Monday, February 22, 2016

SUSUMC paid 100% of 2015 Shares

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people ... This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives ...” Colossians 1:3-6 selected portions - New Living Translation


Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Susquehanna Annual Conference — How do I even begin to offer my thanks to you with enough joy and celebration? Once again, now for the second year in succession, the Susquehanna Conference has paid one hundred percent of our General Church Shares of Ministry. Praise be to God!

Shares of Ministry are ultimately about the mission, ministry, and witness of our church. Because of your generosity and faithfulness in sharing and spreading the love of God, the Good News of Jesus Christ is “bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives.” There is no way that any one of us can imagine and comprehend how many lives will continue to be touched, served, and transformed because of your giving out of your love for God. God’s people of the Susquehanna Annual Conference represent a mission-loving church at its best.

Thanks be to God that our conference continues to make progress each year in honoring the Shares of Ministry. It represents the continuous expansion of God’s movement by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Together, we will keep moving toward the goal of honoring the Shares of Ministry by each and every congregation.

I don’t take it for granted. I realize that it takes commitment, faithfulness, and sacrifice to meet the challenge of honoring the Shares of Ministry that has been assigned to every church. In partnership with you, your district superintendent, your conference office staff, and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, we will do our best to help our churches meet their connectional covenant with financial responsibilities.

Once again, with joy, I would like to say thank you, and thank you, for all that every church is doing to share the love of God by honoring the covenant of Shares of Ministry. To God be the glory that we are a church alive in Christ together making disciples and transforming the world for such a time as this.

—Bishop Jeremiah J. Park