gossip

It is with sad news that we share the word that GracePoint UMC will be closing its doors. Quite a bit of energy was spent around the break up of GracePoint UMC into GracePoint Community Church in our methoblogosphere (not to mention to congregations involved). Bishop Scott Jones is quoted,

"We would have liked to continue the GracePoint United Methodist congregation. Unfortunately, there were not enough remaining members to continue the congregation," Kansas United Methodist Bishop Scott Jones said in a news release issued today. "We are disappointed that things worked out this way."

Andrew Conard shares his thoughts saying,

I believe that the new church start that was GracePoint UMC has been and will continue to bear fruit in God’s kingdom.

It is okay that the new church start that was GracePoint UMC did not work out for the Kansas West Annual Conference or the United Methodist Church. I believe that the annual conference should be about starting more new churches, not less as a result of this scenario.

I mentioned similar sentiments to Andrew upon the breakup that a scenario like this does not need linger in our minds in starting a new church (that they might eventually leave the umc) but that whatever we do, we do faithfully and it will bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Henry Neufeld writes about one of the most common sins - gossip:

"There are a few malicious tale bearers, but most people simply talk, and they never realize what they are doing. But the spread of a rumor can do a great deal of damage. Generally also the rumor becomes more believable the more people who repeat it. It’s not evidence. It’s how many times you heard it. By the time you get to the people talking about the people talking about the rumor, nobody knows where it started, and it has a life of its own."

Read the full post here.