Life in a small church

Last summer we experienced a real blow to the church when the associate minister decided to resign. I felt especially close to the young man, so it was a very painful experience for me. The church was in shock. BUT

Since that time some interesting changes have taken place. First of all, the Angel Food Ministries project which the former minister had introduced, took off with a great deal of enthusiasm. People stepped up from every direction to make the project go. There is a strong sense of unity in this helping-hand program that we have started.

Secondly, one of the men in the church said the rest of the men, "Let's get together occasionally and do some good deed in the area." Last night, six men responded to the call and we cleaned up the yard of an elderly man who has cancer. This man is 70 years old and is still caring for his mother. The six men had a good time, great fellowship and we stopped for ice cream at Shakes in Manhattan. I took a leap of faith and ordered ice-cream. Diabetics are not supposed to eat the stuff--too much sugar. But when I checked my glucose levels later, everything was normal. A great time of fellowship for a bunch of guys covered with dust and grime.

Third, we had three baptisms yesterday, August 19. Two of these were adults who are determined to focus on Christ for their lives. One, a young woman, has struggled with pain in her back. Yesterday she announced the pain had gone away, an answer to prayer.

So what looked like a potential disaster turned into a real blessing.