Flourishing With Activity Since 1733 or 1878 or 1925??!

"Where is your church? Is it the one on South Street or the one on the Green?" When I became a Pastor here 4+ years ago at our beloved 276 year old Presbyterian Church in Morristown, I didn't expect to get this question almost weekly. But now I am accustomed to it. Our two church buildings confound most people who are trying to find our offices, nursery school, or our sanctuary and chapel. Among many we are known as, "The church in Morristown with the two church buildings."

So why would God grant us this blessed confusion? I am always glad when people ask because it gives me a chance to tell the amazing grace-filled story of reunion and reconciliation. In 1925, after worshipping apart ever since the split in 1840, (over many issues but mainly over the conservative vs. liberal theological issues), our Presbyterian Church on the Green and the South Street Church reunited! What a wonderful example of reconciliation and cooperation! What a chance to be an ambassador for Christ here and now!

We can use this remarkable history for the advantage of our church growth! You can share this story with others to encourage their participation in our place of reconciliation history by inviting your friends and neighbors to church to see our awesome historic buildings. I love showing them off to visitors and family! If they aren't interested in worship, then ask if they would like a tour of our church buildings. We believe the Holy Spirit leads hearts to Christ, so with no pressure, but with an "invitation" we are called to invite our friends and neighbors to come see who we are and where we worship. I have found that once folks come inside our buildings they feel a sense of the peace of Christ and become interested in attending worship. Maybe it starts with a desire to hear our massive organ play, or our reknown choirs sing or bells ring. Or maybe they are just curious about two women preachers leading an historic congregation....Whatever sparks the spirit working, let us all be conduits of God's grace and hospitality.

Summertime combined services are another example of cooperation and union. When we merge with the Methodist church on the Green, our church shines! In the Methodist church for combined worship in August, I know our congregation will be enthusiastically filling their pews as we do alongside the Methodists in our church sanctuary in July. We are an active vibrant congregation that shows up even in the heat of summer.

Help us keep our long tradition of showing up for church in the summertime in our union church services. We have a long history of combining resources and voices with the faithful. I am certain God smiles everytime you walk into our church (either on the Green or on South Street) or into the Methodist church in August. Let's make God smile a lot this summer!

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to God through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to God in Christ, not counting their sins against them. And God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God was making an appeal through us...."

(2 Corinthians 5: 18-20. NIV)