The Tallowood Times
The Tallowood Times is a bi-monthly communication tool that supplies valuable information to members and guests about Tallowood and her ministries. The information ranges from ministry opportunities, to training information, to concerts and statistical data on the life of the church.
Times Article from the Pastor
Dear Community of Joy,
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” This past Sunday was a day of great rejoicing for me and my family. We are so grateful for the ten years God has allowed us to serve with you. Thank you for being a life-giving congregation for me and my family. Everywhere I go, every chance I get, I tell people about what a wonderful congregation you are. Our lives are so good because of God’s goodness to us in bringing us here. Melanie continues to enjoy working with the Heart Light Middle School choir as accompanist, as director of our mentoring program at Memorial Middle School, and as a seventh grade girls Sunday School teacher. Thank you for allowing her to find her places to serve. Her happiness here has greatly contributed to my own happiness here. Many of you have remarked about the physical growth of our sons over these ten years. It is hard to imagine that the little boys who came here have become such great young men. But even more than their physical growth, I want to thank you for your contributions to their spiritual growth. You have loved and taught and nurtured our boys so that they have grown in their love for the Lord and His church. We look forward to seeing what God will do in all of our lives as we serve Him together at Tallowood.
As we move together into the future, I would like to lead our congregation in a five year plan to dream about our near future together. Over these years we have given a lot of time and energy to expansion of our facilities and accommodation of our growth. This part of our ministry is coming to a glorious crescendo in the opening of all of our new buildings this year. At the same time, we have planted and facilitated the planting of a number of congregations. This is a good time to ask the question together, “Who will we be in the years to come?” During this time, we will need to hear from you about how we can best minister to you and empower you to do the work of ministry in our community. For this reason, I want to meet with various Sunday School groups to hear your hearts about the years to come.
Thank you also for your patience with us as we have prayerfully envisioned a future schedule of services for Tallowood. We are not unaware of the sensitivities involved. The staff tried hard to listen to you and to the Spirit as we proposed the schedule. Our new facilities allow us to have fewer services and accommodate all of our worshippers. Every schedule we considered involved moving hundreds of people. I am especially grateful to our 9:30 worshipers in the sanctuary. You have flexed with us in allowing me to preach early in your service. For your patience and kindness, I am grateful. Let me offer one more encouragement to this very special group of people. We will help you in any way we can to rearrange Sunday School classes to facilitate your continued worship in the beautiful choral format we will offer at 8 and 11:00. Our particular concern is to provide excellent pre-school, children’s and student ministries to our worshipers in these two services. I firmly believe if all who love traditional worship will make the shift to 8 or 11, the numbers in the 9:30 Sunday School will be greatly strengthened offering excellent opportunities. Many of our best teachers serve in those hours and they look forward to welcoming the children and students who transfer into that hour. Meanwhile, we are quickly building a vibrant new young married adult Bible study in that hour to facilitate community for the new couples who have joined our 11:00 worship.
One of my favorite verses in these days is I John 3:2, “It does not yet appear what we shall be.” We envision two dynamic Sunday Schools and three dynamic worship services on Sunday morning with equally strong Bible Study and worship on Saturday night. For the next six months we will be working hard to recruit the workers to strengthen the leadership in all of these services. Please pray with us about how God might use all of us to make his plan for Tallowood a reality.
We love loving you!
Duane
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