I am going to begin with a spotlight on our children's program. David Paladin is not your conventional children's minister. He's weird, unorthodox, and doesn't know how to do things in a simple way. He is also dedicated, successful, and makes things exciting. Our kids program isn't like the one I was raised in - the rooms are brightly colored, visual learning is as important as auditory learning, and chairs are optional. You get the idea. This isn't a slam against those Bible classes I was raised in, as they were highly effective, only that his different approach has amazing results. Times change and we must find ways of being highly effective. Having a child in the program I can attest to the quality of learning. This past week my 10 year old attended a Bible camp for the first time. This was directed by a very conservative group of Christians. Good people. My baby came home with the Bible Award. She was excited, to say the least, and was surprised how much she knew compared to the other kids. Please don't take this as bragging on my daughter as much as I am really trying to say something about our children's program. She won the award because of her knowledge of the Bible. (Not bad for the kid who actually forgot to bring her Bible, sigh). Bella isn't an above average learner, in fact, it generally takes her longer than most. She is a demonstration of the Biblical knowledge our young people are getting in this program.
Along those lines, if you haven't seen the new children's room, "The Dock", you need to stop by sometime. The artists, carpenters, and helpers have outdone themselves. It is amazing! Let David know how much you appreciate what he has accomplished with our young people. He will be the first to tell you it has been successful because of the teachers, "wranglers", and the like who have helped him fulfill this dream. Our children our blessed! This church is blessed! Thank all of these folks who help out in any way.
If you feel like this is a beneficial program, find a way to get involved. They are always short of teachers and helpers. They are looking for people who love the kids of this church. Those who can smile, feel compassion, and genuinely care for God's Word. The more who volunteer, the more time out everyone is able to take, which results in fresh teachers. Sign up today.
Last night was great! Circle Up Singing is becoming my favorite activity of the Summer. We had EIGHT guys to lead singing (one of which was 10 years old). If we count Joe Wild leading "Happy Birthday" yesterday morning we could bump that up to nine (hmmm). This is so important to a congregation. I've been apart of congregations that had the same song leader for years and suddenly passes away or moves. The singing suddenly take a nose dive. This Summer we have used four song leaders on Sunday mornings. Things like last night help with the future development of the church. Not all of them with be able to sing like Elvis (but who can), and we may end up singing something to high or low, but those things take time to develop. Serving churches in Alabama, Tennessee, and now Florida, I can tell you that MOST churches don't have a David Brooker sitting in their pews who can not only lead, but teach. Keep encouraging our song leaders and sing out each and every time we come together. If you want to learn more about singing come to the 4:15 class on Sunday afternoons with David Brooker.
PROGRESS! Today the roofing has begun! If you have noticed, our building has recently looked like some of the old pictures of London after being bombed in WWII. It has been prep work for painting, installing vents, doing repairs, etc. In a few weeks things are going to be looking really good. Thank you all for your patience.
Finally, let's remember our sick. Sue Higgins ended up having to have a hip replacement yesterday. She begins rehab today. If you haven't heard, she fell off her bicycle. Marilyn Hale's grandmother also had surgery and moved to recovery. This is a very touch and go situation. On a positive note, Carolyn Boling's 12 year old granddaughter is doing MUCH better. This has been very stressful on the family. If I have forgotten someone please let me know and I will put it in the weekly updates.
Finally, the elders and staff want to wish A'Lana Cutshall the best. She will no longer be working with the church and pursuing her photography business - Defining Moments. You can find her and Jerry's work on Facebook. We hope she never gets tired of the phrase, "say cheese"!
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