Sunday, May 9, 2010, was not only Mother’s Day but it was a catch-up day for all that we missed during the floods of the previous weekends. Catch-up included Baby Day and recognition of College and University Graduates. Michael Waller prepared our Annual Video for Baby Day and we were able to watch it in first and second service. The parents and babies on that video were presented with engraved New Testaments in the second service with blessing prayers. The video included Avonlea Segars, Lucia Greathouse, Emilee Koon, Zoie Butler, Becca Anderson, Savannah Szyperski, Caroline Walker, Abigail Taylor, Katie Grace Walvoord, Austin Reigard, Liam Bolling, Leyton Plummer, Cason Ebel, Levi Keener, Mason Beach, Malcolm Mullins, Jake Stride, Tristan Mullins, Cooper Jordan, Lucas Waller, and Keegan Lutz.
2010 Graduates of Colleges and Universities were also recognized in the second service with additions from my list last week: associate degree: Jenny Carter; bachelor degrees: David Tigabu, Eddie Witkowski, Lindsay Miller, Frank Bolyard, Jeremy Michael, Heather Michael, Julie Groover; master degrees: Cassidy Nelson, Stephan Scappaticci, Rebekah Means, Jessica Tarter Page, Jon Page; doctorate degrees: Brooke Foxworthy, Donny Jackson. Cards with gift certificates were presented to each one.
Beautiful, blooming flowers were given to each woman, eighteen years of age and older for Mother’s Day. We prayed at the close of service for each lady. I received an email this morning from one of them. This is some of what she wrote. “For the past few years I have dreaded going to church on Mother’s Day. One reason was my mother lives far away and I miss celebrating with her. The bigger reason was I felt out of place not being a mother, especially since I longed to be one for many years. For the most part, I have put closure to the idea as God has prepared my heart. Thank you for ending the service praying for ALL women. Someone had to tell me to stand up. I was thankful to God for continuing to heal the void in my heart. I am aware of those who would love to be a mother and those who cannot. I will no longer dread going to church on Mother’s Day.” Thanks for the email that speaks for more than we know. Thanks to Wendell Poole who provides our flower connection with a Mennonite farmer in the area.
Lawana Nelson was presented in second service with her husband, Ken Jones, and her daughter, Lauren Lavery. Lawana leaves Thursday, May 13, 2010, for a four month tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Tennessee Air National Guard. We prayed for Lawana’s safety and for her family with outstretched hands.
The “In Ten Years” video is a classic reminder to the HCN family that a generation depends on our intention and prayers. In second service, I interviewed Preston Hunt who is the concluding speaker on the seven year old production. In the fall, Preston will be a junior at Trevecca Nazarene University. He was elected this spring to serve as the Vice President of Student Services in the ASB. I hope you saw the faces of the students we are leading and teaching and nurturing in faith in Christ Jesus. For the most part, they remain with us on their faith journey.
You also had the privilege to witness Hunter Steinmetz as he discovered a letter he had written to Coach Mark Richt of the University of Georgia had paid dividends. Hunter is in the tenth grade at MJHS and planning to return to Africa this summer. He was a part of the group in 2008 also. Hunter has worked hard labor for months to raise the funds. He wrote letters to selected individuals asking if they would consider contributing to the support of his trip. Week before last, Coach Richt had his secretary to call me and ask for the church’s address. On Saturday, a note arrived with a check made out to the church for Hunter’s trip in the amount of $2,500. It is a personal check from the resources of the Coach and his wife. Hunter and his family found out the good news at the close of the service in front of the congregation and his reaction was priceless: sobs of joy. Could we be more glad?
Teams of servants from HCN have worked in the surrounding neighborhoods over the last week to help get life back to normal for those most affected by the floods. An army of young mothers originating in the Moms2Moms Group have fed the Waterford subdivision for multiple days. They met in the HCN kitchen on Friday, Saturday, and this morning (Monday) to prepare sack lunches and then to distribute the food. This morning, they prepared close to one thousand sack lunches and then fed the Waterford community, DCA remodeling workers, the Old Hickory Community Center workers. Do you know what an assembly line of young moms sounds like when they have a mission?
Eight HCN men invested one/two days at Camp Garner Creek on Thursday and Friday of last week. They stripped insulation and interior walls from the chapel and cut siding to replace lower walls. Two of the men had never stepped foot on the campus previously. They were Glen Detwiler, Ken Willis, Tommy Boner, Jerry Woods, Ken Elkins, Dean Pilkinton, Don Rollins, and Charles Jewell.
Twenty Senior High Students took on one house devastated by the flood. They unhooked and removed appliances and toilets; pulled up tile; removed drywall; packed dishes; etc. They were Ben Griffith, Austin Woodfin, Jasmine Stiles-Barnes, Robert Luther, Robby Amity, Brandon Shepard, Morgan Harold, Christi Fite, Katie Scott, Jessica Long, Cassie Hunt, Trevor Hunt, Grant McCoy, Reed McCoy, Braden Maphet, Eric Owens, Philip Caulkins, Timmy Porter, Taylor Steinmetz, Hunter Steinmetz.
Annual Elections take place this Sunday, May 16, 2010, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at HCN. Members of the church who are fifteen years of age and older elect five new members to serve a three year rotation on the Church Board of Directors; one Sunday School Superintendent; one NMI (Mission) President; one NYI (Youth) President; and delegates to District Assembly and Conventions. District Assembly and Conventions are in Memphis this July 7-9, 2010.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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