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