A Letter from the Pastor

“What have you been up to?” is a question that we sometimes ask when we are catching up with an old friend.  It is also a question that is posed to each local United Methodist Church this time of year as Charge Conferences are held.  We will be holding our Charge Conference on November 9th during our regular Administrative Board Meeting.  From now until then the different committees of the church will be working on annual reports that reflect the past year’s activities and ministries.

. This part of our church polity might seem monotonous at times, but it does give us a great opportunity to look back over the year to recognize what we have done and how God has used us here at Hartford First United Methodist.

So far this year we have received 11 new members into the church.  Several more have made known their intentions to join.  I believe this is a direct result of a welcoming attitude of our congregation.  We have also reached out in many ways to the local community.  One of which is the emergency food pantry, through which we have served 27 families.  While you may not see all of these people as they come for help, you have greatly blessed them through your food donations throughout the year.  The Mustard Seeds, UMW Circles, Sunday School Classes, and other small groups have performed in countless ways to bring relief to those in need.

 I talked to you last year about some doors that were opening for us to help with some mission work in Guatemala involving prosthetics for amputees.  Since that time the earthquake in Haiti and the resulting amputations have really cut back on the number of parts that we have been able to procure for our project in Guatemala.  However, we have been able to get parts for 5 amputees.    The limbs were assembled in Guatemala and the patients were able to receive rehab there through some of the connections we have made.  We are currently working to find other sources for parts and funding for new parts when we are unable to obtain used components.

This year we continued supporting the Tatum family in Costa Rica.  We pledged $200.00 per month.  However, this year we have already given them an extra $2,100 through mission team fund raising and the generosity of people who just want to support our missionaries. We also had the privilege of sending our first foreign mission team to Costa Rica this year.  We intend to go again next year and need you to pray about your involvement for 2011. 

These are just a few of the things off the top of my head and I know that there are many more ways that you have been ministering.  I’m almost excited about going through the reports and forms just to remember the many things we have done.  Well I don’t look forward to the paperwork, but I am looking forward to the ways that God is going to use us in the next year.  He has begun some great works in us and He will see us through. 

Thanks for the Blessings

Rev. Jimmy Cook                  9/1/2010