January / February 2026 Newsletter

Rebuild

A New Year Reflection in the Season of Epiphany

As we step into a new year, we do so not in the quiet stillness of Christmas, but in the bright, revealing light of the Epiphany season. Epiphany reminds us that God is still showing up, still making things known, still revealing light in places we did not expect. This year, the word that has been stirring in my heart is Rebuild.

Rebuilding begins first within us. The past seasons of life; personally, congregationally, and globally have taken their toll. We carry weariness, grief, and questions about what comes next. Yet Scripture gently invites us not to be defined by what has been lost, but by what God is still doing. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18–19). Rebuilding does not mean erasing the past; it means trusting that God can make a way forward even through    wilderness and dry ground.

For me, rebuilding my spiritual life this year means creating space again. Space for prayer that is   honest, scripture that shapes my thinking, and trust that God’s Spirit is at work even when progress feels slow. Rebuilding is rarely flashy. It often happens quietly, one brick at a time. Choosing hope, practicing faithfulness, and showing up again and again.

This same call to rebuild extends to us as the Church of White Oak UMC. Rebuilding is not simply about programs, attendance, or buildings, though those matter. It is about reclaiming who we are called to be; a community rooted in Christ, open to the Spirit, and committed to loving God and neighbor. Epiphany reminds us that the light of Christ is meant to shine through us, guiding others toward hope.

The good news is that we do not rebuild by our own strength alone. Paul’s words in Ephesians ground us in promise: “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine… to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all        generations” (Ephesians 3:20–21).

This promise matters. God’s power is already at work within us, within each person, and within this congregation doing more than we can yet see. Rebuilding is not about sheer effort or anxiety over   outcomes. It is about trusting that God’s power is greater than our limitations and God’s imagination exceeds our own. When we rebuild with God we rebuild with hope.

impossible to take away any one of these four postures when seeking God’s plan for renewal and   rebuilding. All four are needed and required.

First, Patience: rebuilding takes longer than we wish, and progress is often slow and hidden.

Second, Participation: the Church cannot be rebuilt by a pastor or a committee alone. Every      member’s prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness matter.

Third, Perseverance: there will be setbacks, disappointments, and days when it feels easier to settle for what is familiar rather than press toward what is faithful.

Lastly, Pardon: (forgiveness) in order for God to answer our prayers, our hearts need to be clean and open. Mark 11:25 – “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

As we begin this new year, my prayer is that we will rebuild together with patience, courage, and   expectation. I invite you to pray with me:

What might God be asking you to rebuild in your own life; faith, trust, rest, courage, joy?
And what might God be asking us to rebuild together as a church rooted in love, hospitality, and service?

Epiphany light reminds us that God is not finished with us yet. There is still more to be revealed, more to be restored, and more to be imagined together.

May this be a year where we rebuild with faith, trusting that God will accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine, for the glory of Christ and for the good of all generations. So, let this be our shared prayer as we step into this Epiphany season:

“Lord, rebuild my heart in Your love, and rebuild Your church in Your power.”

As we invite Christ to rebuild us from the inside out, White Oak UMC can become again a place where light is seen, hope is heard, and people discover that God is not finished with them or with this congregation. May the God who begins good work among us carry it on, and may this be a year when the word Rebuild becomes a living testimony of what God has done in us and through us. May we trust that God is making a way where none seemed possible. May we perceive the new thing God is doing among us. And may the light revealed in Epiphany guide us as we rebuild faith by faith, heart by heart, and community by community to the glory of God!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Amy

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