Every November, we remember the saints who carried the light before us.
Their faces come to mind as we gather for All Saints’ Sunday, November 2. These are they who prayed for this church before any of us arrived, who gave their time, wisdom, courage, and care to help Yates become what it is today. Since 1878, a long procession of believers has brought their gifts to God’s work here. Some of their names are carved in stone. Most are written in the quiet stories that live on through us. We give thanks for them all, the beloved saints who kept faith, held one another up, and trusted that the light of Christ would not go out in this place.
The first covenant they made in April 1878 still speaks. It promised to walk together in love, to uphold worship and prayer, to remember the poor, and to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. Those early members saw the church not as an institution but as a living body bound by grace. They pledged to live “circumspectly and watchfully in the world,” seeking God’s glory in the care of one another and the service of their neighbors. Their faith has become our inheritance. Like Elisha taking up Elijah’s mantle (2 Kgs 2:13), each generation has received the call to continue the work and keep the promise alive.
We also give thanks for new life among us. In recent months, Curt Ash has become part of the Yates family, worshiping faithfully alongside his new bride, Cathy. Curt has shared how his faith has come alive here, how God has used this community to make belief real and close to the heart. We rejoice in his witness and look forward to celebrating his profession of faith through baptism in November. New members like Curt remind us that the story of Yates is still being written, that the same Spirit who sustained those before us is still drawing people into the fellowship of Christ.
As we prepare for November 16, we do so with that same gratitude and expectancy. On that day, we will gather not only to adopt a budget or affirm leadership but to renew our shared commitment to God’s mission.
These moments matter. They are acts of faith, not formality. When we listen carefully, speak kindly, and make decisions in love, we participate in the ongoing life of the Holy Spirit among us. Afterward, we will share a light lunch in the Fellowship Hall and continue with a family meeting, discussing the deacons’ recommendations that have grown from the congregational engagement process. It will be a time of reflection and discernment, a chance to look forward together with open hearts, minds, and hands.
I know “business meeting” sounds ordinary, but in truth it is more like worship. It is the church being the church, listening for what God is saying and leaning toward what God is doing. We bring our questions and hopes, our weariness and wonder, and trust that somewhere in the conversation God will breathe life into us. Each time we do this, we stand in the long stream of believers who sought to live faithfully in their own day. Now it is our turn.
Before the month is out, the candles return. Advent begins November 30 with the theme Kindled, growing from the prophet’s promise in Isaiah 9:2.
Advent is our yearly reminder that God meets us even when the way forward feels dim. We do not have to chase sparks or manufacture joy. The Holy Spirit already burns among us, offering light for what has grown weary and warmth for what has gone cold.
At Yates, we believe that Jesus still holds this church together. The same light that filled the stable in Bethlehem shines in our worship, our fellowship, and our daily work. Each time someone offers compassion, forgiveness, or prayer, the flame brightens a little more. Advent invites us to tend that light, to notice it, protect it, and share it, so that together we might see the world more clearly in its glow.
As we move into a new church year, may gratitude and hope walk side by side. Let us honor those who built this fellowship, and let us keep building in their spirit. Let us meet this season with faith that shines through the ordinary, the planning, the singing, the serving, the small decisions made in love. God is still at work among us. The same Spirit who began a good work here will carry it forward through us and through those who come next. In every season of change, in every act of faith, and in every new beginning, we trust the promise that endures: “The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isa 9:2)
Grace and peace,