Change

How is everyone doing. I have been away from this blog page for a while. We were running everything through our web site, however we have changed. The Coop is now back to 2 separate charges. Tina and I are still at the Chesterhill/Pisgah Charge and Pastor Rick Bennington is at the Stockport/Oakland Charge. The official date for the change will be 06-30-2009 but we have started to tidy things up before that date. Tina and I will still be working with Stockport/Oakland to a point as we can still learn and grow with time spent with Pastor Rick. I will also cover for Pastor Rick while Tina and I both are here at Chesterhill/Pisgah when Rick takes a vacation or is out for any other reason. This way when I am ready to stand before the PPRC body for recommendation to go forward to the District Committee of Ordained Ministry, this way I stay fresh in their minds and they know who I am and what my theology and preaching is about.
I look forward to keeping this blog updated and hopefully relevant. There are a few prayer request at this time are the following:

1. Rocky Y & Family
   
2. The Churches
3. Pastors
4. My Job
   
5. Dorthy C
6. The Country & it's Leaders
7. Those Hospitalized, Nursing Home, Assisted Living Shut Ins
8. Annual Conference June 7th-11th 2009
9. Project Hope Event last 3 Sundays of September 13th, 20th & 27
10. The Lost, Wounded, Battered and Bruised

AMEN

In Mercy, Grace & Peace
Pastor Gary

Thank God I Remember You

Well. I suppose most children, parents and teachers are saying, “Here we go again, another school year.” Everyone has memories of past school years and events but now those same persons are looking to something new. I have been praying in my daily meditation time for these children, their parents and teachers. One day as I was doing so a Scripture came to mind. It was what the Apostle Paul said to the Philippians. Paul says in Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” I don’t believe Paul could ever calculate how often he thought of and prayed for the Philippian Christians. I began to think of the parents or guardians of a child beginning school for the first time or a child moving up a grade and the child being in a new environment. Can you imagine those parents or guardians not thinking of their child, not wondering how their child is getting along?When a husband and or a wife must go on a trip and leave their spouse, if they love each other, they think of one another often. If you or I have a loved one in the hospital, we think of that one all the time.Do we in the fellowship of our churches, think like that of one another? “I thank God every time I remember you.” How constantly and intimately love thinks of those loved. Paul says, “I have you in my heart.” Everywhere I go, I carry you around with me, as I think of you, your needs, your successes, and your work. What a wonderful love this was!
Perhaps I can illustrate such a love in this way: when a man is engaged to be married, he thinks often of the girl he loves and he always carries a picture of her in his wallet. Even after he is married, a man will carry with him a photograph of his wife even though it may have been taken many years ago and you would hardly recognize her as the woman who is now his wife. But he carries her picture in his wallet and memories of her in his heart.“I have you in my heart.” If only you and I, through Jesus Christ, could broaden this kind of warmth of fellowship and disciple making, what a difference it would make! “I have you in my heart….every remembrance of you.” What warmth and affection and love there was–between Paul and the Philippian Christians and between the Philippian Christians and Paul.Such a love should characterize the fellowship we have with and for one another. AMEN?
See you soonLove and Prayers-Rick and Nancy

Heaven, Right now on Earth

Good Evening,
Saturday I went to a meeting where I didn’t know very many ladies. I am always so amazed at how God has created his children to be so loving and warm.
I received hugs from new sisters in Christ and their was such encouragement.
I wondered what would Heaven be like? If we could show each other that much love here on earth, how much better would it be in Heaven?
I don’t know about you, but just feeling all that love made me feel so much better and revived me. I want to make sure everyone I come in contact with knows of God and of his great love for all of us.
Sometimes, people forget that pastors are human, we get discouraged and sometimes we wonder if we are even making a difference. Thats when our Father puts others in our path to show us love and comfort.
We do make a difference, all of us, not just pastors but all of Gods children can make such a very big difference in someones life.
Thank you Father for your wonderful love and thank you brothers and sisters for listening to Gods call.
Grace, Peace and Love,
Pastor Tina

Keeping up with the Jones'

Have you heard any of the controversies coming out of the China Olympic Games? One is that the fire works during the opening ceremonies were fake or rather taped and not live. Another, is the ages of the Chinese women’s gymnastic team. Needing to be 16 within the year of the games they are participating in. But there was one girl that just 3 or 4 months ago was listed within the government run news organization, that said she was 13 years of age. But now they say she is 15 (but will be 16 this year) based on the government issued passport.
But the one I wish to focus on, is the little girl that sung during the opening ceremonies. Didn’t she sound wonderful and was she not the cutest little girl. A true China doll I would even say. But did you know that it was not her voice we were hearing. You see the other little girl that we heard with that marvelous voice, was not in the Chinese Government minds, pretty enough to be televised around the world. So they found a better looking little girl to be the “FACE OF CHINA”. Were you upset, or are you now! I know I was,and I still am but not just for the reason you are thinking. You see this brings to the forefront what we do every day, does it not?
Come on, you know what I am talking about. How we have our airwaves saturated with the images of the perfect face, hair, legs, abs or just the perfect body. We wonder why our daughters become anorexic and our sons use all of the shortcuts of supplements and even steroids to get the perfect body. Some will even become addicted to cosmetic surgeries, because you know our nose is just a little too big and then after that we notice that our cheek bones are either too high or too low. Oh my, would you look at how loose the skin is around the jaw line, if I could just get that firmed up.
Brothers and sister let me just remind you that, you are wonderfully and fearfully made by the Creator. He does not make mistakes or boo boos, you are perfect in His eyes and you see that perfection you look at every day when you look in the mirror and when we look and all of His creations.
You see when we think the way the world wants us to think, then everybody looks better then us and everything they have is better than ours. Then we are continually trying to keep up with Jones’ and we are never satisfied with what we have been bless with. It is time we become thankful for the things we have, our homes, our cars and how about our families. There are many around this world that would be eternally thankful for what we just throw away because it isn’t the newest, or the latest or greatest.
It is time we are thankful for what we have, our looks and our possessions, thanking God the Father, god the Son and God the Holy Spirit for everything. Then join Jesus in the mission fields throughout our communities.
In the Mercy, Grace, Love and Peace of Jesus Christ,
Gary

New Vision Cooperative Ministries: Jamboree in the Hills

New Vision Cooperative Ministries: Jamboree in the Hills