SERMON SERIES

Prayer is a multifaceted, relational communication tool that connects us with God and with one another. How we pray for one another tells us a lot about what the church means to us and how we hope God will bless the fullness of Christ’s body here at Ankeny First UMC.

It is possible that we have limited the meaning of “presence" to “attendance” and forgotten about the content of our character wherever we happen to be “present.” YES, we want members to pledge their presence - and time - to the activities of the church, but how we LIVE while we are present matters - no matter where we are.

We pledge to share whatever gifts we have been given by God with the church so that the body of Christ can share them with the world. Gifts are more than just monetary offerings. Love should be a significant component of how our gifts are shared.

To serve God and to bless others is to fulfill the mission that God has given to us. These acts enable us to inherit the Kingdom. Beyond our GIFTS, service is the action that is linked to, or that follows our giftedness. HOW we use our gifts is often how we are of SERVICE.

Imagine if we took membership vows so seriously that people in our community asked us why we were always seeking to be peace-makers and unifiers of God’s people? What a wonderful reflection of “membership” that would be!