God's presence continues to guide us at Asbury Temple. We continue to marvel at how real God is in the Church. In order to give a faithful account of pastoral ministry as it relates to supporting and nurturing the lay membership, ministering within the congregation and the world, and administering the temporal affairs of the congregation, we should look at what we are doing and what we are becoming.

What we do and what we seek to become are both framed and formed by what we have been given. We have been given a vision, a vision from God. It is summed up in our vision statement this way:

Asbury Temple United Methodist Church is called by God to make disciples of Jesus Christ by offering hope, healing and hospitality to Northeast Central Durham and beyond.

We continue to provide hope for the hopeless primarily through worship. God's power is experienced in the proclamation of the gospel and our uplifting and exciting worship services only can be described as such because we are blessed week after week by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the presence of the risen Christ.

This year we began celebrating the Eucharist every Sunday during the main worship service. In doing so, we experience the very real presence of Christ through the bread and wine. In celebrating the Eucharist, we are remaining faithful to the words of the apostle who wrote, "As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Hope for the world and for the hopeless is obtained when we faithfully break the bread and drink from the cup. Likewise hope is given to the downtrodden and the captive through the word sung and the liturgy enacted. The prayers and responsive readings help shape us to be the people of God and the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood and for the world. The music ministry continues to flourish as we enjoy and are edified by four choirs and several gifted musicians.

We continue to see hearts stirred to new life as the word is proclaimed with power and in faithfulness to Christ. Who can deny God's presence and power among us when we witness a prostitute and drug addict make her way to the altar while crying out to God to make her whole again? Who can deny that God is at work during our worship services when recovering addicts and alcoholics routinely testify to their being kept 'clean' by God and made free to enjoy the fellowship of the people of God without feeling condemned or judged? These and many other stories of transformation we cherish.

God is at work here and hope is experienced and made alive when we worship.

We nurture each other in small group settings. Whether it's the United Methodist Women or Men, the Tuesday night bible study, the Mature Years monthly weekend worship experience at the Bryan Center or their mid-week and mid-morning bible study at the church; or whether it's the young adult's Koinonia group studying Ephesians or the Wednesday night men's bible study and fellowship or the adult Sunday morning class or our active group of kids gathering regularly to learn of God's love, we find healing by being a part of the body of Christ.

Just as Christ went around touching the sick and healing their bodies, so do we find healing today in the body of Christ.

Asbury Temple continues to be obedient to God by opening its doors to the stranger. When we do, we find friends among us instead of enemies. We serve our community and our world by opening our hearts, minds and doors. And how much richer our life together is becoming now that we practice such radical hospitality? We rejoice in our relationship with Durham CAN (Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods), Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, residents of the Brian Center, Skill Creations Group home, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Durham Urban Ministries, the Durham Food Bank, and the hungry in the neighborhood.

At Asbury Temple, we celebrate the goodness of God as we extend hope, healing and hospitality to Northeast Central Durham and beyond

To God be the glory!

Reverend Shane Benjamin