June 20, 2011

Congratulations to Ryan and Catherine Nickason on the birth of their daughter, Carrington Delaney Nickason, on Friday, June 17, 2011, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Carrie weighed 8 lbs 8 ½ ozs and measured 18 inches in length. She is the sister of Caitelyn and the granddaughter of Dean and Ruth Pilkinton. We give thanks for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby girl.

Congratulations to Marvin Maphet and Gloria Griffith who were married in a private family ceremony on Saturday, June 18, 2011. Marvin is the father of Justin, Kelsey, Palmer, Alyssa, and Braden. Gloria is the mother of William, Ben, and Sarah. We celebrate the union of two friends who supported and cared for each other as they raised their families and in the process discovered love.

Congratulations to Kyle Smith, a member of Team Tennessee, a travel baseball squad that includes eleven high school players who played in the 15^th Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Oklahoma, last week. Kyle pitched and hit his way to the MVP Award in the tournament.

PreTeen Camp begins today (Monday), at Garner Creek. Thirty fifth and sixth grade students from HCN are attending. HCN campers include Sara Waller, Annie Cater, Biranna Post, Shelby Thompson, Carley Correnti, Ashley Wallace, Olivia Garrett, Ashlee Harrison, Morgan Houser, Anna Stephens, Shelby Rose, Abby Elkins, Marileigh Mabry, Madeleine Rouse, Gabrielle Satterlee, Keely Dozier, Taylor Shoemake, Bryce Poole, Grant Reigard, Michael Mathias, Cole Jackson, Evan Gibson, Joel Daugherty, Drew Silvernail, Ben Thompson, Teddy Joyce, TJ Hysell, Logan Evans, Jacob Paddon, and Joel Jones. HCN counselors are Eddie and Yana Witkowski, Becca Sharpe, and John Reigard.

Many of you have asked for the source and a copy of the story which concluded the message yesterday. It is an essay entitled “The Tire Iron and The Tamale” written by Justin Horner and published in the NY Times Sunday Magazine on March 6, 2011. Sheila Marlowe wrote this email to me this morning. I asked for her permission to print this. “When I heard the story you told about the man with car trouble, I couldn’t help but think about mine and Jordan’s experience week before last. I had just picked him up at Long Hunter from Cub Scout Day Camp and we ran out of gas on Hobson Pike. It was 95 degrees and there we sat on the side of the road. I had called my brother because Wendell was in a meeting in Lebanon. My brother had to come from my mom’s house so it took him awhile. There must have been over a hundred cars go by but only two stopped to see if they could help in any way. The first was a black lady with three kids in her car. I thanked her and told her I had help coming. The next was a black man in a pickup with his son who looked about ten years old. I told him my brother was on his way but he insisted on doing something, so he went to the cooler in his work truck and brought Jordan a Gatorade and me a bottle of water. I thanked him over and over and told him he was a blessing from God. There I was stranded in the heat with my seven year old grandson and only two people stopped. And they were not my skin color.” Jesus really does break down boundaries. “Today you, tomorrow me.”

I have promised you for weeks that Scott Steinmetz and I would sit down and find the official balance for completing our mission to others. The balance is $27, 500. I know it seems like a lot of money and an undoable feat except that we do it together. Please pay special attention to your giving over the next two weeks. It is a great time to give to missions or to catch up your tithes and offerings. We are still getting there.

I am not a golfer but I sure did enjoy watching Rory McIlroy win the U.S. Open on Sunday. He broke all sorts of records including the youngest winner at 22 years of age. He had a catastrophic fall at the Master’s this Spring, which makes this win all the sweeter. His humility and character match his superb game.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard

June 13, 2011

I asked for Senior High Students who experienced significant spiritual growth at Senior High Camp to come forward and share in Sunday’s second service. I suggested four or five. Eight came on the platform. They spoke of prayer, intercession, acceptance, community. One of the eight was Felix Menke. Felix is an exchange student from Germany whose host family does not attend our church. He lives next door to Braden Maphet and his family has allowed him to attend HCN with Braden. Felix returns to Germany in several weeks. Jonathan Mowry’s family went on a vacation to California last week. His mom walked the graduation line at Fuller Theological Seminary and received her PhD in Intercultural Studies. Their tour included time in So Cal and Disneyland, the real one. Jonathan did not go. He wanted to go to Senior High Camp. His parents allowed him. Shane Tarter asked Connor McCoy to serve as a counselor at Senior High Camp a month ago. Two weeks later, a friend of Connor asked him to be his guest on a cruise with family and friends. It was the same week of camp. Connor declined his friend and went to camp. This is what Robert Luther posted on facebook last Friday evening: “Church camp was the most spiritual week of my life. We cried together, laughed, played, worshiped, sang, and bonded with one another on so many levels. Camp changed me. I am reborn and have forgotten about past sufferings and regrets. God reassured me about my purpose in life. I am incredibly thankful for each and every individual that went to camp. I love you all with the bottom of my heart. Thank you Lord.” I salute the priorities these young people place on community and spiritual life.

Middle School Camp (7^th and 8^th Grade Students), begins today (Monday). HCN is sending 23 campers and 2 counselors. Campers include Chandler Scott, Marley Gibson, Shelby Jackson, Kristin Paddon, Anna Waller, MacKenzie Eiseman, Maggie Hollingsworth, Lacey Remmert, Hannah Jackson, Taylor Gonyea, Isabella Green, Josh Pilarski, Nicholas Groover, Jonathan Silvernail, Keegan Brown, Nathanael Jackson, Shane Wells, Isaac Houser, Will Fleming, Garrison Hughes, Will Tate, Charlie Tate, Zach Fudeen. Counselors include Eddie and Yana Witkowski.

As I write, VBS students are pouring into the parking lot and through the registration lines. End of the morning stats say there are 240 children with 80 volunteer workers. The building is decorated from head to toe. The work hours to prepare the building would come close to a thousand. One man took three days off work just to paint banners. Carol Clem and I happened to be in the Center Lobby at the same time and she said what I was thinking: “if I was a kid and I wanted to go to VBS, this is the one I would want to go to.”

Congratulations to Andrew Vines recognized as Lineman of the Week at the Mt. Juliet High School Football Camp in the Mt. Juliet News of June 4, 2011. See the photo and article on the Center Glassboard.

Thanks to Holly Steinmetz for using her exceptional painting skills to transform a wall in my office to the color Betty Willis selected. I highly value the time investment and the skill. Now Betty gets to place all frames.

The Church Board met for its first session in the new church year (June to May), on Sunday, June 12, 2011, at 4:30 PM in Room 107. The following organization was approved with officers elected:

Secretary of the Board: Matthew Mullins

Treasurer of the Church: Scott Steinmetz

Adult Ministries: Tony Dozier, Steve Kelley, Alan Elkins, Ken Stegall

Building, Grounds, & Equipment: Jerry Keener, Wendell Marlowe, Lance Waller

Children/Youth Ministries: Jennifer Neely, Jeff Cater, Philip Lutz

Finance: Scott Perkins, John Mannen, Scott Steinmetz, Teresa Vines

Mission: Kristi Mabry, Matthew Mullins, Beverly Mitchell, Marvin Heath

I have promised you for weeks that Scott Steinmetz and I would sit down and find the official balance for completing our mission to others. The balance is $27, 500. I know it seems like a lot of money and an undoable feat except that we do it together. Please pay special attention to your giving over the next two weeks. It is a great time to give to missions or to catch up your tithes and offerings.

Slowly and incrementally, I am attempting to live more simply. The lack of drinkable water in Kenya has made me turn the water pressure down while I brush my teeth. The six items or less of clothing during Lent made me realize I needed one tenth of my clothes. So, last Friday, I emptied an entire closet of about 125 pieces of clothes and Anna took them to a consignment store. I will be accountable to you for how the profits are used for others.

This Sunday, June 19, 2011, is Father’s Day in the USA. It is the day set aside to honor dads and the roles they play in the American family. I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my life to be a dad. I hope you take the time to honor the men in your family this Sunday. Start the day in worship and then eat good food together and enjoy each other’s company.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard

June 6, 2011

Congratulations to Matthew and Sabrina Keener on the birth of their daughter, Andrea Cherlyn Keener, on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at 1:01 PM at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. She weighed 8 lbs 4 ozs and measured 20 ½ inches in length. Andie is the sister of Trace and Levi; the granddaughter of Jerry and Marilyn Keener; the niece of Julie and Aaron Foster; the cousin of Caleb, Lydia, Ethan, and Elizabeth Foster. We thank the Lord for a safe delivery and healthy baby and bless his name for the gift of a child to Matthew and Sabrina and to us.

Brian and Dorinda Biggs presented their daughter, Atalaya Marie Biggs, in dedication to the Lord on Sunday, June 5, 2011, in the 10:15 AM service in The Center. Atalaya was joined by her brother, Dakota; sister, Emberlynn; grandparents, Jim and Susan Harper, Mike and Kathy Orrick; aunt, Jennifer Lee; uncle, Nathan Massey; friend, Debbie Pace; cousin, Tristan Lee. We bless the Lord who has blessed Brian and Dorinda with a family to love and nurture for his glory.

Congratulations to Jacob Leath and Ashley Shrader who were joined in marriage on Saturday, June 4, 2011, at 5:00 PM in the HCN Sanctuary. I presided at the ceremony.

Congratulations to Jake Scott on signing a wrestling scholarship with Cumberland University for the 2011-2012 school year. Jake lives with his uncle and aunt, Dan and Jody, and works in housekeeping part-time at HCN.

A church vote to approve refinancing the church mortgage was taken on Sunday, June 5, 2011, at the close of each morning worship service. The results of the vote were 251 YES, 0 NO.

I am grateful to Mike Miranne and to Matthew Mullins for giving leadership to the voting process on Sunday. I am grateful to Mike Miranne and Scott Perkins for giving leadership to securing the loan with First State Bank. I am grateful to the church membership for taking the vote seriously and for trusting leadership in the process. The vote speaks well of the church.

Sixty-seven Senior High Students left with four HCN counselors at 11:45 AM today to participate in a week of camp at Garner Creek. There were so many attending that Shane chartered a bus to transport them and then needed to add several support vehicles with parents driving. There are 38 young men, 29 young women. Campers include Will Miranne, Daniel Jones, Christopher West, Corey Miranne, Bret Washing, Eric Owens, Jonathan Tigabu, Robert Luther, Philip Calkins, Brian Brinkman, Timothy Porter, Trevor Hunt, Josh Elkins, Robby Amity, Toby Haydel, Thomas Waldrop, Alex Houser, Lucas Houge, Ryan Mahoney, Ben Mabry, Jonathan Mowry, Andrew Vines, Chase Buscherfield, Max Andrade, Felix Menke, Evan McDaniel, Hunter Batty, Josh Cater, Grant McCoy, Reed McCoy, Justin Angle, Matthew Bastin, Hunter Steinmetz, Austin Woodfin, Braden Maphet, Evan Hollingsworth, Ben Griffith, Dalton Winfree, Adrie Brown, Jessica Perkins, Emily Paddon, Sophie Zander, Abbie Winfree, Rachel Thimell, Morgan Harold, Paige Ronsen, Jessica Long, Haley Hicks, Madison Trotter, Sarah Burnette, Rachel Jones, Christi Fite, Allyson Huffman, Stephanie Owens, Cassie Hunt, Hannah Garrett, Sadie Dillon, Katelyn Houge, Chelsea Hardy, Katie Scott, Sara Matthews, Haley Fee, Ryann Amity, Anna-Laura Green, Sophie Green, Sarah Griffith, Jessie Joyce. Counselors include Becca Sharpe, Yana Witkowski, Connor McCoy, Shane Tarter. This is an incredible group of young people who greatly desire a week of spiritual growth and fellowship. Please pray for their safety and God’s glory.

From 1977 to 1983, the first pastor and wife of Hermitage Church of the Nazarene were George and Irene Pitzer. HCN was a church plant by the Tennessee District. I believe it was the most successful church plant on this district since 1977. I tell you that to recognize the death of Irene on Saturday evening, June 4, 2011. Visitation will be held at Cole and Garrett Funeral Home in Goodlettsville on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM and on Thursday, June 9, 2011, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at Goodlettsville Church of the Nazarene. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM at the church. We extend our love and prayers to George and Irene’s children. Thanks to Helen Adams for calling me.

Each year, exchange students come to our church from Germany, Finland, Thailand, Portugal, Australia, and other global communities. They are students who are investing a year of their lives in a culture different to their own. Without exception, HCN becomes a favorite place to meet friends, enjoy a social life, and to find a personal relationship with Christ. The students say: “church is not like this in my country.” In the processes, they share their testimony of faith. The time has come for this year’s exchange students to return home and they are already writing letters asking “what will I do?” If you have connected with a student, be aware that only weeks remain. Say your goodbyes. Encourage their faith.

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Howard