From our Pastor
Newsletter Articles
September 2023
I want to share some personal thoughts concerning our 125th church anniversary. From the feedback from people who came and former staff, the anniversary special events were a success! The church staff led by Bro. Thomas was exceptional. Terri, Brooks, and Matt did great work in helping us pull this event off. And we could not have done without our Anniversary Committee and their tireless work. I want to commend Pearl Walters, Jeannie Wallace, Vickie Talbot, Dave Roberts, and Charlene Pritchard for their organization skills in setting up the history tables and displays. We also had our Decorating Committee led by Pam Sitton who worked to make sure the building and decorations were top notch. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a great success!
We had good representation by former pastors and staff who served here throughout the years. There were former members who made the effort to come back and be with us. Our group picture will be a reminder for years to come about this special time in the life of our church. Thanks to Ross Mapson for his work and dedication in capturing the event with pictures.
Obviously, the Lord is not through with this church. We have been strategically put here in Grove America to be a lighthouse for the Gospel and to share that lifechanging Gospel with our friends and neighbors who do not have a relationship with Christ. Will the generation of believers who came through this church be able to count on us today in 2023 to continue the work and remain faithful?
It is like a relay team in track. There is the 4X100 Meters relay which is always exciting to watch. There are four team members who run 100 meters each. The final runner is sometimes called the anchor. Each team member must pass the baton that starts with the first runner. They must pass it from one team member to another and not drop the baton or be disqualified by not handing it off in the exchange zone. Each runner must run in time with the other runners to win the race with the baton in hand. The key is a successful handoff. We have been handed the spiritual baton when it comes to our church. The Lord is the head of the church, but we must be willing to run the race set before us! The baton has been passed from faithful members in our past. It is our responsibility to be faithful and run with the baton until it is time to pass the baton to a younger generation that is ready to assume leadership. I praise God for 125 years of faithful service from the members of this church. And I pray that we will remain faithful regardless of the circumstances so that we can finish the race set before us. Let’s do it together with Christ at the head!
Bro. Jim
I want to share some personal thoughts concerning our 125th church anniversary. From the feedback from people who came and former staff, the anniversary special events were a success! The church staff led by Bro. Thomas was exceptional. Terri, Brooks, and Matt did great work in helping us pull this event off. And we could not have done without our Anniversary Committee and their tireless work. I want to commend Pearl Walters, Jeannie Wallace, Vickie Talbot, Dave Roberts, and Charlene Pritchard for their organization skills in setting up the history tables and displays. We also had our Decorating Committee led by Pam Sitton who worked to make sure the building and decorations were top notch. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a great success!
We had good representation by former pastors and staff who served here throughout the years. There were former members who made the effort to come back and be with us. Our group picture will be a reminder for years to come about this special time in the life of our church. Thanks to Ross Mapson for his work and dedication in capturing the event with pictures.
Obviously, the Lord is not through with this church. We have been strategically put here in Grove America to be a lighthouse for the Gospel and to share that lifechanging Gospel with our friends and neighbors who do not have a relationship with Christ. Will the generation of believers who came through this church be able to count on us today in 2023 to continue the work and remain faithful?
It is like a relay team in track. There is the 4X100 Meters relay which is always exciting to watch. There are four team members who run 100 meters each. The final runner is sometimes called the anchor. Each team member must pass the baton that starts with the first runner. They must pass it from one team member to another and not drop the baton or be disqualified by not handing it off in the exchange zone. Each runner must run in time with the other runners to win the race with the baton in hand. The key is a successful handoff. We have been handed the spiritual baton when it comes to our church. The Lord is the head of the church, but we must be willing to run the race set before us! The baton has been passed from faithful members in our past. It is our responsibility to be faithful and run with the baton until it is time to pass the baton to a younger generation that is ready to assume leadership. I praise God for 125 years of faithful service from the members of this church. And I pray that we will remain faithful regardless of the circumstances so that we can finish the race set before us. Let’s do it together with Christ at the head!
Bro. Jim