budget to launch some of the initiatives that we've been dreaming about.
As someone who's often been frustrated by working a middle management job at a big company in the entertainment industry, it's been exciting to lead an organization (albeit a small one) and develop all the skills that requires. It's also been really rewarding to do that in a nonprofit context, where the goal is to benefit other people. Who knows where we'll be a year from now, but I'm excited to see where the journey takes us. 
Until next time,
Jeff
If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy Things" | "Blogocentric Formulations"
|
This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:
You are also invited to check out these items from members of the community:
| |  | Meet Your New God. (E)
The creation of the computer, that will open a world that should've remained closed.
#2343161 by R☆  |
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2343159 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Feedback from "Spiritual Newsletter (June 11, 2025)" about weekly reminders:
Imagine the possible benefits of lessons on nonjudgement.
— Dada Aum Ra
So true. Our church has 4 regular services. Sun AM & PM, Tue and Fri. There isn't an excuse for missing one meeting a week.
— Quick-Quill 
Nice reminder, although some brick and mortar churches lose focus on the higher message and get lost in their own denominations dogma and the pressures of money to keep the doors open. When I lived in the Middle East, I was immediately struck by the daily calls to prayer each day of our Muslim brothers and sisters. For the truly devout, quite spiritual.
— Damon Nomad 
Thank you for mentioning my writing. As for community? It's important as we are social entities; however, it can also be toxic. I limit my interactions with certain individuals and groups.
— Kåre เลียม Enga 
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction
of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
