Weekly Update// Pastor Chris

Dear Asbury Family,

Amanda and I wanted to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love and support you showed us during Levi's baby shower on February 11. The kindness and generosity displayed by this congregation touched our hearts profoundly.

Being part of the Asbury community has been an incredible blessing for our family. Knowing that our children are growing up within the embrace of such a loving church family fills us with immense gratitude.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making Levi's baby shower such a memorable and joyous occasion. Your presence and well-wishes mean the world to us, and we are endlessly grateful for your continued love and support.

As I write this email, I am still feeling the energy from last Sunday’s combined service. Bishop Tom Berlin's message about ensuring that Jesus is not just our teacher rabbi, but indeed our Lord to whom we submit, resonated deeply. Additionally, the phenomenal music shared during the service truly added to the experience of God’s love and presence. As Bishop Berlin shared just before his message, it's remarkable when people share their gifts for the benefit of others.

Speaking of gifts, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our preschool kids for their wonderful displays of artwork that we were able to enjoy during the potluck. And thank you to all those who organized the potluck. It was wonderful to see so many in our church family interact and build relationships.

On a different note, I wanted to inform you that last Sunday was also Jan Morton’s last Sunday with us. Jan has been a member of Asbury for decades and an integral part of our church family. During a goodbye party hosted by her Sunday school class, I shared that when I preached my first sermon at Asbury, she wrote me the kindest and most encouraging email, which left such an impression on me. Jan is moving to be closer to family. While we’re going to miss her, we are grateful that God saw fit to have her journey intersect with ours.

Finally, I want to invite you to worship this Sunday. We’re launching a new series titled “Behind the Cross.” Similar to the approach of VH1’s Behind the Music, which profiled musical artists and groups, we’re going to be profiling different figures of the passion narrative (passion refers to the suffering and death of Jesus). The first one is Joseph Caiaphas, the high priest who oversaw the religious trial that resulted in Jesus’ death. What does Caiaphas’ story teach us about God’s sovereignty and commitment to using us? Join us on Sunday at 9:30 am or 11 am to find out!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Blessings,

Chris