CWW's 'New' Sign in the SpringEight years ago on October the 3rd we arrived in Lake Wildwood with a u-haul pulling a station wagon. The group that assembled to unload us would have been a great advertisement for AARP. Not one of them was under 65. Some were in their late 70's. I learned real quick that these folks were hard workers & young for their respective ages. The thrill of standing in that pulpit that first Sunday of October 2000 was amazing! We had around 50 folks that comprised our Sunday Morning crowd. Man did I have plans to explode that church & become the next mega church in Macon. My philosophy was a blend of Willow Creek & Saddleback - 'Willowback' if you will. Well, it's eight years later & the only thing that's been exploded is my vision & I have realized that I am a Mega Mess. We grew to a high of a 125 average and a low of around 40 average. Of the original congregation that was here when I came, I can count on one hand those that are left.
We're pushing 100 again & I must say that we probably have the most diverse & interesting congregation that you could imagine. My pulpit philosophy has done a complete 180 along with much of my theology in the past 8 years. Now I delight in expository preaching every week. It is much harder work on one hand & easier on the other.
I love the study, sermon developing, service construction & the preaching. I enjoy the fellowship with my people & especially being able to help them in times of need. The rest of ministry I do not enjoy very much. I see the need for solid administration but doing it daily is one of the most joy sucking parts of my day. Some days are entirely dedicated to this task & frankly, I'd rather eat ground glass. God has given me many people with the gift of administration & I do delegate as much of those tasks as possible but I have discovered that even that delegating needs administration!
Well, now I'm rambling. I don't know what the next 8 years at Wildwood will bring. If its anything like the first 8 then I don't want to know. The glasses I wear today have almost no rose color left in the lenses. I've tasted the ugliness of sin & the trauma of body life but I've also experienced changed lives & the power of the Gospel to mold unlikely candidates into the express image of Christ. And because of that last part...I'll gladly renew my contract.
2 comments:
Please keep keeping on! We so much appreciate your faithfulness to God's Holy Word. We are glad you are our Pastor and friend!
With much love & prayers,
The Creath Family
Dear Son and gift from GOD, Do not think for one moment that every heartache and joy you experience in your service to HIM is not deeply felt in the very heart and soul of my being. It was my very deep prayers for a son, and him to serve GOD, before you were even formed and when Drs gave me no hope to bear a child and adoption as my only option that helped in GODS great plan for your life. Rejoice and be glad for everything the good the bad and the ugly. I have found some of the greatest good in my spiritual life has been formed from the greatest grief. I got it figured like this: GOD is good all the time and the devil is bad all the time. GOD is never the author or bad but how wonderful that HE promises to make good out of all of the bad in the life of HIS own. During this month of Pastor Appreciation I want to thank you and GOD for your pastoring and being GODS man, for your great love for your Savior, Wife, Children, CWW, and extended family. Love Your greatful, Mom
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