“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
—Ephesians 3:16-19
An Invitation to Flourishing from Pastor Taylor
At First Church, we say, “transformation happens here,” though the truth is that it doesn’t happen on its own. God works in transformative ways to move us toward wholeness and integration, but we are partners with God in our flourishing. I believe that there are clear steps we can each take to open the door for transformation to happen in our lives and the lives of others:
Transformation happens here…
- when we connect regularly with God
- when we do life together with others
- when we make a habit of serving
- when we give sacrificially to help the church thrive
- when we invite others to participate
We are entering a season of commitment. I will share what it means to pursue flourishing in your life by making specific commitments in each of these areas for the coming year. I want you to participate, listen, and pray about the commitments God is inviting you to make so that you and others can flourish through the ministries of FUMC.
Tools to Help Your Discernment…
As you consider how you will pursue the five commitments God is calling you to make in 2025, you may already be living out one or more of these commitments—that’s great! Below you will find links to an online commitment card. Simply fill out those parts of the card, indicating your intention to continue those.
Still, there may be one or more areas where you feel the Spirit of God nudging you to take a new step. Maybe you long to find deeper community in a small group or you feel drawn to participate more fully in worship. Maybe your giving has been haphazard, and you sense a call to lean in and help the church thrive. This electronic card is a tool to help you as you discern your next step toward flourishing. For each commitment, you can choose one of the options provided or fill in your own.
FUMC Austin’s hope is that you will find some way to say yes to each of the five commitments, though if you aren’t ready to say yes to each of the five commitments yet, that’s ok—you’re on the journey! Fill out the commitments you are ready to make and leave the others blank.
Connect with God
Throughout the Bible, we see the story of a God who is determined to be with us, to know and to be known, and we are made for that connection with God. Without it, we are less fulfilled and more isolated. Through spiritual practices of worship, Bible study, and regular prayer, we nurture a trusting connection with God that helps to root us spiritually so we can navigate life with meaning and purpose.
How will you ROOT YOURSELF IN YOUR CONNECTION WITH God?
Do Life Together
We are nurtured in community, among trusted friends with whom we share life’s journey, with all its ups and downs. These are the people who help to fulfill our deep need to belong, to be cared for, and to know we are loved and wanted, just as we are. From close friendships and fellow class members to pew neighbors and brunch buddies, these friends reflect the love of God to us and create an ecosystem where transformation is possible.
WHERE WILL YOU INTENTIONALLY SEEK COMMUNITY WITHIN THE CHURCH?
Be A Servant
Jesus modeled a way of life oriented around serving others. He taught and demonstrated service as a posture, a way of moving through the world. There are infinite opportunities and ways to serve and, when we practice any of them regularly, they train us to move through the world with the same posture. Imagine the transformation in our community if more and more people approached encounters at work or in the halls of power as those who come, not to be served, but to serve! In addition, acts of service are often an opportunity for us to cross boundaries into unexpected relationships, where we make new discoveries about others, ourselves, and God.
Who will you serve?
Make It Thrive
The church is an ecosystem of grace. It is a coming-together of people, systems, buildings, and opportunities that open the door for God to do transformative work. When the ecosystem is thriving, transformation abounds in the lives of the congregation as well as the surrounding community, where the impact of transformed lives reverberates, enabling a more loving and just society. Such thriving is possible because of the generosity of those who are on the path of transformation. When we give to the mission of the church, we are drawn beyond our worldly concerns and learn to set our hearts first on the kin-dom—on what God is doing. We learn to live with gratitude and trust that God provides for our needs.
HOW WILL YOUR FINANCIAL GIFTS HELP FUMC AUSTIN THRIVE?
Spread the Word
Transformation is a gift we offer to others by inviting them to participate in the life of the church, where they may also discover God at work in their lives and in the world, and where their presence can have a transformative effect on others as well. Inviting others is a way that we share the transformative love of God, not through coercion or guilt trips, but by simply sharing the steps we have found helpful on this journey of faith. Lives are changed every day by a simple invitation.