Giving Thanks, Thanksgiving, My Church

Updated 11.15.12

My 26 days of Thanksgiving list continues:

15. I am thankful for the gift of my pastor and our church family.

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Our pastor and I go back a long way-- 25+ years.   He is a good friend and a spiritual leader and his blossoming into a gifted pastor/teacher over the last two decades regularly reminds me of God's goodness and His completion of a work that He has begun. To listen to some of his sermons, go to this link.  I value the friendship I have with his sweet wife and am very thankful for her also.

Our church is a Reformed Baptist Church. From the time we joined when it first started about 20 years ago, it has been a wonderful blessing to us. I love smaller churches although there is certainly a place for the mega-churches in each city. I love knowing others well and being known by them rather than hiding among the flock. We have had our share of crises where our church family has come to our aid--hospital stays, illness, deaths in the family, finances--to name a few. My husband was an elder for many years and still counsels with some of the members of our congregation. We women take meals to each other's families when there is a new baby, a prolonged sickness, a death, etc. The older women are known to disciple the younger (love our Titus 2 Moms group) and the men are developing relationships among each other as well. Initially, just about everyone homeschooled their children and we had great times with each other's families when our kids were young.   The men help each other in the business world, counsel and disciple each other and sometimes work on physical projects together--housepainting, repairing roofs after hurricanes (ours included),  cleaning up the roadway near our church, etc. Our youth pastor and his young family are beloved among the teens and young adults. Our home groups (called Growth Groups) help singles, couples and families get to know each other better, have fun and help each other in time of need as well.  We now have a new building that my husband designed as a gift to the church.  We moved in this past summer. It's really nice to have our own "home" away from our heavenly home.

Orlando Grace Church

Orlando Grace Church

These people are God's gift to us and I am privileged to know them and be a part of this church which is a light shining in the darkness.