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Pastor's Page

Posted on June 22, 2006 ...

You will have to forgive us around the church if we are all a bit bleary-eyed this week. The demands of Vacation Bible School can be draining on all those involved. Yet it also gives us cause for inspiration.

It is certainly inspiring that so many children are being brought to our church for this special week of activities. Remember that many of these young lives will learn more about God and the Bible during this week than they will the entire rest of the year. While final attendance figures are yet to be determined, the total number of children enrolled in VBS this year could exceed 250. That number represents three to four times as many children as attend our church on a typical Sunday morning. Wow!

The dedication of our terrific VBS staff is also inspiring. Every class is seeing attendance numbers that exceed expectations. Several classrooms are pretty snug. In certain areas, the air conditioning is having a tough time keeping up. Yet our wonderful workers are adjusting and adapting without complaint.

In short, 2006 Vacation Bible School is off to a great start. We especially are praying that God will use our church to touch the hearts and homes of these children. We desire that their hearts respond to the message of salvation and that their homes are open to follow-up ministries from our congregation.

I also want to brag on a special recognition our church recently received from our state convention office. Of the nearly 3000 churches affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, North Cleveland Baptist was noted as ranking 39th in average gifts per church member to missions through the Cooperative Program last year. We can be proud of our commitment to and record of cooperative giving. This is one of the key identifying marks of our congregation.

Finally, I thank you for your words of prayer and encouragement as we adjust to the loss of two ministerial staff members. The Personnel Committee is at work to guide us through the steps of transition that lay ahead. Be assured, God has a path for our church and will show us the way to go. I look forward to worshipping this God with you Sunday. - Jay