Letters From Maybe
True Life Stories from an Imaginary Town (Revised)
Michael Pearson

Looking for delightful and heartwarming stories that present familiar spiritual truths in new and delightful ways? Then you'll definitely enjoy this collection of brief parables in the form of humorous letters sent to Pastor Mike from a fictional parishioner. The letters chronicle a five-year time frame in the life of the small town of "Maybe," Michigan, the bucolic home of such colorful establishments as the Busy-Bee Cafﾎ, Thelma's Cut-n-Curl, and America's first Refrigerator Magnet Museum.

Following a folksy formula reminiscent of Garrison Keillor's "News from Lake Wobegon," the homespun letters report on the people and rhythms of everyday life in a typical small town. You'll share in events like graduations, county fairs, and weddings, and see how they offer a subtle yet compelling platform for examining universal themes of community, faith, and relationship. Each letter is linked to a scripture passage, and engages listeners with an easygoing, conversational tone.

The uplifting and captivating material in Letters from Maybe can also be used in a variety of pastoral settings. The letters can be read from the pulpit as a pleasant change of pace, and they make excellent meditations or meeting starters for small groups and retreats. Convenient topic and scripture indexes are included so that you can easily locate a letter relating to a specific subject.

Michael Pearson is currently the South District Superintendent for the United Methodist Church's Desert Southwest Annual Conference. He previously pastored several congregations in Arizona and Michigan. Pearson has led workshops throughout the United States on church planting and advertising for growth, and he is a member of the board of directors for Plan 1, a United Methodist strategy group for planting new churches. He is a graduate of Albion College, Michigan State University, and United Theological Seminary.