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“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Luke 6:48 Dear Beloved, Yesterday, Donald Lathrop gave me a “tour” of the basement of the parsonage. I was impressed by the stone foundation, portions of which were built back in the 19th Century! While it may look decrepit compared with the concrete foundations of today, it has withstood the tests of over 100 years; a solid foundation for the home that is built upon it! It is interesting to contemplate all the changes that have taken place since that foundation was built. Even electricity, which we take for granted and rely on for almost every task of our lives, was not widespread in homes until the 1920s. And through it all, that foundation has been like a rock. Currently, we at Bristol Federated Church, are building another kind of foundation to help us through the changes we envision for our church. There are two cornerstones to this foundation. The first is a new set of Bylaws; our Bylaws Committee has just completed a draft of new bylaws and presented them to the Leadership Team for their review and input. These bylaws will provide the governance structure need for BFC to consider and make decisions regarding becoming Open and Affirming and of calling a new minister. Our Bylaws will be one cornerstone for our foundation. The other rock of our foundation will be in the form of Bible Study. Beginning Sept. 21st at 6:30 – 8:00pm we will engage in a six-part study entitled “The Bible, Sexuality, and the Methodist Church” developed by Rev. Rob Fuquay, a UMC Minister in Indianapolis. The study will be presented both “in-person” in the Education Wing, and on Zoom and will be facilitated by Mary van Tol and myself. This study will provide a firm foundation in the word of scripture about the issues of becoming Open and Affirming to people of all sexual orientations and identities. Please be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend. We recently sang the hymn “God of Change and Glory.” These new cornerstones while give us a sure foundation for the changes God is calling us to make. In the Peace Love and Light of Christ, Pastor Chris
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