Thanks, Pete! Thanks, Elders!

One of the greatest joys of being the Sr Pastor here at Grace Church is being able to serve Jesus with such an amazing group of Elders as we have here at Grace. Recently our Elders had a very special anointing service for an individual in our church who is going through major treatments for lymphoma. Here is what I wrote to the Elders following that special evening:

"Let me start by saying how much I appreciated your involvement in our anointing service last Thursday. What a special time that was. I have to admit, that during the time in which we were laying our hands on and praying for him and his family, I was mesmerized by looking around at you as Elders, many of you on your knees before this couple. As I watched you and listened to you pray, my heart was rejoicing at how blessed I am to be able to have an Elder Board like you. Thank you for your ministry to this family, to our church, and to me!"

Over the summer, one of our long-time Elders, Peter McCracken, had his last meeting with us as Elders as we gathered with our wives for a special time of fellowship and celebration. Above is a picture of me giving Peter a special plaque in honor of his many years of service to Grace Church (the best part of the picture is that you can really see how much weight I have lost lately...about 20 pounds so far). His son, Mike McCracken, who is also our Mission Team leader here at Grace, has taken Pete's place in leadership on our Elder Board.

Thanks, Pete! Thanks, Elders! You guys are the best!