Articles
Thank You
As we come to the close of this chapter together, it seems fitting to acknowledge some things.
First, thank you for all the years of support -- financial, social, and emotional. We have been abundantly supplied and have lacked nothing. We have been able to pay our bills, live in a lovely house, handle medical expenses, and even enjoy the occasional vacation because of your commitment to the work I have done in this ministry. But you’ve also been our friends. We’ve celebrated holidays, birthdays, weddings, as well as the mundane activities that make life feel full and fun.
There are several specific events that stand out for special mention. You were all extremely helpful during Rebecca’s difficult pregnancy in the fall of 2020. She was on bed rest for 18 weeks. We never lacked a thing in that time!
You were also so loving and sweet after the passing of our dear patriarch Steven. His death was a total shock and really rocked our family. But, again, you stood with us and shined brightly in a dark period. The kind words, meals, and sympathetic tears will never be forgotten.
It hasn’t always been easy these past 6.5 years. Our church family has been pushed, poked, prodded, and tested in ways nobody could have foreseen. Through thick and thin always try to remember this: Christ’s church was here long before us, and it will never be shaken. In fact, Jesus even said that the gates of Hades wouldn’t be able to overpower it (Matt. 16:18). We’re all just passing through this life. We’re all just playing our small part in keeping the fire lit for the next generation. A congregation here and a congregation there may fluctuate, but the CHURCH is built upon the firm foundation of Jesus and His teaching.
Keep that in mind as you say goodbye to one preacher and eventually welcome a new one. Ryan Goodwin does not make or break the church of Christ. You don’t either. We get to be a part of it. We get to be citizens of it. Children adopted into it. Members of the body, whose head is Christ.
Thanks for all the memories, East Shelby. Keep up the hard work. May God bless you in the next chapter, and in many pages of history beyond that.
Jesus is coming.
Lord, come quickly.
