Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Memories and Mergers

This past Sunday was our last church service at VBC. This coming Sunday is our inaugural service as a combined church. We have merged with another church and are moving into their building. This is a very exciting time! We have been praying about this possibility for months and seeking God's will. We have seen His hand in it. There are a lot of special things planned for our first service.
Sunday evening we had a special time of remembering and praising God for our years in the VBC building. It was neat hearing people share different memories. Several times I found tears coursing down my cheeks as I remembered along with them. I wanted to speak up and share memories, but I couldn't pick just one or two. That church was my home for the majority of my life. We lived in the parsonage, 15 feet away. Everyday I would wake up and look out my bedroom window and see the church. When I was a little girl I had my own personal skating rink in the fellowship hall. When I was a teenager and I slept in a little too long, my Sunday School class would come over and wake me up. When we had a huge storm and we lost power our family camped out in Dad's office for days, where the only source of heat was. I have many memories of youthgroup overnighters, Christmas programs, volleyball games, tree climbing. . . My bridal shower and baby showers were there. I remember the excitement I felt when we brought our babies there for their first Sundays in church. I have ministered there with my family, with my husband, with my friends. I have been greatly ministered to by so many people. They really are my family. I have so many "aunts", "uncles", "grandparents", "brothers", "sisters". So many people have mentored, discipled, taught me, both intentionally and without even knowing about it. I have learned from so many Godly examples. Of course I have had sound Biblical preaching by my Dad and husband and others. I have felt so much love and support. Our lives are intertwined. I am so thankful for my church family! I am so thankful that my church extends way beyond the building and is really the people. I am thankful that we get to all move together and add new people to our family!
I feel like there is so much more I should say, but my memories are coming in waves. . .

3 comments:

Wendy said...

oh the memories!!! hmmm lets see....how about homemade perfume msde out of the smelly TP roll holders...Or in Children's Church which is now the Library when my grandparents were the teachers and david Livingston having to sit on my grampas lap to behave while gramma taught! and a funny one to me is not in the church but in the parsonage...when I would stay the nite on a saturday and your dad (hehehehehe) would wake us up by singing in the shower!!! Love all those days and I am sooo bummed I wasn;t able to make it there! I just know that my last time or service was my dads funneral~ and I have it on DVD, it still is all tooo weird that when I come home i won't be in my little church any more! but i know that our awesome God is in controll~ Love you! Happy NEW YEAR~
Your old partner in Crime
Wendy

momaof4 said...

I will be praying for a smooth transition for all. What excitement for the new year.

Love you.

Anonymous said...

oh i see...so what happens to the building now?