THANKS TO ALL

Thanks to all who expressed yourself by the survey forms and all who attended the all-church meeting in order to discuss the hiring of a Youth and Family Minister. First, we plan to go forward with matters that need to be done. Second, we (the church) need to get the weekly offering up to about $3000. Third, we will work on the specifics such as job description, salary and housing. Fourth, we will be making necessary contacts for someone suitable for the work. Fifth, perhaps by the middle of next year we will have found someone for the work. Let me encourage all to believe and pray that we can find the right family to work with us.

DUGDALE

Years ago a study was made concerning how good families seem to pass on their goodness and evil families seem to pass on that which is not good. I found that research and I will share it with you. Richard Dugdale did some family research in 1870. It started by his interest in a certain family who had six members in prison. Dugdale asked himself the question, “What difference does a family make?” He discovered that the six members came from a family in New York state with a long- line of criminal activity. Dugdale went back in his study to about 1700 and did research on 709 family members and found 180 were paupers, 140 were criminals, 60 were habitual thieves and 50 were common prostitutes.

WINSHIP

A few years after Richard Dugdale’s study, A. E. Winship did a similar work on another family. The family was that of Jonathan Edwards who was born in 1703. Edwards had a large family. He was a great preacher and also president of Princeton. Winship’s research that was done in about 1900, resulted in the following information about the descendents of Jonathan Edwards: 13 college presidents, 65 professors, 100 lawyers, 30 judges, 66 doctors, 80 holders of public office. May we all ask ourselves the question, “What difference does a family make?” Let me challenge every husband and father in the church to lead your family in the right way. Let’s read and heed Joshua 24:15.

EXAMPLE

Perhaps fathers will never know what a good example means to a child. In years past somebody wrote the words:

He swung on the gate and looked down the street
Awaiting the sound of familiar feet;
Then suddenly came to the sweet child’s eyes
The marvelous glory of morning skies;
For a manly form, with a steady stride,
Drew near to the gate that opened wide,
As the boy sprang forward and joyfully cried,
“Papa’s coming!”

WORSHIP

Worship is an important word. In talking about Abraham and Isaac, the Bible states “And Abraham said to his young man, stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship; and we will come back to you” (Gen. 22:5). For Christian people, Sunday is the time to worship, pray, preach, commune, give and praise the Lord. Come with a Bible in your hand and a spring in your step and a smile on your face. I’ll look for you.

-Pat Casey