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From the President:
Where do I begin? It has been such a whirlwind month of blessings,
hard work, answered prayers, and beginnings. We have witnessed
new talent, experienced renewed generosities, and have even started
aiming for new bull’s-eyes!
A group of about 15-20 church members and friends have faithfully worked to
transform the annex from an office and classroom facility, with a potpourri of
eclectic styles and furnishings, into a nice home. The building was in dire need of
plaster repairs, paint, fixture replacements, and a general rehab and sanitization.
The annex was worked on from basement to attic and has been transformed from
mid-evil status to a comfortable home with an improved basement for continued
and expanded Sunday school use. It would be dangerous to list the names of the
workers in fear of neglecting someone, but suffice it to say those who gave their
time and talent did it for Him, not for human applause, so a list is really not
necessary.
In addition to sweat equity, people have been generous with gifts. A clothes
washer and dryer were donated. A dishwasher donated. A check for $300 was
delivered. Dozens of purchases for repair materials, curtains, paint, supplies, youname-
it, were made with no bills turned in for reimbursement – probably hundreds
of dollars of contributions. A collection after church netted $250 in “petty cash”
for repairs, and the lovely Dorcas Ladies donated $2000 toward the replacement of
the kitchen floor (future project) and misc. other items. The bottom line is that the
annex, now the parsonage, is better than ever and will be a nice home. Pastor
Larry and Elaine have graciously allowed the youth to retain rights to use the
former dungeon as the home for the 7th-12th grade Sunday school class, and now
the upper elementary grade Sunday school class, and as the international
headquarters for FCC-CYF.
Have their been sacrifices? Indeed. Gail is now working in her new and less
spacious church office – two doors down from the Parlor. She is making do with
less and has to do a scavenger hunt now and then to find files and supplies that are
hidden away in cubby holes and cleverly disguised storage units. Matt lost his
office altogether and is wandering about looking a place to sit down. Thankfully
he is young and in good shape and likes to walk. Larry’s office is in his home,
thus there will be times when his home is shared with church business. And, the
parsonage is essentially a home without a basement. Oh well, these sacrifices are
not life threatening and we will make them work!
And then they arrived. Yes, indeed, Pastor Larry Chute and his wife Elaine
arrived in style on Friday, August 20, towing a trailer behind a van filled to the
brim with belongings. “It is just too expensive to stay in the motel when there is a
room we could be living in while the work is being done,” the pastor told me.
And that’s the way the Chute’s are – very, very, thoughtful. So, until the “big”
moving van arrives in a week or so, they brought what they thought they needed
and set up a temporary house in a few rooms of the parsonage, bidding the
Holiday Inn a fond good-bye. However, that Friday wasn’t the first time they
stepped into the parsonage. Both of them have rolled up their sleeves and helped
with the cleaning and transforming before! They are hard workers – talented in
home repair and remodeling. They have offered to participate in many of the
projects and aren’t immune to sweating along with the rest of us.
So, we have cleaned, we have sorted, we have repaired, and we have reorganized
things over the past several weeks. But we have also been faithful to God in other
ways. Pastor Larry has met with several groups already and has diligently worked
to bring a refreshed look to our church service through discussions with the
Diaconate, church leaders, and service participants. Over the first three weeks the
focus of our service has been directed on “hitting the bull’s eye” by targeting
Christ and bringing others to Him. On Sunday, August 22, two people privately
accepted Jesus as their Savior. What a blessing!! We also heard that same day
how FCC was instrumental in bringing Brian Knobloch to Christ, when he shared
his personal story.
Our church is changing. It is morphing into a group of folks who are turning from
the “me” focus to a “Christ” focus. The folks who have worked hand-in-hand are
bonding and making new friendships. Unity is replacing division. It is healthy
and inspiring. We have turned the corner and are headed in the right
direction…toward Him. And, we have been encouraged to bring others along for
the ride.
It’s time to emerge a new and stronger FCC. The foundation has been set before
us. We have streamlined operations, organized our “things” and reset the focus
upward - toward Him, and in doing so we don’t spend much time looking down
anymore. God is Good. Join the fun. If you aren’t attending regularly, please
start. If you are, bring someone with you. Help build the kingdom.
As Pastor Larry would say -- ”Do I hear an “Amen!”?
Amen!
James Burgett
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