“LOGOS is the best thing I’ve ever seen!” said the 70ish man giving me a ride to the Milwaukee airport Thursday afternoon. I had spent about 24 hours with the people of Sun Prairie United Methodist Church (Sun Prairie, WI) to attend their LOGOS End of Year Celebration and to help recognize the 17 years that Deb Mulhern has invested as director of their ministry. Deb told the 200+ people of all ages gathered in the sanctuary that she started LOGOS because she wanted it for her three sons. And now that time is done and she is stepping into a new role at the church. I know that she blessed many, many more people than those three wonderful boys. I heard it over and over again from lots and lots of people!
In my short time at the church I saw:
- LOVE in the form of hand baked cookies with “tie-dyed” icing to match the LOGOS t-shirts that everyone wears.
- COMMUNITY around the dinner tables (lots of dinner tables!) as even the LOGOS cooks were treated to a catered meal.
- RELATIONSHIPS across generations and with peers that were deep and wide.
- COMMITMENT to a faith in God that helped families make a priority for participation in the midst of very busy lives.
- CARE in the details of the evening and the appreciation extended to the adults who invest so much time in LOGOS.
- SUPPORT from the pastor and support for the pastor.
- PARTNERSHIP with other churches and with GenOn Ministries to spread what they do beyond the walls of just one church.
So here’s to you, Deb Mulhern for having the passion and vision and energy to provide the environment for the church to partner with families to develop young disciples for these 17 years.
Here’s to you, LOGOS Board of Sun Prairie United Methodist Church for your commitment and strength as a team.
And here’s to you, Pastor Scott Carlson and Sun Prairie United Methodist Church for finding a healthy and effective way to pass the LOGOS leadership torch to Amanda Hinthorn to continue on!
What about your church? How do you celebrate the end of your LOGOS year? What keeps your ministry going year after year? Why and how do families set aside the time to participate? What investment do you make in others outside of your faith community? Would you like to partner with GenOn Ministries for wider impact?