Annual Report 2023-2024-DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 8
Church Life:
• Volunteered to help with the Matins garage sale setup and
sale days.
• Celebrated a second year on the Buildings and Grounds
committee.
• Became staff liaison to Board of Benevolences and observed
the Board of Stewardship.
Highlights:
• I witnessed the joy that the LEGO programs, especially the
Christmas Village, brought to our kids and even adults at
Plymouth stands as one of the highlights of the year. I cooked
a turkey for the first time for the Young Adult Friendsgiving
and have been grateful to provide a chance for community for
younger adults at Plymouth.
Looking Forward:
• My last services at Plymouth will be June 29
and June 30. I will be departing in early July,
so do not be a stranger! Reach out to me
(pstrobel@plymouthchurh.com) or scan the
QR code here to schedule a coffee or lunch.
• I have accepted a call to be the new Associate Pastor at
Norwell UCC in Norwell, Massachusetts.
• When I leave, you can follow all I do on my website:
peterstrobel70.wixsite.com.
Thank you for the opportunity to be your pastor.
Blessings,
Pastor Peter Strobel
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
REMI SHORES
Hey Church,
As you know, this first year with you all has also been my first
year in full-time ministry. I have learned so much about myself,
about church and congregational ministry, and about you all
thanks to the TiM program that serves new pastors, Plymouth
Church, and the wider Church. I do feel well-served by this
program, and I hope you do, too.
The TiM Program Serves Plymouth Church:
In my first year, I spent a lot of time working with the Saturday
Night service. I led a visioning retreat to help us understand the
DNA of this service and introduced new concepts such as the
Query. I have also worked with the congregation and the Band
to rearrange the order of worship in ways that help the service to
flow. My highest hope is that all of this is in service of our only
goal in worship: to draw our hearts nearer to the heart of God.
Because of the time I have spent on the Saturday Night service,
I have unfortunately not been as present on Sundays as my
colleagues are. As I move into this second year, I will be moving
into a more normal worship rotation, which regrettably means
less time with our beloved Saturday Night folx, but more time
with the Sunday morning crowds. I look forward to getting more
comfortable in my robe and stole and continuing to lead liturgy
in our sanctuary services.
Also in this first year, I have…
• Revived our Easter Sunrise service.
• Begun planning our 2024 Pet Blessing service.
• Revived our Wednesday Night Bible Study, which meets
online, BYOB, pajamas optional.
• Offered education on trans inclusion in the church, one of
the ways we grow in love of God, neighbor, and creation.
I have also started a signup where people can book “chats with
Pastor Remi.” I even offered to paint people’s nails, though so far
only one person has been brave enough to me up on that! I have
really enjoyed talking with people as they move through their
everyday lives, not in crisis but in the human condition that
we’re all swimming in, on this broken world that God still loves.
Besides all of this, I continue to preach, teach, pray, offer
communion, welcome, visit the sick, and show up at Plymouth
Church ready to be a team player in whatever God is calling us
to do next.
6
