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How quickly a year can come and go. It hardly seems possible that one year ago this Sunday we were celebrating the grand opening of our new church building – a day that marked the culmination of many years of praying, working and giving. And yet on the other hand, Grand Opening Sunday a year ago seems in many ways like it was a decade ago. I guess that is because our new building and location have begun to feel so much like home, it’s difficult to remember life apart from it.
For a while I was like a fish out of water, feeling like the guest preacher in someone else’s church. Oh, the faces were the same, but the building was so… different! Of course, it eventually began to feel like home. But it wasn’t the first service or the first baptism or the first Christmas that made it feel that way. I think for me personally, the new building finally felt like home when we celebrated Communion for the first time in the new worship center. After taking the Lord’s Supper together, we joined hands in an unbroken circle around the sanctuary – our sanctuary – and sang that old song, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds.” At that moment, I was home.
And now we look back and celebrate what has truly been the greatest year in the thirty one year history of Graceway Baptist Church. We not only celebrate one year in our new home, but all that God has done in that one year including the salvation of at least 54 souls in our services; 23 baptized; and a total of 119 new members! No wonder we look around and marvel at how quickly the new church is filling up! In addition, we’ve seen in that same year over $704,000 – nearly three quarters of a million dollars – given to God through the ministry of this church.
Kind of makes you look forward to next year.
In the meantime, please pray for our good friends at Life Fellowship Church, the church that occupies our old building, as they search for a new pastor.
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