Craig’s Corner
Now it’s time…to say goodbye…to all our company…
If you missed last Sunday’s worship (3/13) you may not have heard but the Bishop and Cabinet are appointing me to a new church. I will be joining the people of Wesley UMC in San Jose (not too far) beginning July 1. Until that time, I will still be your pastor and will still be journeying with you in faith. We have some exciting things coming up (including Easter!) so it’s not over yet! As we reopen to the public, I hope you will take the opportunity to come by the church and take part in all we are doing.
If you’re unfamiliar with the process in the UMC, a pastor is only guaranteed to serve a particular church from year-to-year. BMUC was fortunate to have been under the leadership of Rev. Naomi for so long, but typically a pastor is at a church for four to six years before moving on. We serve at the will of the Bishop who, along with the Cabinet, takes into account each pastor and each church’s situation and tries to match a pastor’s gifts with a church’s need.
In this situation, I indicated I was open to a move during our annual evaluation. Emma had graduated and I felt God was pulling me elsewhere. I also felt I had poured all I could into BMUC and it was time for someone new to take it to the next level. After consulting with DS Staci and the SPRC, everyone agreed it might be time. As they began the diligent and thoughtful process of matching pastors and churches, the Bishop and the Cabinet thought I would be a good fit for the next stage of the journey at Wesley UMC.
While I will miss so many of you and what we’ve been able to accomplish together, I am also excited about this new opportunity to see where God is leading. God brought me to you so I know God has plans for this next phase which of course reminds me of one of my favorite passages in the Bible. From Jeremiah 29:11, “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I’m excited for you, too! It’s always great when a church is infused with new people and new ideas and I’m hoping whoever follows after me will have some great ones. Being at BMUC was an amazing opportunity for which I am grateful. I’m also grateful for the wonderful team I get to work with. Naomi, Jill, and now Tak, Chai and Deacon Mike have all made an impact on my life and ministry. And of course so many of you who prayed with and for me and my family; who volunteered for our outreach events and took a chance with our community; who gave of their time, talents, gifts, and service to help me, one another, and support our church are all important. I’ll miss you, too.
As we draw closer to my final Sunday with our church, we will let you know what is going on and what plans we are making. I hope I’ll get the chance to say goodbye personally to each of you, but know you are in my prayers. You are welcome to follow me through my website (craigyoshihara.com) or on Facebook (umcpastorcraig), but as is our custom I will make myself scarce for at least one year after leaving to give our new pastor the chance to get to know you and develop a relationship with all of you.
It has been an honor and a privilege to be your pastor.
M-I-C – See you real soon – K-E-Y – Why? Because we like you! M-O-U-S-E
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Craig
Weekly In-Person Worship Beginning Palm Sunday – 4/10 @10:30am
We are so grateful to see case numbers and most importantly the death rate from COVID-19 dropping down significantly since the spike earlier this past winter. Along with that, restrictions have eased and more places are opening their doors once again. It’s time for us to do the same.
Your COVID Task Force decided to move forward with our reopening plans and will begin regular in-person worship on Palm Sunday (4/10) and every week thereafter. If you are not ready to return, fear not! We will continue to do online worship as well and hope you will join us from the safety and comfort of your home. But for those of you who ARE ready to come back, we can’t wait to see you. Like the other public places around us, our restrictions are loosening somewhat.
- Masks are encouraged but not mandatory for vaccinated and boosted persons
- Children are welcome to attend worship at their parents’ discretion
- Limited refreshments will be served with fellowship taking place outside for the time being
Not everything will have returned to pre-pandemic status. Some will return in the future. Some may stay different because it works better. Some may stay different to better balance our new hybrid worship.
- Choir will eventually return in person, but for now will remain as it has during the pandemic
- We will not be “passing the plate” but will continue to offer opportunities for giving virtually and in-person
- We will not be doing a time of greeting but hope you will come early and stay after to talk with family and friends
- Communion will still be served in individual portions (at least until we run out of those awesome cups)
Please remember that COVID isn’t “over.” It is thankfully less severe than it was earlier in the pandemic. But people are still dying from it every day. However, we realize how much people need the physical presence of one another as well; how we take comfort from proximity as much as anything else. And we realize that COVID may never disappear. Learning to live with it and keep people out of the hospital may be our best goal and we certainly can’t ignore emotional, psychological, and yes, even physical drawbacks of isolation. Thank you all for your patience and support during these past difficult two years and we are so grateful to everyone. If you have questions, concerns, feedback, or comments of support, please feel free to share them with us.
Blessing of the Animals Coming to BMUC for Earth Day!
This year we are trying something different as we invite our church family and surrounding community to a Blessing of the Animals. We will provide more details as the day (4/24) gets closer but wanted to make sure you put it on your calendar. Weather permitting, we will have an outdoor service that day and friendly pets are welcome. Be sure to keep checking our website and Facebook page for more details or just come to worship as we are sure to share more about it there.