Dear Family,
As we sit on the precipice of a new church year—let’s celebrate some of the ways we’ve experienced the sweetness of God’s grace in the year past.
· We got the Manuel Family—Paul, Heather, Emily, Eli & Ellie all made SRPC a richer place
· The Dean Smith Christmas Eve video
· George Robertson and the summer conference
· The expression of joy that exploded from Kane Vassallo at his baptism
· The return of Rayburn Greene
· Great summer interns
· A beautiful new preschool & playgrounds
· Steve Saint’s preaching during Global Outreach Month
· Celebrating Ken Wackes
· Seven weeks of the sheer joy of Camp Seven Rivers
· Luke Steel eating 18 Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the Family Mission Trip
· Project Beautiful
· The indefatigable Disaster Relief Team
· SRCS growth (from 320 to 460 in two years!)
· The middle school Edge Camp—where a number of students made commitments to follow Jesus
· Getting to have the Beilmans for six months
· The New Horizons VBS
· The Bruised Reed sermon series
· The Paul Tripp marriage conference
It was a great year at SRPC!
· We will kick off the new church year on the weekend of August 23/24 beginning a new sermon series entitled Modern Family—The Gospel of the Church and with a party on the lawn following each worship service. We’ll serve dinner/lunch, have a bounce house for the kids (and seniors), open up the new playground, and have tours of the new preschool!
· The new Pastor’s Class begins on September 3. Is there someone you can bring? Last weekend Brandon read these welcoming words our sister church posts on its website. Someone wrote in after the sermon asking—does SRPC feel this way too? With a Father who runs down the road to welcome a wretched son home, how could we aspire to anything less? Bringing someone to church and to Pastor’s Class is a great way to walk them into the family of God!
· Financial Peace University. The first class begins Wednesday, August 27 at 6:30. Details and registration here.
· Under the heading of “Too Cute:”
ðSRCS Video "We're Going to Be Friends"
ðThe return of Austin Roth from Afghanistan. Austin grew up at SRPC/SRCS, married his high school sweetheart Julie Green, is a helicopter pilot in the Army and has three children. The latest was born while he was deployed. Austin just returned recently to his family and this greeting.
· Under the heading of “This Makes Me Sad:” Emily Pullen who has worked in our school, student ministry, and most prominently in our Children’s ministry and Camp Seven Rivers has taken a new job in Auburn, Alabama. At SRPC, we love Emily and can’t wait to watch her enrich lives in Alabama like she has here!
· Two brief articles worth your time: 4 Things Jesus Didn’t Die For & The Case for Eating Compassionately
· This weekend is my 35th wedding anniversary (how is that possible when we are still so young) and I’ll be celebrating it with you in worship. I’ll be preaching on the bride of Christ—the church He loves and died for. It’s the ultimate love story. Hope to share the romance with you.
Love,
Ray
July 17, 2014
Dear Family,
Summer Conference was great...probably our best attended ever. The music was rich, the community was sweet and the preaching was powerful and healing. CD sets of all the messages from Habakkuk will be available in the bookstore. If you want to listen to just one let me recommend Tuesday night's entitled, “You Are (Not) Special – Part 2.” Listen to it here and stay tuned in for the final illustration – it had me in tears (a feat not easily accomplished!)
• Here’s a powerful and compelling quote from George Robertson’s Tuesday night message.
• George recommended learning the shorter catechism definition of God: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
• Please pray for Don and Barbara Hall. Don’s 30-year-old daughter, Hope, died tragically on Monday. Her memorial service will be tomorrow at Brown Funeral Home. Receiving line is from 10-11 am with the service to immediately follow. Ask God to comfort them in the midst of their awful heartbreak.
• This weekend, I’ll be preaching on Adoption in our #DOCTRINE – What Christians Believe series. After each service, we’ll ask all members to stay for our annual congregation and corporate meeting to elect elders and deacons.
It’ll be great to worship together again this weekend. I’ll see you at the party!
Ray
