“I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers.
I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray,
and it’s always a prayer full of joy.
I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the
ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now.
I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you
will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.
I have good reason to think this way about all of you
because I keep you in my heart.
You are all my partners in God’s grace,
both during my time in prison and
in the defense and support of the gospel.
God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you
with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
This is my prayer: that your love might become even more
and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight.
I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters
and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ.
I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness,
which comes from Jesus Christ,
in order to give glory and praise to God.”
Philippians 1:3-11 CEB
Dear Friends,
I give thanks to God every time I mention you in my prayers!
And I am grateful that the good work that God has started in us, will stay with us to completion.
Just think in two years, the “Creating a Culture of Renewal” (CCR) program has begun to bear fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven project among us. We begin in “Cottage Groups” to share our dreams and desires that we would grow, flourish and thrive once again (“beyond the former glory!”).
The Vision Team that started in 2025, has developed into a Work Team under the direction of our SAS Leadership Board in 2026. As we began to consider CCR’s “5 Surprise Elements of a Jesus-Like Dream:” that it expands our assumptions of what’s possible; it’s bigger than we are; it scares us; it’s about the Kingdom of God, not the congregation; and, it inspires and unifies! We’ve learned that we can “Dream Like Jesus”; that we are designed to “Co-Create Miracles with God”; that good communication and “Productive Conflict” allows us to “reframe,” heal and shift embedded unresolved issues, that keep churches from growing; and, that as we advance from our discipleship to apostleship, we begin to move from a “Belief in Jesus” to a bold and mature faith with a “Belief Like Jesus.” Finally, we “D.A.R.E.” to “Dream like Jesus” by owning our spiritual authority (as Ambassadors for Jesus, we are all Anointed, Appointed, Authorized and Accountable, to fulfill God’s promise). And, now we are crafting our Jesus-like dream for the future.
As a Leadership Board, we have identified our congregational culture (using the “Everything DiSC profiles”), considering unique styles and gifts, while appreciating diverse approaches. We are learning new skills of how to best communicate the dream with God’s diverse children.
Part of our dream work has been to develop the “Building the Future Together” proposal. I am proud of the progress our Leadership Board and members have made in the 1st quarter of 2026, and continue to make in this next quarter and subsequent phases. (check out the LB “Dashboard” progress report in this eNews edition)
Next fall, in Track 3, our Leadership Team and Vision Work Team will continue to align our dream in an Apostolic Action Plan — leading to our 180th Anniversary in November 2027, and beyond as we pursue healthy church growth and develop a pathway from Discipleship to Apostleship, enabling our vision to gain alignment and momentum, and championing execution for the future God has planned for us.
Eufaula First UMC has a passion for serve the community and a desire to make a difference in the world for Christ’s sake, as we build up the Kingdom of Heaven among us! What an exciting time to be engaged in the body of Christ @ Eufaula First!
I am blessed to be part of God’s Kingdom work alongside each of you!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Michelle
