The following is a condensed version of the State of the Church address I gave at the Church Council meeting on Sunday.

The first three weeks of the new year have been … well, strange. Many of us feel stressed and anxious about the new presidential administration, but also perhaps oddly hopeful after a weekend of marches.

The good news is that Kessler Park United Methodist Church is poised to be a beacon of hope for years to come. We wrapped up a very successful pledge campaign last fall entitled, “Give Hope.” The focus was on all the ways in which our congregation gives hope to people.