A Word From the Interim Pastor You are a most gracious congregation, and Pegeen and I thank you for the warm welcome as we come to worship and minister among you. You are fortunate to have had such fine pastoral leadership in Dean for almost 25 years. I followed a man who had been pastor at First Baptist Church, Memphis, for 31 years, so I am aware of the long shadows of those servants of God who serve a church for a long time.
There is always a sense of loss and grief when the pastor leaves, and that is natural. My task as Interim Pastor is to help you move through that time and come to realize afresh that the church is separate from, and more than, any of its pastors. The interim time is a great time for the church to look at its strengths and gifts, and to lay hold on the vision God has put ahead of it.
Please feel free to drop by the office on Wednesdays or catch me on Sundays. My door is open. If you need to contact me during the week, my phone number is 828-295-3793. My blog is http://raccoontheology.blogspot.com which you might find interesting, or check us out on www.facebook.com. I look forward to getting to know you as individuals and as a worshiping congregation. Help Pegeen and me by doing four things throughout this summer:
first, pray for us. Ask God to give me wisdom, a loving heart for your needs, the right messages you need to hear.
Second, tell us your name each time we see you. Remember there are only two of us for you to get to know, but there are hundreds of you for us to get to know!
Third, please make every effort to be even more faithful in your Bible study and worship attendance through this summer especially. Help our fellowship to grow and deepen in these in-between days.
And last, do not slack on your tithes and offerings. So often this time is a time of low attendance and low giving. But the ongoing work of the church needs your support now more than ever.
These are days of soul-searching, deepening of commitment to Christ and to this church, seeking God's will for the future, catching a glimpse of what God has in store for the future. These are wonderful and exciting times! Face the sunrise and let us march onward.