 That is true, Bishop. I'm ready to be back. Good morning annual conference and Bishop McKee. I'm Kim Brandon, the conference lay leader, and it is my privilege to join you today and to report about the extraordinary faithfulness and courage demonstrated by lay members of our conference during this past year. First, I want to thank those of you who have stepped into lay leadership roles this year for your boldness and your courage during a very difficult year. Whether you have served as a lay leader in one of our conferences, 300 some churches, or as one of our four district lay leaders, or as an associate conference lay leader, your job has been significant this year, as we've weathered unprecedented storms. Only through the mighty power of God's love for us and your love for one another have we emerged from the dark and stormy night into the light of a new dawn. I just want to spend a few moments talking about the power of that love. So this past Sunday, many of you joined us at the annual conference lady session where we welcomed author and consultant Susan Beaumont. She spoke so knowledgeably about what we've come to understand this year as liminal time liminality. She reminded us that liminality is really a disorientation that occurs in times of transition. We are betwixt in between something that has ended in a new situation that is not yet begun. She reminded us that God often uses this time of transition to reform and reshape us. In fact, a great deal of the biblical narrative is one of liminality of not quite being there yet. But Susan Beaumont reminded us that this time of disorientation is when great creativity and courage can flourish. Susan Beaumont helps us know that the power of God's love gives us strength in hard times. Conference lady lay members that you know have embraced opportunities during this year of liminality and have responded in creative and grace filled ways that have changed our church forever. Let me share with you just a few ways our sisters and brothers responded to God's call for prophetic leadership, even when we don't yet know where we're headed. I want to introduce you to a faithful servant named Cynthia Harry. Cynthia is a member of Hamilton Park, UMC in Dallas, and she serves as a certified lay servant in the metro district. She works to make disciples of Jesus Christ through ministry in her church, through leadership at all levels of UMW, and through service to Methodist Dallas Medical Center Auxiliary. Cynthia Joy is also mentoring girls at the Hamilton Park Paysetter Academy, and as a certified lay servant Cynthia has been called to share with small groups and congregations, the love of God through speaking and prayer. She's known for her powerful prayers which provide love and hope, while giving praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. I need to tell you one other thing about Cynthia Harry. Due to a degenerative eye disease diagnosed when she was a teenager, she is now legally blind. She often shares how despite this, the Lord continues to work in her life as she adjusts to the limits and changes brought on by her visual impairment. Her expressions of joy over the blessings God has provided are infectious, bringing laughter and encouragement to those whom she meets. When speaking with others in her church in the community, Cynthia never fails to profess that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life for all. Cynthia Harry knows a little bit about the power of Jesus's love. For Sherman, a new member named Annie Henderson has been excited to participate in the Mosaic Modern Worship Experience there. As a member of the LGBTQ plus community, Annie has been overwhelmed by the acceptance that she has felt at first Sherman, but Annie's heart grew heavy this past year, thinking of members of her community who have been hurt or rejected by the church. So last summer, Annie had a dream of creating an LGBTQ plus ministry as part of first Sherman's Mosaic Worship. After discussing her dream with Pastor Abby Eccles, they decided together that a Facebook group might just be the best way to reach out and connect people, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. So in July of 2020, Annie created the LGBTQ plus and allies first Methodist Sherman Facebook page, and she and Reverend Eccles serve as co managers of that page. The dream for starting this group was to offer a place of safety and connection for LGBTQ plus persons and allies to partner with the Holy Spirit and bringing about healing and wholeness. To remind LGBTQ plus community that they are of sacred worth created in the image of God, and to also invite them into deeper or new relationships with God. So within seven days of creating this Facebook group over 100 people adjoint after two weeks it was 300. And today, there are 671 members that includes people young and old women and men pastors and atheists, and everyone in between. The members of this community range in education, socioeconomic status and faith backgrounds they span the United States and the world with members from at least 10 other countries. Annie Henderson says simply, our hope for the group was to save lives, save families, save relationships with God creating this group with Pastor Abby has changed more lives and we will ever know she says. Annie Henderson harnessed the power of love to create community. I learned recently of an active member at first UMC Plano who has spent time during the last year serving in his community. Downs a lay member to annual conference has been working with the faith based handyman program of seniors helping seniors, and it's called Plano helpers. Now Plano helpers started as a ministry of Custer Road, UMC providing minor home repairs and maintenance for seniors in need. One of his friends he had at Custer Road bill began volunteering way back in 2004. And today Plano helpers is a collaboration volunteers from at least 12 Plano faith communities, Protestants Catholics Jewish communities. All repairs made at the homes of seniors are free of charge. He had a longtime member, a long time resident of Plano passed away from COVID earlier this year. He would have loved to be a part of that group Plano helpers. A few years ago, Bill started leaving discreetly just little leaving little pocket crosses at the homes that he worked on and one occasion, Bill had a follow up project for a client that he had visited years before. He left his work and left the home he glanced down and noticed on the table by this lady's chair a little cross that he had left years earlier. What had been a little bit of home repair meant to this older friend living on her own. Who knows what that meant, whether she knew or not she actually ministered to bill that day in her own way. See, I think Bill and that lady that he helped both of them understand the power of love through service to others. So when I think of the power of love I think of our youngest lady Haven Emory is a student at Lovers Lane, UMC leading the youth group, and at her school, and ministering to children with special needs in Lovers Lane's rays of light respite program. We have a friend, Dr Teresa Sterrett, who took a job in the middle of a pandemic to reimagine children's ministry at first UMC Denton. So even the youngest disciples can learn to love others through the awesome power of Jesus's love. We've all encountered the power of love through children, haven't we. To play members of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, we are called to speak to lead to serve to minister. As believers in the power and love of Christ, we are commissioned in his service and his ministry. And I want to encourage you today, you are all equipped by the body and blood of Christ to go into the world. We've been talking for the last couple of days about being rooted in love in the love of God, and we have the power to love because we were first created in love. When things get tough, and we know a little bit about that love and the power we've been given with which to lead the church. The world needs the love of Christ as much today as it ever has. We believe the power of God's love equips us for our work in the world. Remember dear ones we have the power the mighty power of God's love. We are reminded today that the power of God's love gives us strength in hard times. It gives us the power to create community to serve others to be led by children to work in the world. As lady in the conference we inherently have the unique opportunity to minister in all imaginable settings. During the course of our days and our work, not just within the church to strengthen us in that work. I'd like to ask you to save the date for later this summer. The North Texas Conference lay servant ministries headed by director Susan Anderson will be providing just a fantastic event to equip lady to lead out of this liminal time. Save the date for August 14 as our guest Jason Moore helps us to respond to the question, has the church left the building. Join us for that as we continue exploring God's call on our lives to be the church empowered and perpetually sustained by his love and grace. So with that shameless plug I will end and say to clergy and lady of the North Texas Conference. In these final few hours of holy conferencing today, I look forward to our work together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face, heart to heart in the year to come. Amen.