A Note from Pastor Lee
 
Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas
and progress. ​- Charles Kettering
 
The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. - Melody Beattie
 
A new year is at hand, and we hear once again all kinds of aspirational statements: ideals expressed, goals written, and resolutions made… all for good causes or purposes. After all, who plans to experience bad things or to make the circumstances of life worse? No one.
 
2024 was the Happy New Year we welcomed a year ago. Was it happy for you? Was it prosperous? Has it been a delight or a drag? – One should expect that any given year is a mixture of both. -- There will be a new administration in office later this month. To some that is cause for giddy excitement, while for others, something to dread. Will the U.S. economy flourish or flail downward? Will we worry about the future or trust in the God of eternal love and care?
 
This year will most likely see SMBC blend with another congregation. Your Transition Team is working steadily and in a well-organized way to explore the possibilities at hand. They are taking thoughtful steps and making progress. Perhaps soon, the new year will see a new way for SMBC to move forward in service to Christ and His kingdom. Pray for God’s guidance as we take these steps together.
 
Yours in Christ -- Lee