Blessings at New Hope

I meet every Thursday morning with a group of pastors. It is our tradition to talk to each other about “burdens and blessings” and then close with a prayer for each other. Last Thursday, I talked about how grateful I am for the blessings of faithful servant leaders. Thinking about church members serving our church faithfully gives me encouragement. I will list a few. This is not an exhaustive list, because there is not room to list them all, and because New Hope members are out there being faithful in ways that I cannot see. But here is my limited list.

Erma and Garfield Dreas are preparing our Wednesday evening meals with such good care.

Elaine Hardy is keeping our bulletin board up to date, keeping our book corner supplied, editing our newsletter, “Connections,” and helping us to get committed to Bible study.

Bill Batchelor is chairing our church council with attention to the details of typing up the agenda for the meetings, setting dates for the church to receive reports and recommendations, and making sure that all appropriate concerns are given time to be heard at the meetings.

Betty Myers is chairing our deacons with attention to how our members and friends are being called or visited by their deacons so that we are constantly strengthening the ties of caring that bind us together.

Leesa Holloway is leading Vacation Bible School workers to get ready to teach and love children when they come to us in a couple of weeks.

Our staff is steadily serving: Dennis Bucher in worship planning, worship leadership, and solo singing; Armand Melnbardis in providing accompaniment and beautiful instrumental music for worship; Cheryl Secunda is preparing the next event to teach and love children and youth, drawing them in with her caring and constancy; Vernon Buchanan is cleaning, arranging, repairing, and improving our buildings and grounds.

These folks are representative of the self-giving that makes our church go. I am grateful to God for New Hope. I am going to close by borrowing and adapting Paul’s words in Romans 1:8, “I thank God in the name of Jesus Christ for all of you. I do this because people (all around the Port Orange area) are talking about your faith.”