An Anniversary

This coming Sunday, June 3, 2007, will mark the first anniversary of the establishment of my church, Grace Baptist Church. We were once two churches, from two denominations, but God had plans for us! The last year has been spent getting to know each other. We’ve made many memories, most of them really good! Our pastor wanted us to reflect on the past year and be ready to share what we’ve learned at church next week. Since I will not be able to attend our special anniversary service, I wanted to share some of my memories from the past year here.

- After almost 1 year of ‘dating’, the two churches voting almost unanimously to become one body.

- The first Sunday as Grace Baptist Church, the sanctuary being filled to capacity and everyone being generous and welcoming to each other.

- Walking forward to join our new church with throngs of others from both former churches.

- Watching a somewhat dated group of nursery rooms and offices transformed into a state-of-the-art preschool department.

- Seeing members of both former congregations come together as one to welcome children onto our campus for our first Vacation Bible School.

- Bringing Bibles to the children who attended VBS with people who had never made home visits before. They were so excited!

- Disagreements followed by hugs and I love yous.

- Worshipping in the Sanctuary, then the fellowship hall, then the Sanctuary again as we sought to improve the property in God’s timing, not ours.

- Striking a balance between traditional hymns and praise choruses.

- Becoming a part of a new home group, only knowing some of the members at first. Now we feel like a family. I am an aunt, daughter, sister or at least a distant cousin to everyone in my home group now.

- Receiving a call while I was out of town to pray for two girls in our youth group who were injured in a car accident while on a youth outing. Friends, home group leaders and pastors converged on that hospital, ministering not only to the families of those girls, but other families who were worried about their loved ones in the emergency room. The girls are fine now, praise God!

- Our first Christmas tree, covered with ornaments brought by all of the individual families that make up our church family. The ornaments ranged in design from small nativities to family pictures to shiny metal robots. We are an eclectic group, to be sure!

- Making peace with the fact that some people will insist on calling the foyer “the narthex” until the day they die.

- The Easter egg hunt, followed by a picnic where members and visitors to the event felt welcome and treated like family.

- Watching some of my siblings in Christ being baptized in the lake at the local park, with dozens of park visitors curiously checking us out.

- Welcoming new life. Saying tearful farewells.

God is faithful. I am grateful.