Church of Christ Uniting

“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but deep people. The classical Disciplines of the spiritual life – those that are central to experiential Christianity – call us to move beyond surface living into the depths. They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm. They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world.” Celebration of Discipline

This introduction by Richard Foster in his classic book invites us not to be Christian in name only, but also in thought and practice. With this beginning, he takes us on a thoughtful journey through Inward disciplines such as meditation, prayer, fasting, study; Outward disciplines such as simplicity, solitude, submission, and service; and Corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. I have often drunk from the well of Foster’s thoughtful invitation to go deeper into the life of faith. I invite you to also go deeper into the experience and exercise of our Christian lives as we explore these disciplines together in our Wednesday morning service each week of Lent at 7:30a.m.

We know the value of discipline in other parts of our lives. No one would expect to excel at a sport without taking the time to practice and learn its rules and to hone the body with the strength able to compete. The Olympics have given us a look at the disciplines required of the toughest athletes around the world – each one striving toward the goal of gold! As parents, we know the importance of disciplining children to know right from wrong and develop the ability to be independent and responsible adults. And yet when it comes to a life of faith, we tend to think of developing those disciplines as something we provide our children but as adults it is a private matter, something that should come ‘naturally’ in our relationship with God. Nothing could be farther from the truth! None of us ‘arrives’ at a completed faith but are always on a journey of deepening our relationship to God and to others who share our commitment.

Why not make the season of Lent a special time to explore the Christian disciplines so we may become the ‘deep’ people the world needs? Within this Courier you will find many ways to take the first steps, or continue on your journey with other companions along the way. Wednesday mornings are a good way to start your day with communion, prayer, and meditation. Our special Lenten services – the ‘movable feast’- will take us deeper in worship and praise as we learn together the symbols of Lent and journey with Jonah into deeper discipleship. Our Saturday evening “soup and study” will lead discussions on sacrifice and salvation. And there are many small group book and Bible studies to help us go deeper into the pool; Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m, and afternoons in the Circle of Grace at 1:00 p.m; the lunch bunch now meeting on Wednesdays at noon is exploring the Christian journey also.

In all these opportunities, I am grateful for faithful companions along the WAY of Christ.

I’ll See U in CH_RCH – and in homes, in hospitals, in nursing facilities …

Pastor Carol

2009 for the ‘floomer’ family was all about ‘something old, something new.’ Our youngest, Garrett, graduated from college and ‘moved home’ to attend Bloomsburg while he works in Wilkes-Barre at the new King’s College Hildebrant child-care center, and also works full time on a master’s in education degree. Our daughter Charis got married to a wonderful man, Tim Owings – so now we’re the ‘Floomings’. As much as we anticipated these events, planned and celebrated, it is a change – and change is often hard. We really prefer the ‘old’ because it is familiar, and resist the ‘new’ because it is unknown. As much as I am pleased that my children are getting older, more independent, and living productive lives, I resist and also grieve the changes that move me a little further toward the periphery of their lives.

It’s no different in our church family. We said ‘good-bye’ to Mary Baker as our Christian Educator in 2009, though we are glad she still attends COCU worship and sings with our choir. Leslie O’Boyle, a member and chair of Education, became our C.E. Director and we welcome her new gifts and talents.

2010 has brought more staff changes. David Lear who was our bookkeeper for 13 years will not be continuing in that role. Upon the recommendation of Personnel Ministry Team, Council approved moving this position to fifteen hours a week and using One Source in a temp-to-hire capacity. When you call you will be speaking to Therese Allabaugh these days, who is learning about our church and people. We hope and pray David is enjoying more time with his wife who retired last year, his parents who are in a nursing facility, and his daughters and grandchildren now that he has more freedom to visit. We are grateful for his many years of faithful service to our congregation.

Rich Rondash submitted his resignation early in January so that he would have more time to care for his mother who is in declining health, and to help his brother who is renovating his home. Rich has been our custodian for two years and brought a wealth of construction experience, cutting down on the ‘outside’ resourcing we used to keep our property in good shape. Though we will miss him on staff, he will now be ‘a person in the pews’ joining his wife Ann-Marie in worship and with us as a ‘volunteer.’

We are glad to welcome another member to our staff. Bill Ellsworth, who worked many years and many hours for Pepsi Co., is looking forward to being closer to family by working at COCU. His wife, Amy, is a teacher for Head Start with 2 classrooms on our second floor. Bill filled in some hours for us last fall and is now moving into the position of ‘head custodian’ as he organizes our needs and supervises Sean Snitko who will continue as part time assistant custodian. Bill has been doing a great job and we welcome him in this new ‘official’ capacity.

“Something old, and something new’ as we begin a new year and a new decade … Though we resist change we know that all our lives are about change – and the only way to stop changing is to die. We adapt to change, we learn, we grow, and we continue to develop personally as well as a congregation, even as we say fond farewells to ‘old’ friends, and welcome new persons with new gifts into ministry with us. Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same! Though circumstances and people may change , we worship the same God, we are empowered by the same Spirit , and we continue to serve the same Lord in all we do. Remember – God is good – all the time.

I’ll See U in CH_RCH.

Pastor Carol

As we turn the page on a new calendar year, scripture tells us to begin “in the beginning.” The gospel of John does not have the familiar nativity story to recount of mother, child, and animals in the manger. With poetic beauty John takes us all the way back to Genesis to the start of all creation, reminding us that the Word was with God, and WAS God from the very beginning of all creation. That grounding in the Word is the foundation of us all.

‘When you walk through a storm, keep your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark’ sings the star from the musical Carousel when her husband has died, leaving her with child and an uncertain future. Yet like many of you, I was afraid of the dark as a child. I couldn’t go to sleep in my dark room unless the door was open and a light was left on in the hallway. Many of us still use ‘nite-lights’ to help us navigate through the dark. In my father’s home in Villanova, where I grew up, we usually entered the house set on a hill through a basement door where we had to walk down a long dark hallway, then climb a narrow set of stairs before emerging on the first floor of the ranch home. I trained myself not to be afraid of the dark by feeling my way along the wall to find the stairs, then finally being able to ‘walk by faith’ and not by sight, since I knew the way by heart. The darkness I once feared became a comforting presence as I anticipated emerging into the light of my safe home where I would receive a welcome hug from my dad.

This early experiment of dealing with my fears reminds me of our faith journey. We begin in darkness, groping our way along with bumps and bruises, joys and disappointments, as we live in uncertain times, or perhaps doubt our destination or reception. John goes on to tell us “people preferred the darkness, for their deeds were evil.” Too often we get so used to darkness, we forget we can turn on the lights; we forget we don’t have to walk alone through the storms of life. The prologue of the gospel reminds us of the eternal presence of God who is and was and always will be with us, ‘from the beginning. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. What was in him was life, and the life was the light of all people – the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.” No matter what storms of life may overtake us, no matter how comfortable or used to the dark we may become, we have a savior, the Word of God, the Light which is life that the darkness cannot overcome.

It is no surprise that we celebrate the birth of Christ, our Light, in the darkest part of the year. Many find winter to be a depressing and lonely time. Let us remember to walk in the light – to walk and live with Christ – and to share that light with those who need a ray of hope shining in their lives.

See U in CH_RCH.

Pastor Carol

Like many of you, our family marked the changes and seasons of life in both significant and small ways. Before our children could even talk we would play the game “How big is the baby?” and they would grin and stretch out their arms saying, “SO BIG!” One of our favorite traditions became recording in a doorway each child’s progress every birthday…how much they had grown was measured and marked on the wall with initials and date. It broke our heart to leave our home in Syracuse after ten years and no longer have that innocent record of how big we had grown as a family.

In many small and large ways each of us sees how we ‘measure up’ in this world. So big as a baby becomes how tall we have grown, then how independent we are, then how big is our house, our car, our income; so many ways we measure our worth through external markers and signs of success. Yet we know no matter how big we grow in the world, we never quite measure up to the need to have more, be better, shine brighter, have more toys, than our neighbors or friends. If our worth is only measured by what we have, in comparison to others, there will always be something more we are missing.

True worth is measured not by what we have or who we are, nor by the things we buy. It’s a good thing to remember as we enter this hectic season of annual holiday giving. The rush to buy and wrap and give gifts and good cheer is often overwhelming. If we don’t do it right we may not measure up to expectations, and risk losing the admiration we seek. Even more stressful is trying to always have more with less…income, time, energy. I invite you to get off the treadmill this year and take a break. The good news is that we don’t have to ‘measure-up’ at all. Advent promises us that we already have been accepted by God who “so loved the world that he gave the gift of his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have life” (John 3.16)…all the life we will ever need.

Our Thursday lunch bunch is discussing “What do you want for Christmas this year?”

James Moore will lead us to look for gifts that don’t come from a store; The gift of Hope, the Gift of Freedom, the Gift of Christ, the Gift of Salvation. I hope you will take a break from hectic shopping, or baking, or wrapping and take a moment to share with your family the ways we can grow together in the Spirit of Love and Grace through knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior. Come to our Tree Trim November 29 and create a decoration of a symbol of Christ to hang on your tree at home, reminding us of the reason for the season. Explore what a community village might have been like when Jesus was born to his human family at ‘a Night in Bethlehem’ on December 6. Come celebrate Jesus’ birth in story and song in our children’s pageant December 13 and stay for a festive holiday brunch in fellowship hall.

This is one of the most festive times of the year! Don’t miss an opportunity to grow ‘so big’ in your faith as we learn together how to measure our journey in discipleship together.

I’ll see U in CH_RCH.

Pastor Carol

I love fall…its colors, and smells of wood fires burning, the sound of geese flying south, cold apples and warm cider, the crisp fall air that puts color in cheeks, and makes us want to wrap up in sweaters or cuddle up with a book by a warm fire. It also is a time of home-coming. This year we are planning a first Fleming Thanksgiving at my brother’s home outside Philadelphia…the result of having become closer knit after celebrating my niece’s wedding on 8-08-08 and having us all together for a week in North Carolina for Charis and Tim’s event this year, 7-17-09. As our family grows we count so many blessings in our lives!

However, whatever the situations in our families, our churches, or individually- Gratitude is a Choice we make on a daily basis. Robert Emmons has written the book THANKS- a life of Gratitude can make you happier! We know that people who count their blessings are those who not only feel happier, but spread that attitude to others. He lists three important aspects of living with gratitude and how it can change someone’s life:

• An appreciation of the goodness of the gifts given-AND the goodness of the giver
• A sense that gifts are unearned- they come to us from God not thru our deserving
• A knowledge that our gifts and blessings are MORE than we expected

In other words, as a friend Debby Heida recently shared her father’s words of wisdom often repeated in their family- with Scott’s church for their consecration celebration:

“We’re Rich- and we have some money too!”

We have lots of opportunities in this month of Thanks-giving to show our appreciation for the gifts we have been given- and to the GIVER of all gifts- our triune God!

On November 1 we will celebrate all the saints in our congregation; giving thanks for all the children baptized into our church this year, as well as those who have gone on to the church triumphant- those faithful saints who have died over this past year but whose legacy of giving will long be remembered

November 8 will be our Consecration Sunday, when we will dedicate our pledges to the ongoing ministries and outreach from COCU and our new care ministries. Please make every effort to join us in worship where Virginia Miner of Peckville will be bringing us the message “don’t eat the chicken till we see who’s at the door”! Then we will enjoy a celebration lunch prepared by Mike Carr of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton- after worship in our fellowship hall.

November 15 is our annual conference meeting- after worship here at COCU and the Wyoming Cluster Church conference at 2pm at the Nesbitt Center

November 22 we celebrate “Christ the King Sunday” in our traditional worship time

November 29 is the first Sunday in Advent (already!) with candle-lighting and our annual Trim the Tree at 5pm with a carry-in dinner and games/crafts for all attending.

It’s a full month of celebrating who we are as the ‘whole family of God’ together- but it won’t be the whole family if YOU aren’t there! Remember, Gratitude is a Choice- every day- so “Choose this day whom you will serve; as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24)

Pastor Carol

As I write this, we have only 2 days left of ‘official’ summer- Fall arrives September 22 with the colder weather and the changing leaves and schedules to make and fulfill. I wonder ‘where did summer go?’ as the seasons change more and more quickly it seems.

The seasons of the church year also come and go. Some may be more familiar; Advent, Christmas, Lent, for example usually have definite programs and events in our life together that remind us of the life of Christ guiding and directing our own with certain cherished holidays and traditions. Yet we are, presently, in a very important, though often neglected, season of the church year. This is the season of Pentecost, sometimes known as ‘ordinary time’ that begins after the day of Pentecost – with its RED reminding us of the gift of Holy Spirit like tongues of flame.

The color for this late Pentecost is GREEN. Like summer it reminds us of the season of growth – with its green leaves and colored flowers, the warm yellow of the sun, and the bright blue of cloudless skies (didn’t see too many of those this summer!). In this season we are to be growing in our faith together; learning together, as children go back to school, how to be, as our mission statement says, “A Community of Christians, Uniting for Service.” How do we continue to grow in our understanding of faith and in our ability to follow Christ and be in relationship together as his church? It takes some effort and intentionality. The church would call it discipline; the way we learn the ways of Christ and develop the practices of being God’s people together.

That’s what we SAY we believe. Too often, it is not what we actually DO. Most of us stop learning and growing as Christians after confirmation – the ‘official’ certificate that we have ‘arrived’ as members of the church (and so no longer need to participate). Too many of us leave it there. We may come to church on those special ‘seasons’ we remember from our childhoods. But we neglect to continue our ‘Christian education’ as young or mature adults. How sad for us – we would think it abnormal to stop growing or learning in any other way when we were only 12! What a loss to our life together as a community of faith that can’t fulfill those baptismal promises to those no longer here.

No one would expect to grow a family without some intentional planning; to teach a child how to be a mature and responsible adult takes time and effort. I can attest to what happens to a garden, especially at the end of summer when lovely flowers are over-grown by weeds; the result of a busy life that moves on to the next thing without tending to what was planted there. No one would be surprised at a marriage that failed if the partners stopped giving any time to one another, or decided they liked someone else better. So why are we surprised when the church ceases to have meaning for us? Why do we wonder why we don’t get much out of a service if we only come once a week for an hour? How do we expect to GROW our fellowship in Christ as the church if we spend no time or energy getting to know and share with one another? Why would we think we could understand and keep faith if we never studied scripture or learned about the beliefs of our church traditions? Are we surprised during a crisis to find our faith stretched to the limit when we’ve spent no time talking to God in prayer when things are going well?

We have many opportunities to “turn over a new leaf” this fall and begin again to actively GROW our faith as a community. Come to worship, join a study, choose to serve!

Pastor Carol

IT IS NOT TOO LATE to join one of the new groups that have started this fall:

Souper Saturdays with a study of N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian
Saturdays 5:30-7:00pm

Discover God’s Vision for YOUR Life: A spiritual gift study.
Thursdays 11:30am or Sundays 5:30-7:00pm

Sunday Study Groups
9:15am Adult Education with a Bible Study – Mike Little
11:15am A study of Calvin’s life and work – Brian Kachak

Book Group Discussion
Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. – Bill Reed

Circle of Grace
Tuesdays 1:00 p.m. – Lesley O’Boyle

A dream and plan of the Parish Life Ministry Team took one giant step closer to becoming reality this summer, thanks in part to a grant from the Lackawanna Presbytery new and emerging ministry fund that helped cover COCU’s enrollment fee in Stephen’s Ministry

If you haven’t heard of Stephen’s Ministry before this, we hope it will be the last time you can say so! Over the fall you will be hearing a great deal more – about what it is – and what it isn’t.

Stephen was the first deacon of the church whose story can be found in Acts 6 and 7. The role of deacon was developed after Greeks complained to Hebrews about their widows and orphans being neglected in ministry. People ‘of good standing and full of the Spirit and of wisdom’ were chosen to reach out in ministry to the most vulnerable in the community. Stephen, the first martyr of the early church, was thus chosen as a model for this ministry of one on one, Christ-centered care and support of people experiencing a crisis or going through a difficult time. A Stephen’s minister meets with his or her care-receiver for about one hour each week, for as long as that person needs care during loss, grief, divorce, chronic illness, new parent-hood, an empty nest, or retirement.

A Stephens Minister walks with a care receiver through difficult days to provide support and encouragement, prayer, and hope. A Stephen’s Minister is NOT a therapist, counselor, doctor, or other health professional, nor a substitute fill-in for the pastor. But just as the first apostles discovered, after a crisis there is often an ongoing need for support that the pastor can’t provide after he/she has gone on to the next crisis in the congregation. That is when a Stephen’s Minister can make all the difference!

Stephen Ministers must undergo 50 hours of training before being assigned a care-receiver. In addition, there are on-going hours of supervision and continuing education each month to equip laity for this important role in the congregation. COCU sent four people to an intensive training for Stephen’s Leaders in Pittsburgh from August 2-8 where they learned about the organization and how to best equip members for this ministry. There are 250 organizations (other than churches) involved in Stephen’s Ministry that include hospitals, military, correctional institutions, and social service agencies. We joined more than 55,000 pastors and other church staff and lay leaders who have attended leadership training that began first in 1978 (four held each year). There are now more than 500,000 Stephen Ministers trained in congregations and organizations through skilled Christian care-giving to walk with hurting people during difficult times.

Could God be calling you to this important ministry of care and outreach in our church? Pray about your participation! Pray for our leaders; Pastor Carol, Donna Dickinson, Jan Reese, and Marilyn Bezek! Open your mind, and your heart, to this new opportunity. Open your ears and eyes to upcoming announcements and interpretation. Pray for the personal support and encouragement and financial resources needed to continue to develop and train members for this ministry. We’re counting on YOU!

Pastor Carol

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!” Numbers 14: 1-2

If you have ever tried to ‘read your way’ through the Bible you’d find a lot of it tough going; especially books like Numbers that contain a lot of detailed ‘rules and regs’ for a people trying to establish their own identity and getting settled in a new ‘foreign’ land. Nothing was familiar and- as we so often do- they yearned for Egypt, and Pharaoh’s yoke. Better the ‘devil’ they knew than this invisible God who sent them into the wilderness. Thus, the people complain to Moses and Aaron, blaming them for it all.

It’s human nature to stand back and criticize others. We may not want to do the job ourselves, but we don’t mind sharing our opinions about the way it IS done! That’s why we have that popular cliché- ‘if you want something done RIGHT you’d better do it yourself!’ – i.e. the way YOU want it done! But the flip side is that there is nothing more demoralizing than giving someone a job to do and then trying to ‘micro-manage’ every detail to our own satisfaction. My children roll their eyes every time I ‘rearrange’ the ornaments on the Christmas tree; and have flatly said if I do it again, I’ll be doing the job alone next year! I have also even been known to re-do dishes according to size in the dishwasher, as well as in the cupboards. My family understandably thinks I’m controlling.

We are no different in the church family. There are people who have been ‘running’ the church for years, cycling through various committees and conscientiously getting all the many details accomplished ‘decently and in order’ (our Presbyterian motto). We may yearn for ‘new blood’ to take up some of those responsibilities, to share the burden of leadership, but still want everything to stay the same. We may accept new pastoral leadership, then still call upon that one special pastor who ‘knows’ me from when I was active at church, to do our wedding, baptism, or funeral. We think it is the pastor’s job to order worship and choose music; but that doesn’t keep us from complaining when something new is introduced, or the ‘right’ hymn isn’t chosen for the right occasion. (By the way, since we have a Methodist hymnal, ALL the hymns chosen are from that tradition, not Presbyterian- and MANY are unfamiliar to me!)

So- if you want something done right – you’d better to do it yourself. For the summer, we will go back to our ‘bulletin light’- just the outline of worship; with hymns chosen by the congregation. Then for the next year, we will assign a ‘task force’ to work with our Director of Music who has volunteered (been coerced) to choose hymns based on the theme, season, or special occasion of worship. Those of you who have been especially critical of hymns chosen will want to offer your services for this special assignment!

God said ‘behold, I am doing a new thing- do you not perceive it?’ Now it’s up to you!

It is my hope and prayer that this period of exploration will bring us a deeper understanding of worship and increased participation in the life of our church.

Serving with you in Christ’s Service,

Pastor Carol

You may have heard of a “Passion Play.” Passion plays recount the life and ministry of Jesus Christ from the four gospels in a dramatic form. This tradition began in the Middle Ages and are often performed in churches during Easter week. By watching a Passion Play we have a chance to reflect on the events most central to our faith, that Jesus died, was buried and rose again from the dead.

Your opportunity for our next “great adventure” in travel will lead us on a trip to distant places, and to commemorate a distant moment in time. The history of the Oberammergau Passion Play begins in 1633. During the Thirty Years’ War, after much suffering and also many deaths caused by the bubonic plague, the surviving population of Oberammergau vowed that they would perform the “play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ” every ten years if they were spared from extinction. Unexplainably, the adult death rate slowly began to subside to only one per month by July of 1633. The villagers of this little Bavarian town believed that they were spared because of their vow and their great faith.

So, in 1634 they kept their promise for the first time. With only two lapses, in 1770 (because of a government ban on such productions) and in 1830 (when the Roman Catholic Church succeeded in halting the performance) it has been presented faithfully every ten years since. As early as the middle of the 18th century spectators came to Oberammergau from all parts of Germany, attracted by the great power and mystique of the play. In 2010 the village will perform the play for the 41st time, maintaining the continuity of this unique world famous event.

We are planning and organizing a trip for the upcoming production of this unique experience, scheduled for June 18 – 29, 2010. The entire cast consists of villagers who have lived in Oberammergau for at least 20 years. They must also be amateurs and people of high moral and ethical principles. Villagers also make the outstanding costumes.

By glorifying the Lord for saving their village during the plague, they are fulfilling Psalm 145:4-6 “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.”

The itinerary for our tour will culminate with a stay in Oberammergau to witness this play, and will be preceded by visits to some of the grand, imperial cities of Eastern Europe: Vienna, Munich, Prague and Budapest. I’ll have all the specific information and cost available in a brochure. Simply call or ask me for it. And look forward to a trip of a life-time. Consider joining Scott and me on our next touring adventure.

Blessings,

Pastor Carol

On the Sunday after Easter – and for all of the fifty days following of Easter-tide (the SEASON, not the day,) we read in scripture and hear about the appearances Jesus made after his resurrection. These help us to answer the questions: How do we know it is true? And, What difference will it make for my life? When the crowds go home – as they did after the spectacle of the crucifixion, and as they do in our church after Easter Day, those questions take on specific meaning as we deal with faith in our Lord who is no longer walking with us on earth, but still present with those who have ‘eyes to see.’

The Wall Street Journal ran an article on April 7, 2009, titled, “God Still Isn’t Dead”- talking about the decline of religion in America that has been predicted again and again, and always proves with Samuel Clements, “The report of my death is greatly exaggerated.” It’s easy to get cynical when we see empty pews and decry lost morality and wonder after ‘the good old days’ when people believed in God and came to church. We think we remember when we were a Christian nation – but do we really?

“America has long stood out among developed countries for its religiosity. This has less to do with innate godliness than with the free market created by the First Amendment. Pre-revolutionary America was not that religious, because the original Puritans were swamped by less wholesome adventurers – in Salem, Mass. The setting for “The Crucible” 83% of taxpayers by 1683 confessed to no religious identification. America became religious after the Constitution separated church from state, thus ensuring that religious denominations could only survive if they got souls into pews. While state sponsored religion withered in Europe, American faith has been a hive of activity: from the Methodists, who converted close to an eighth of the country in the half century after the Revolution, to the modern mega-churches” by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge

So – God is not dead. Jesus continues to make appearances to disciples in the present. Perhaps what has changed is our attitude as we think of religion as a private belief rather than a public profession that can, and must, influence our policies and practices in the world. “You are my witnesses” Jesus told the disciples before he ascended; then he gave them a job to do… “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations; baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28: 19) It’s up to ALL of us!

It was true then…it is still true now. Let’s roll up our sleeves and practice what we preach!

I’ll see U in CH_RCH!

Pastor Carol