Pastor's Paragraphs
Rejoice in the Lord always
I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything;
but in everything, by prayer and intersession,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:4-7
Dear Friends,
The time has come to say "farewell", for now. That is what St.
Paul was
doing in this letter to the Christians in Philippi. He was
writing to dear
friends with whom he had a successful ministry. His admonition
in these
verses is actually a loving reminder of all he had shared with
them in
faith.
We never know what God's future holds that's God's business.
But we do
know what it is to live faithfully today. And that is all God
expects of
us. To live faithfully and make good use of every opportunity
God sends to us to bring the light of Christıs love to life in
ourselves.
If I thought the letter of retirement was difficult, I can
assure you that
these few paragraphs are just as difficult to compose.
There are so many memories that come flooding back. There is so
much I want to say to you all. But let me begin by saying
"THANK YOU" to all of you who have touched Paula and my lives.
What a precious way for a pastoral ministry to draw to a close.
And Eastwood Baptist Church has been such a loving, welcoming
and supportive family of faith for us. Together we faced
challenges successfully we bought a new organ and renewed the
sanctuary and made many other improvements to the church
facilities without going into serious debt. Together we have
tried new approaches to worship, new ministries and found God
blessing us with new members and friends. If there is any
credit in these accomplishments it should go to our collective
church family, and the over whelming goodness of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
Paula's and my hope and prayers for Eastwood Baptist Church is
for a gentle and successful transition to a new phase of church
life and growth. You are such a loving and caring people, and
we know God can and will use your faithfulness to bring a new
blessing to your ministry for Him. As you have been such a
blessing in our lives, we pray that God's Holy Spirit will fill
Eastwood Baptist Church in this holy season of Pentecost, and
bless to all
of you the rest of 2008, and for years to come.
With much love and appreciation,
Dick and Paula
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