Pathfinder

  When I was in high school, I and many of my friends got our first car. And one of the first purchases a high school car owner made was a Haynes manual. We would drive our new whip down to the local Auto Zone and scour the shelves for the Haynes instruction manual on our make and model. If you didn’t have a lot of money, but you had access to your father’s tool chest, you could assume that you would be doing as many repairs as possible in your garage. The Haynes manuals had excellent instructions (with pictures) on about anything your car needed.           But nowadays, first car-owners (especially high school men) go to YouTube. Most of us go to YouTube or Google when we have a question about life or need help with a task. Where do you go for instructions and day-to-day help?           Let me put it another way; what do you expect to find when opening your Bible? What do you expect the p...

  Summer months always bring extra outside work for the Trustees and their friends. The driveway got a new coat of sealer and lines. Sidewalk cracks were repaired, vines chopped down, and weeds were pulled. The back lot was mowed, and downed branches and twigs from storms were picked up. Inside, the annual cleaning of the carpets was completed, with the help of many volunteers moving and replacing furniture. The manse porch project has been completed with new screens for the windows and door, and a new ceiling fan. Hopefully this will make this a much more pleasant living space for the Fitzgerald family. Thank you to Russ MacNeil and his crew for completing this project. As always, behind the scenes so much was done. Fans were moved and turned on, windows opened, dehumidifiers emptied, basement flooding cleaned up, trash picked up, and plants watered … and so much more! Thanks to all who see a need and take care of it! We appreciate your help in keeping our properties safe an...

  And, just like that, while we're wringing the last drops of leisurely fun out of summer, we find ourselves standing on the threshold of fall. We still have about three weeks before it's official though.           The autumnal equinox arrives early on Sunday morning, September 22.   Actually, it will arrive worldwide at precisely 8:44 A.M. EDT for earth's entire northern hemisphere at which time the center of the sun will pass through what is known as the “celestial equator”, an imaginary extension of the earth's equator into space. From that moment on, our days will progressively grow shorter and the nights longer. Isn't it ironic that, as we enter a season that requires a lot of our efforts and attention, we have less time in the day to accomplish tasks? Judith McKinnon, director of volunteer and community services at the Open Door Mission is facing that reality as the Mission's “Code Blue” operation makes preparations for an...

  As many of you know, we just wrapped up our VBS 2024 (Breaker Rock Beach Program). I want to share with you a story I heard that deeply moved me.           In one of our classes the teacher was talking with the children about the story of the rich young ruler who wanted to go to heaven but was told he would have to give away all his riches. The teacher asked would it be hard to give away the things that you love; video games, Legos, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. And one young man responded, “If some random person asked me for my Legos, I would not give them to him. But if Jesus asked me for them- I’d give them to Jesus.” Isn’t that the most wonderful, moving response? I’d give the thing I love the most to Jesus. Oh, for a heart like that young man.           There are more stories and other gifts on top of this one. The kids brought in a truck full of clothes to donate to those in need. T...

  As we sort of just laze our way into August, it's pretty evident that we are getting used to, and enjoying, having summer. There are no major August projects or activities in the wings for the Deacons, save for our annual Deacons' picnic in the middle of the month. We'll still be checking on our seniors, monitoring the congregation for situations that might require attention, and providing meals and other comforts as needed. None of that has a season, it's what we do!           The end of July did bring some updated and informative activity regarding the Open Door Mission and its volunteer program. On Sunday the 21 st Judith McKinnon, the new director of the facility's volunteer program, addressed our congregation during the “Minute for Local Missions” segment of worship.           In her overview address Mrs. McKinnon informed us that the Open Door is much more than merely a “serving l...

  The Session met in July with the Trustees and Deacons. It is always a blessing to hear what each group is working on and to spend time praying for each other. The Deacons have completed a very successful CROP Walk and will be assisting Lisa White with the Food Pantry and Operation Christmas Child. The Trustees had the parking lot re-sealed and striped and are working towards replacing the front sidewalk. We discussed the changes that have been made to our worship service (moving around music, Passing the Peace). Overall, the comments have been positive. Please reach out to a session member and let them know your thoughts. Bryan will be preaching a series on the Lord’s Prayer over the next several weeks. Ray Jenks and Ellen Fullerton will serve on our Nominating Committee. Deb Randles and Wes Clark will serve on our Financial Committee. Please be in prayer for these two important groups as they seek to honor God in the decisions that they make for the upcoming year. As alw...