Worth the Wait!!!

Early last week everyone in the office received the monthly email that comes from Sharon informing us that it is time for our newsletter articles to be turned in to her. This time however, something was different! I was told mine was not due until after the Anniversary Celebration! I am so glad I waited! It was definitely worth the wait!

Words cannot express how enjoyable the weekend was, but you know me, I am going to try! On Saturday night just before we were to sit down to eat and enjoy some fellowship time together the power went out. No one stressed out . . . we just decided to enjoy the meal the way the church did 150 years ago! I knew right then the weekend was going to be a good one. You could just sense the great spirit in the room! That spirit carried through Sunday during both worship services, the catered luncheon and even as people patiently waited to get through the line for lunch!

I want to say how proud I am to be a part of the great lineage of pastors this church has had! Ron Lyles, Stephen Hatfield and Martin Knox did a great job of “strolling” down memory lane while mixing in some great challenges for us as a congregation for the future! Those guys along with Phyllis Gandy, Bobie Miller and our praise band did an awesome job of leading us in worship throughout the weekend. The “Thank You’s” must continue to so many people but a few stand out: Wally Pippin for taking care of the kitchen duties, Sue Spain for making sure the flower beds looked great, Bill Lyle, Hugh Ray and Larry Smith who helped trim trees, R & K for the great meal on Sunday afternoon (Barry and Shirley Beggs, you are a blessing to our community and church), Sharon Brock for putting together the book of history and for the memory tables in the hallway (They are still out. If you have not taken a look make sure to do so soon!) and the list could go on and on…. so let me just say thanks to anyone who had anything to do with the weekend! I believe God was honored in our celebration! Now it is time to look to the future!

The month of May will not be as hectic as April, but we still have a busy month ahead of us. May 9th is Mother’s Day so we will be honoring the ladies of our church on that day. May 23rd is Senior Recognition Day and Daniel’s last Sunday with us. We will be having a luncheon in the seniors’ honor as well as thanking Daniel and Erica for their years of service to our church. We will be collecting a love offering for the Hancocks in the coming weeks, so if you would like to give to that please mark your check or offering envelope appropriately and we will present it to them on the 23rd!

Daniel has done an amazing job for our church and I want to personally thank him for his friendship and love of Christ. He will do a great job of leading a new congregation in Mesquite for many years. I hope you will be praying for him as he begins this new adventure in his ministry life. I also ask that you be praying for the Personnel Committee as they work to find his replacement in the days to come. We must make sure we get the right person to minister to the students of this community. He will have big shoes to fill, but I know God has the right guy out there. We just have to find him!

I want to thank you for being such a wonderful church family! There is nothing too big for our God, but we must willing to “wait” on Him and His timing! There are great things in our past but as Ron Lyles said Saturday evening, “The best days are yet to come!” I believe that and look forward to what God has in store!

In Him,
Russell