Since moving to Oak Ridge I have enjoyed a
number of visits with members and friends of the United
Church. My goal is to visit every active family and
many of the inactive families within my first six months
as your pastor. Thus far many of the visits have been
scheduled sort of naturally, as the topic came up in
conversation during the coffee hour or at the
Wednesday Night on the Hill. Others of you have taken
the initiative to call or e-mail me to arrange a visit. So if
I haven’t visited with you or your family yet, please don’t
be offended. I hope to soon. And I am always open to
invitations. I like to give people the option of visiting in
their home, or at my office, or over coffee or lunch. A
lot of valuable information and meaningful fellowship
comes out of such visits.

I would like to ask from each of you a favor. If
you have enjoyed any of my sermons or been blessed
by any of the services, tell a friend, relative, neighbor or
co-worker about it. If you are proud of your church, its
worship, mission programs, or approach to faith, then
do a little bragging. Church growth experts state that
one of the prime reasons people visit and eventually
join a new church is because a friend invited them to
so. Every member can be a sharer of good news and
catalyst for growth—if we will only open our mouths and
share a few positive words about what is important to
us.

As members of the United Church, Chapel on
the Hill, we have great news to share. Ours is a
liberating message. We have a progressive theology
that can speak to the needs of our day. We have a
positive view of humanity. We place an emphasis upon
justice and peace. And we believe in the empowerment
of individual lives. I am convinced that a lot of residents
of the greater Oak Ridge Community would find a
spiritual home here, if they only knew what we are
about.
So, let me encourage you to invite a friend,
relative, neighbor, or co-worker to worship with us as
we get back into the swing of things in September.
Randy Hammer, Minister