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Pastor's Page

Posted on June 17, 2004 ...

A few weeks ago our ministerial staff gathered for our weekly staff meeting. The discussion arrived on the topic of the church attendance habits practiced by people in our society. Together we acknowledged that the patterns and priority for church attendance are influenced greatly during the early stages of our lives. In other words, most people follow the practice of church attendance demonstrated to them by their parents during their formative years. It was then that it dawned on me for the first time that three of the four of us in the room were raised in pastor’s homes. (Michael Gunter is the only one of us whose father is not a vocational minister.) Collectively we acknowledged that, when we grew up, we did not know there were any other Sunday options other than going to church. The question “Are we going to church today?” was NEVER asked in our homes. We knew we were going. Do you ever hear that question asked in your home?

On this Father’s Day week, I especially am reminded of the great influence that fathers have in the spiritual development of our families. There is a telling story of a little boy whose father had sent him to Sunday School but did not go himself. One day the boy approached his father and asked, "Dad, did you go to Sunday School when you were a boy?" "Yes, son, I always went to Sunday School." the father replied. "Well, Dad, I think I'll quit going. It isn't doing me any good, either.” Thanks, Dad, for sending me to Sunday School — and for going with me, too.

We have completed two of our ten Slump Buster Sundays. Check this newsletter each week to see if your class exceeded its year to date average and received the Slump Buster designation. Congratulations to the Second Grade, Fourth Grade, Sixth Grade, Seekers, and Ones in Christ classes for being Slump Busters each of the past two weeks. At the end of the Summer, the best Slump Bustin’ class will have breakfast served them by the pastor! Remember, the criteria for individual Slump Buster recognition is to be in Bible Study attendance eight out of these ten Sundays. To date, the number of people eligible to be individual Slump Busters is a little more than six billion! That is, even if you missed the last two weeks of Bible Study, you can still be here 8 out of the next 8 Sundays and receive your Slump Buster prize. Thus, everyone on the planet remains eligible! Something about that sounds exciting! Three hundred and thirty-five people attended NCBC Sunday School on at least one of our last two Sundays. Will you be among the attendees this week? I hope so.