2009 A Year in Review

It’s hard to believe it’s almost 2010. While you are figuring out whether you want to call it two-thousand-ten or twenty-ten, I thought it would be a good time to write a quick update/review of the less controversially pronounced year, two-thousand-nine…or is that twenty-oh-nine…

No matter how you pronounce it, this has been a full year and together, we have seen God at work. We continue to seek to be a community that shapes and sends Christians into the world to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

It’s no secret that this year has been financially tough for everyone. As we discussed together in October, The Well has not been totally exempt from this. We’ve worked hard to stay true to our mantra that, “We should be as stingy as possible to ourselves and as generous as possible to others.” I believe with my whole heart that we have lived this out well.

As we finish out this year, I want to encourage you to think about giving a special financial gift to The Well toward our mission together. We want to stay as true to the financial commitments we have made and your generous gifts are need for us to do so.

Any time we talk about money, budgets and generosity we must remember that our money is a means to an end. We have a budget because we have a mission. We do not have a mission because we have a budget. In 2009, we have seen this mission lived out in some amazing ways.

Over the year, we have seen new members added to our journey together. Megan DiPrimeo is one of those newer members who has been so deeply touched by all of you. Recently she expressed this in writing,

“I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes and gratitude in my heart. On so many levels the Well saved my life. My soul was tarnished from traveling life’s road, my heart broken, my soul unsettled and the Well restored my faith in humanity. My eternal thanks!”

We have also seen some folks move on. This is always bitter-sweet because we know that God calls his children to specific places at specific times, but we still miss their daily, weekly, year round presence with us. One of the ways we’ve experienced this most deeply is in the birth of a new congregation in Bristol. It is such a blessing that we get to be part of what God is doing in this hurting town.

We’ve seen God move in so many other ways as well. God called us again to a week of intense service in Lower Bucks County with our suburban missions trip that culminated in a fantastic Forum on Suburban Homelessness. In fact, a few of our panelists has since played a very instrumental role in developing an emergency shelter system for the homeless in Lower Bucks County. It’s exciting to know that God used our event to help bring people together around this important issue!

Behind the scenes, God has also used so many of you to bless each other and care for one another. I’ve been encouraged all year long as I’ve heard seen this evidenced.

By the end of 2009, we will have gathered 52 times on Sunday morning. During those times we’ve had the privilege of coming together as a community to worship our risen Messiah. We have continued to invite the Holy Spirit to allow the scriptures form us and shape us for the mission he has called us to. Our studies through Micah, the Parables and Romans have been formative to our life and mission together (sometimes these texts have been annoyingly convicting!).

As we scatter each week, I absolutely know that God has also been using each of you in your workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes.

This past week, in remembering the impact that Katie Nolan has had on my own life and the life of this church, I’ve been doing a lot of processing and contemplating my last nine years as part of The Well. I’ve spent some time going through old e-mails, leadership team minutes, church letters, orders of service and bulletins. This week has reconfirmed in me how much I love this community. It has reconfirmed in me how much I love our mission together. It has reconfirmed in me my commitment to the cause of Christ.

I look forward to 2010. I look forward to seeing how God will change us, transform us, challenge us and above all, love us. I look forward to seeing how God will use us to transform others, challenge others and above all, love others.

As I stated before, I would like to ask you to generously give an end of the year gift towards our mission together. You may do this on Sunday morning and you may also do this using our online giving.

For the sake of others,

Todd Hiestand (and the rest of the Ministry Leadership Team)