After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.  He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” -Luke 10:1-2

In a year fraught with chaos and conflict, we felt God’s presence in new and surprising ways.  This year began with fears for our health and safety.  In the midst of a rapidly exploding Covid-19 global pandemic, we moved our worship services online and essentially closed the church building for business in March.  But the church has never been just about the building, the church is the people.

In some ways, 2020 was like any other year, babies were born and saints passed on from this life to the next.  But in most ways, this year was unlike any other we have experienced!  Adjusting all parts of our lives in order to flatten the curve of Covid infections, the chaos of how to care for one another was overwhelming at times.  Online Easter and Pentecost services seemed less celebratory than in years past.  We experienced conflict as our country was divided by an extremely polarized presidential election and racked with racial unrest and the fight against injustice.  We learned new new ways to be anti-racist and how our relationship with Christ calls us stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of color, rather than ignoring the problems of injustice in our country.  These were not easy conversations and they are far from over, but the hard work of living like Jesus, loving like Jesus, and learning to be more like Jesus compels us to continue to strive in the direction of righteousness.

So what happened, when the church left the building?  We sent letters and made calls.  We cared for one another as the people of God.  We learned new technology and Zoomed in for meetings, small groups, Bible studies and youth events.  We truly served as the heart and hands of Jesus Christ to one another.  Pastors made phone calls instead of in person visits.  Deacons found new ways to serve the hungry by sharing gift cards with our local mission partners and Trailseekers.  Elders rallied to care for the needs of the congregation in creative ways.  Children’s and youth ministry transitioned to distance learning.  Just as Jesus sent out the 72 in Luke 10, you were sent out to minister to one another right where you are.

We also experienced exciting and new things in 2020.   We sent a group to Uganda in February to deepen our connection with Music for Life and the African Children’s Choir.  We “hosted” a virtual ACC choir concert over YouTube.  We hope in 2022 to host the choir in person again.  We built a second home in Jamaica through the Embracing Orphans’ Rebuild program.  Since US groups were not able to travel overseas, we sent the funds for Jamaican workers to build the home for a precious family.  God continues to reach far beyond our community through the generosity of this church to build His Kingdom.

We do not know just what the next year will bring.  Because of anticipated reductions in giving, the Session is making very difficult staffing decisions as well as programming changes.  We know that God is faithful and continues to provide through your generosity.  We have been overwhelmed by your giving online and in person, but we know that changes are on the way.  As you listen to the Ministry Team Reports I pray you may be encouraged by God’s work here at KFPC.  I pray you will continue, wherever you are, daily becoming the heart and hands of Jesus Christ.  Remembering the words of Jesus, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  When the church leaves the building, God sends US into the harvest.