"Reflecting and Feeling Grateful"
Dear Friends,
As I write this our second annual Spring for Kidz is three days away. The supplies are coming in thanks to many of you. The weather for Saturday looks great! We are hoping for a wonderful time. Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the summer season and as you can see from this newsletter, things are busy around here!
The other day I was reflecting on the fact that I am starting my twenty-eighth year here as your pastor and partner in ministry and all the amazing things we have accomplished together with God’s help through First Presbyterian Church. For example, if you had told me twenty-eight years ago we could pull off something like Spring for Kidz involving over 40 volunteers and drawing hundreds of people to our church, I don’t think anyone would have believed it was possible. If you would have said twenty-eight years ago that we would go through two expansion projects, buy two houses, increase our annual budget to over $200,000, increase our membership by over 300 per cent, again, I don’t think anyone would have thought all that was possible either!
We worship and serve a God through whom all things are possible and who promises to “make all things new!” And that is what happened here. Thanks be to God! Many of you helped to make all that has happened here possible through your wonderful support of our ministry and mission and for that I am extremely grateful.
Certainly, one of the people who has helped to make First Presbyterian not just a church but a family is Adele Harrison. Adele arrived twenty-one years ago as our organist and choir director and she is retiring as a beloved member of our church family. Adele touched the lives of so many children, youth and adults in her time with us. She always exhibited grace and love and patience. She thought of her position here not as a job, but as a calling to serve God through music. That attitude has always come through in her time with us. I have enjoyed working with Adele as a wonderful colleague in ministry. The good news is that Adele and Bud are not leaving us but after a short break, will return and again become active members of our congregation. I’m sure you will want to be in worship on Sunday, June 25th as we show our appreciation for Adele’s loving service to this congregation.
Grace, Peace, and Love,
Pastor Bill
