Here is scenario based seven years in the future:
By God’s grace and the faith of our God-Family, and the long-term pastorate of Rev. Blake Smarr, WJUMC is a thriving multi-generational congregation active in making disciples and serving Ashe county in the name of Jesus. We continue to affirm Jesus as our “why” in all we plan and do.
Our worship is vital, honest, and demonstrative— always open to the movement of the Holy Spirit to inspire, transform, and empower. The music ministry continues to expand as people’s musical gifts are discovered and engaged. Just last week our children’s choir offered special worship music.

There are lots of children and youth everywhere! These groups have been cultivated through relationships with county schools, sports teams, and teachers including team meals for county ball teams, care of teachers through personal “care packages” and prayer partnerships, an expanded PreSchool program, and an individualized prayer program through which we pray for the students at
local schools.

We continue to embrace the role of a “grandparenting church” as our love for children becomes more widely known. We have love and wisdom to share with children and their parents. This summer our Ashe County Reading Adventures is expanding to a 5th site!

We continue to enjoy seasons (like Easter and Advent) of intergenerational Bible study, spiritual practice, and worship when our people of all ages and stages are focused on the same curriculum. We are experiencing a second wave of small life support and spiritual formation groups mostly meeting in homes for Bible study, prayer, and discipleship.

We received a significant number of church members from churches that disaffiliated seven years ago and a few more in 2024. They have found a new church home and the pains of that recent past are healing well.

We are operating on a budget that has been freed from the burden of debt. We have reached a 50/50 inward-focused/externally focused and mission-responsive: 50% for church needs and expenses and 50% for outreach, service, and mission

The notion of “every member in ministry and every follower of Jesus a minister has taken hold. We are experiencing a ministry explosion, including additional Circles of Care, as people embrace their passions for people and their needs and take initiative to help meet those needs – utilizing their
unique spiritual gifting and enlisting partners with similar passions and differing gifts. They are seeking partners, not permission to do the things Jesus is calling them to do.

UMMen are on their way to the Gulf Coast to engage in hands-on responsive ministries. They regularly respond to local needs for ramp building and home repair. We are enjoying the services of a parish nurse from among our congregation providing in-home check-ins, monitoring medications, blood pressure, fall risk assessment, and other basic healthcare needs.

We are celebrating greater utilization of Hensley Hall for group training, celebrations, blood drives, and recognitions of community non-profit and governmental groups. This is strengthening our image as a “community” church. We are hosting a variety of activities for older adults several days a week.

We are a welcoming church. Although we may not all think alike, we love alike – loving like
Jesus without exception. You can see it. The first fruits are already visible, taking root, budding out.
Our future is as bright as it is faithful!