FISRT CHRISTIAN CHURCH

  This church called me to be their part-time interim Pastor.  I had filled that same position about 25 years ago, and was happy to accept.

The Chairperson of the Board asked that I sign a contract; which included spending 20 hours in the Pastor's office.

It also included that I visit those who had left the church (because I asked what that person's priorities were, so I could have a sense of what the Church wanted from me.  So I signed that contract; even though it seemed a strange way to bring in a new Pastor.

I began right away to visit those who had not been in that church for a long time;  one was an elderly man and his wife.  He was a veteran of three different wars, and he had a stoke where he couldn't use his right side of his body.  We chatted for awhile, sang some old hymns, and then I served them both Holy Communion.

This was so inspiring to me; to visit that elderly couple which had almost been forgotten by the home church.

I have preached nine times now, and so many of the congregation are so pleased that I teach them from the Bible/

Holy Communion is a big part of their worship service, and I did struggle for awhile to do exactly the way they have traditionally done it for many years.  They are very concerned about keeping their same rituals, because they think that is their duty; to stay true to their church's background.

I have not tried to change how they do what they do; they have done it this way so long, that it is very important that they keep doing what they've always done.

I took a step of faith and am visiting a nursing home every Tuesday morning.  Now the residents in that nursing home expect to see me every Tuesday morning.

There have been a lot of visits to hospitals and to homes to share readings of the Bible, and to take Holy Communion.

Last Sunday new people began to arrive and the church is starting a "food bank" for those who need a helping hand.

We also feed the homeless twice a month; and I just enjoy that so much.

There is some strife in the church, so I did sit down with a person who was causing this strife.  We had a good meeting, prayed and this person will step down from some duties that this person had held for several years.  That done, we are moving ahead with more hope for a vibrant, loving church where people will be warming met, and partaking of the Holy Communion, and listening to the Word of God, I think more and more people will start coming to church

This is being accomplished by showing God's love to each other, and when that happens, God's blessings are sure to be coming upon this church more and more.