Sunday, July 01, 2012

Thanks Osceola Grace Brethren Church


This past weekend our family travelled to the Indianapolis area for a wedding.  We lived in Indiana for 9 years early in our ministry life and being back in the Hoosier State left me with three impressions.

First, I sure wish I had a penny for every stalk of corn I passed this weekend in Indiana!  I stopped counting at 6,385,328,900,378,290,043,020,001.

Second, when I got out of the car to pump gas in northern Indiana and got hit face first with the 103 temp with horrid humidity, I was overwhelmed with gladness that today I live in northern Michigan where summer is - PERFECT!

Third, and most importantly, I was filled with thanksgiving for the ministry experience I had at the Osceola Grace Brethren Church (OGBC) in Osceola, IN.  One morning this weekend and while the family was getting ready I drove over and just sat in the parking lot of OGBC.  As I sat there I was filled with great memories from this special church which was the church where I first served as a Senior Pastor.

I remembered the yearly Touchpoint Weekends where we touched hundreds of people in our community!

I remembered Vacation Bible Schools where up to 500 children would attend each summer!

I remembered the weekly AWANA programs!

I remembered the "Price Down" days we would do each Palm Sunday weekend at the local gas station where we would lower gas 25 cents a gallon and the church would pay the difference as we pumped the gas and invited people to Easter!

I remembered our building the educational wing of the church that we called the Judean Training Center!

I remembered the Spanish speaking ministry we started!

I remembered the FM Christian Radio station that we installed in Cambodia in partnership with HCJB radio!

I remembered the many walks I took in the back wooded property where I usually spent my one-on-one time with God!

Best of all, I remembered the many names and faces of people who trusted Christ!

I was fortunate to have such a great Senior Pastorate experience!  Thanks OGBC!

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