The Church of the Nazarene as a denomination meets every four years in a metro area around the USA to do business and to gather as a great family of believers. This year, the gathering is in Orlando, Florida, and the meetings began last week and continue into this week. Mark Greathouse is an elected lay delegate from the Tennessee District to the General Assembly. Rondy Smith, Kathy Mowry, Wendell Poole, and Bryce Fox, are workshop leaders. Sam Green is a TNU representative on the convention floor. Sara Waller, Bethany Ruff, Bryson and Brielle Fox are participating in the World Quiz for Children. Beth Fox directed a children’s choir on Friday night and sang a solo on Saturday morning. She is also a part of the main praise team. Sightings have been made of the Brinkman family, Wilbur Brannon, and family members of those previously mentioned. When the events are over, three new general superintendents will be elected and delegates and visitors from 150 plus world areas will return to their homes and churches “to make Christlike disciples of the nations.” We welcome ours home.
Thanks to Donny Jackson and Richard Knox for filling multiple roles in worship leadership for Sunday, June 28, 2009, in the absence of Sam Green, Michael Waller, and Willard Brinkman. Donny played the piano in first service and led vocals from the keyboard in second service. Richard led hymns from the pulpit and played the organ at the close of first service. I noticed the worship band had reconfigured assignments as they missed several members. Your willingness to use your talents and gifts are deeply appreciated.
Brent and Lee Hodges have lived in the west Wilson County community for fifteen plus years. They raised their children, Whitt and Carrie, in Wilson County Schools and largely in Hermitage Church of the Nazarene. Lee has served as a guidance counselor at Watertown High School for seventeen years. Native to the Knoxville/Johnson City area, Brent was given an opportunity to return there with his job in the last year. Lee has stayed behind to finish the school year and to get the house ready for sale. Brent returned on weekends. On Saturday night, some of their friends met to say farewell. They greatly desire to find a new church similar to Hermitage in the move. In the meantime, we are grateful for the privilege to know Brent, Lee, Whitt, and Carrie Hodges. We wish them the blessings of God. We send them back to east Tennessee with love and memories.
Dan Scott, a member of HCN, leads a Soccer Camp, next week at HCN. Dates are July 6-10, 2009. The schedule is 8:00 to 11:00 AM. The client range is students from grades 1-5. All proceeds from the camp support Mission Africa 2010. Dan has played soccer at collegiate and semi-pro levels. He will be assisted by young men who are veterans of the MJHS Soccer Team. If you plan for your child to attend, you MUST register by this Friday, July 3, 2009.
No pastoral letter was included with the tip sheet last week because none was written. Anna and I were visiting with my family in Charlotte, North Carolina. On normal visits, there is one great gathering where we get to talk with everyone for three minutes and two people for an hour. I always leave a little sad that I have not caught up with everyone. However, on this trip, we requested that we get to be with each family for an evening and it made all the difference in the world. I love my nieces and nephews and like to know what is going on in their lives. On Sunday, June 21, 2009, we attended church with my sister, Judy, at the Albemarle Road Presbyterian Church. The service was full of scripture and mission and wonderful music. After the service, we stayed to meet some of Judy’s friends and they thought Anna and Judy were sisters.
I have always had this eerie feeling that tornadoes hit random houses and that one day a tornado would hit our house. So, on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, a tornado popped a large tree top out of my neighbor’s yard and drug it over the top of our house. The chimney top was leveled like Lego blocks and the new gutters, replaced last fall, were peeled off the back side of the house. One limb fell down the front of our house and damaged some of the gutters on the front. Dan and Graham Scott came over with a chain saw and got the entrances and exits from our house open and we are now conversing slowly with our insurance agents. You know those stories on television where insurance agents come immediately to where you are when they find out there is trouble? Well, that is not my agent.
I am not a good asker for money. I have always believed the local church was the safest place to give my tithes and my offerings and the same for you. I want to invest in places of need and where there is a likelihood for harvest. I look at the young people who fill up HCN every week and wonder where there could be a better place to invest. I want to make a difference in this generation and the next generation of young people. I want to do the best job I can do with this generation and a better job with the next. I want to give to global missions where people who are called are trained in languages and then sent and supported as they tell others the good news of Jesus Christ. Giving to the HCN global missions fund helps to support 700 plus missionaries in 150 plus world areas. One of the families supported by that fund is Spencer and April Baggott. Their children are Lucas and Abigail. They are members of HCN. Their assignment moves them through Rwanda, the Congo, Madagascar, and Burundi. We have spoken to the Baggotts several times in second service through SYPE. They need for you to speak back to them this Sunday, July 5, 2009, by helping to complete our responsibilities to others by giving either in tithes or in missions. It is a big deal.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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