Merry Christmas to you all. Not many times do we have Christmas on Sunday but today is one of those times. I know the kids are excited today with the opening of gifts and I hope that we as adults are excited about celebrating the Birth of our Savior. Jesus is the reason for Christmas. There would not be gift giving if God had not given to us His Son. We need to keep the Spiritual part of Christmas alive with Thanksgiving and Praise to our Lord. Having Christmas on Sunday seems to mess up some people’s Christmas but think about it; Why do we have Christmas anyway? Don’t lose the meaning and message of Christmas because it is on Sunday. Sundays are our day of worship and we worship because of the gift of life God has given us in Christ. Family and friends are important, but Christ is the most important thing today. We should worship him.
Thank you for a special day last Sunday. It will always be memorable for me. The meal was wonderful and I will miss those meals, but the Love you’ve shown is what will stick with me. The watch is a cherished gift especially with the inscription. The tie Courtney had made with the picture of the Church on it will always be a part of me. The cards, gifts, and the personal words are priceless. I wanted to see and talk to each member personally and thank them for all they have done for me and what they mean to me, but time has not allowed that to happen. Thanks to Greta Burke for coming back and singing for me my favorite song, “He Is An On Time God” Wednesday night.
Know that I love you and am proud to have been your pastor and proud to have served here 20 years. Remember the next Pastor will need your Love and support which you gave to me. Here is a word of caution, be patient in the search for a new pastor. This just does not happen overnight. The Leadership is trying to do all they can for you. They haven’t had to do this for 20 years and some have never had to do this. Work with them not against them. God has a pastor for New Bethel. He is an on-time God.
I Love You Church. Thank you. Keep the Faith. Support the Church. They need you and you need them.
Pastor Tommy
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Weekly Message from Pastor Tommy-12/18/11
Today I am writing my last article as your Pastor and I do it with mixed emotions. There are times that I enjoy writing these articles because I have something to share with you that I think is necessary and helpful. Brenda has to wait on me to email her these articles before she can finish the bulletin. Sometimes I get it to her on Thursdays, but most of the time its Friday before I do it. I am thankful for her and her patience over the years with me not only with these articles but with many things in the ministry. She has been more than a church secretary keeping up with my doctor’s appointments and many, many other things that were not church related. Thank you Brenda. Now who am I going to depend upon. I guess I should have thought of that!
Church I love you and thank you for all that you have done for me in my 20 plus years as pastor here. Many emotions are running through my heart at this time. Many memories come to mind also. Families, faces, friendships, and fun times are in my thoughts today. Births, marriages, funerals, ballgames, trips, choir practices are things that made the ministry so beautiful for me. Thank you for today and what you are doing for me. To say that I am excited but sad is an understatement. Most pastors leave when there are problems in the Church or just before the church runs them off. I thank the Lord that I do not have to leave and you do not want to run me off. I am leaving on great terms and can come back anytime without fear of facing a problem or pain. We have seen God do some mighty miracles here and I am sure there are more miracles to come. I am leaving because I know God is leading me in a new ministry. I have not quit the ministry but am traveling down a new path with the Lord. Over the years my strengths have been in times of adversity, difficult times, and dealing with life’s troubles. I have tried to make my ministry one of being there when you needed me. I can say I have fulfilled that to the best of my calling. We have gone down many roads together and I don’t regret them. I do wish I could have done more at times. I try to love everybody the same and treat each one special because you are special.
Pray for me and I will pray for you. Support one another and you will be fine. Work with your leadership. Keep the Faith.
Pastor Tommy
Church I love you and thank you for all that you have done for me in my 20 plus years as pastor here. Many emotions are running through my heart at this time. Many memories come to mind also. Families, faces, friendships, and fun times are in my thoughts today. Births, marriages, funerals, ballgames, trips, choir practices are things that made the ministry so beautiful for me. Thank you for today and what you are doing for me. To say that I am excited but sad is an understatement. Most pastors leave when there are problems in the Church or just before the church runs them off. I thank the Lord that I do not have to leave and you do not want to run me off. I am leaving on great terms and can come back anytime without fear of facing a problem or pain. We have seen God do some mighty miracles here and I am sure there are more miracles to come. I am leaving because I know God is leading me in a new ministry. I have not quit the ministry but am traveling down a new path with the Lord. Over the years my strengths have been in times of adversity, difficult times, and dealing with life’s troubles. I have tried to make my ministry one of being there when you needed me. I can say I have fulfilled that to the best of my calling. We have gone down many roads together and I don’t regret them. I do wish I could have done more at times. I try to love everybody the same and treat each one special because you are special.
Pray for me and I will pray for you. Support one another and you will be fine. Work with your leadership. Keep the Faith.
Pastor Tommy
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Weekly Message from Pastor Tommy - 12/11/11
December 11, 2011
Time is going by so quickly for me and I am sure for you too. The Christmas season is upon us. Before we turn around a few times Christmas day will be here. I haven’t done all my shopping yet either. I am looking for those great bargains but they seem to be things that I don’t need. Now about the time going by so quickly I’m really referring to the time I have left here. Wednesday night was a special time for me. The first part of the service talking about Jesus and who He is was wonderful. All the input from you was powerful. I wish that we had a way to list all that you said because that seemed to be the highlight of the service. It is hard to describe Jesus, but you did a great job. I love how the Living Bible translation put it, “Thank God for his Son-his Gift too wonderful for words.” Our language does not have the vocabulary to justify who Jesus is. With all the names in the Bible as to who He is we fall short with our words.
I am taking a lot of training on my New Ministry. It is an exciting time for me but a scary time because pastoring is all that I have done in the past 30 years. I know I will enjoy it and I will miss the Church work. Now if you have anything you want from me before the 18th make sure you tell me or get word to me.
The Leadership is on the ball of getting things done with the remodeling and the new kitchen. I sure they will share some things with you today as to what they are doing. Be patience with them as they are working to do what is best for the Church and for you. They are working hard to start the New Year off with excitement and joy. Remember who you are serving, The Lord and not Pastor Tommy. God will also be there for you and the ministry will continue without me. I am honored to have all the Love shown to me in these past few weeks. I know for some it has been a shock and seems like a setback, but the Lord will see you through. It is a time to draw closer together and do the work of the Lord. Support one another and you will be fine. Keep the Faith.
Pastor Tommy
Time is going by so quickly for me and I am sure for you too. The Christmas season is upon us. Before we turn around a few times Christmas day will be here. I haven’t done all my shopping yet either. I am looking for those great bargains but they seem to be things that I don’t need. Now about the time going by so quickly I’m really referring to the time I have left here. Wednesday night was a special time for me. The first part of the service talking about Jesus and who He is was wonderful. All the input from you was powerful. I wish that we had a way to list all that you said because that seemed to be the highlight of the service. It is hard to describe Jesus, but you did a great job. I love how the Living Bible translation put it, “Thank God for his Son-his Gift too wonderful for words.” Our language does not have the vocabulary to justify who Jesus is. With all the names in the Bible as to who He is we fall short with our words.
I am taking a lot of training on my New Ministry. It is an exciting time for me but a scary time because pastoring is all that I have done in the past 30 years. I know I will enjoy it and I will miss the Church work. Now if you have anything you want from me before the 18th make sure you tell me or get word to me.
The Leadership is on the ball of getting things done with the remodeling and the new kitchen. I sure they will share some things with you today as to what they are doing. Be patience with them as they are working to do what is best for the Church and for you. They are working hard to start the New Year off with excitement and joy. Remember who you are serving, The Lord and not Pastor Tommy. God will also be there for you and the ministry will continue without me. I am honored to have all the Love shown to me in these past few weeks. I know for some it has been a shock and seems like a setback, but the Lord will see you through. It is a time to draw closer together and do the work of the Lord. Support one another and you will be fine. Keep the Faith.
Pastor Tommy
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Weekly Message from Pastor Tommy
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. I enjoyed my Thanksgiving week. All week was great for me being with family and friends. I was able to go and be with my mother and family. It is always a special time with family, but it seems to be even more special time at Thanksgiving. There were times when ballgames, hunting, and other things were on the agenda instead of a meal and family. The older I get, God’s blessings seem to be at the front. Children need to know that Thanksgiving is a time of faith and not just fun and food. When we research the meaning of Thanksgiving we see that praising God was at the beginning. People took time to thank the Lord for all He had done and all that He was doing. Without God we have nothing and are nothing. This is a time to call our nation to focus on God. America is so blessed and we are blessed. Just think back to all that you had this past Thanksgiving. The world as a whole doesn’t enjoy all that we have. America, God has shined his light upon her. Thank you Lord for loving me and giving me things that I don’t deserve; you truly are gracious.
Thank you Tim and Pam for heading up our Thanksgiving meal. We had plenty of food and the fellowship was wonderful. I don’t know when I enjoyed a better meal than this one. They say your last one is the most memorable and I would have to agree. This was my 21st Thanksgiving meal here at New Bethel and the one that will stay with me. Not to have a kitchen and water I think things went very well. The crowd was great too. This is a tradition that needs to be part of New Bethel ministry for years to come. There are some things that need to be done away with, but not this one. The Church is going through a lot of changes and a lot of changes are yet to come. The main thing is to find God’s will and follow it. You have great leadership: Listen and follow them. Miracles are still on the way for New Bethel Church. I am just glad that I have had a small part in it. Keep the Faith: God is still on the Throne.
Pastor Tommy
Thank you Tim and Pam for heading up our Thanksgiving meal. We had plenty of food and the fellowship was wonderful. I don’t know when I enjoyed a better meal than this one. They say your last one is the most memorable and I would have to agree. This was my 21st Thanksgiving meal here at New Bethel and the one that will stay with me. Not to have a kitchen and water I think things went very well. The crowd was great too. This is a tradition that needs to be part of New Bethel ministry for years to come. There are some things that need to be done away with, but not this one. The Church is going through a lot of changes and a lot of changes are yet to come. The main thing is to find God’s will and follow it. You have great leadership: Listen and follow them. Miracles are still on the way for New Bethel Church. I am just glad that I have had a small part in it. Keep the Faith: God is still on the Throne.
Pastor Tommy
Monday, November 21, 2011
Pastor's Weekly Message - 11/20/11
November 20, 2011
Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving as a Church family. I am so thankful for the Leadership of our Church for having this special day even though we are not in the worship center and do not have a kitchen to cook in. Tim and Pam, thank you so much for your part in the planning, and Judy for the decorating. Some people would not be rejoicing because of having the meal and the service in the same room, but I am. There have been a lot of things we have had to adjust to in the last several weeks because of the fire. Don’t forget to thank the Lord for what we do have. We are a blessed people. Look around at the things we have here in this building: Friends, family, and faith. What more could we ask for? The worship center has been painted and that is a praise. We were told this week again that by Christmas day we should have a service in our updated worship center with new paint, new carpet, new pad pews, new ceiling, new sound equipment, and much much more. We are blessed!
My Big Praise is 20 years ago I became the Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church. I did not know what the journey would be and here we are 20 years later celebrating Thanksgiving together. As I am typing this article my mind goes through some wonderful memories which the Lord has allowed us to enjoy together. The fire reminded me just how quickly it all can be gone and it will be one day. I am proud of the things that the Lord has accomplished through my ministry here. I have failed to tell some of you what you have meant to me but each family has a special place in my heart. The births of all the babies, the marriages, the celebration of answered prayers, the outreach in the communities, the wonderful funerals where you just felt the presence and power of God, to hospital visits and so much more. I am thankful I was the one God chose to be part of this. Miracles after miracles have taken place here and we were a part of them. Church, let’s just Praise the Lord. Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without thanks. Thank you Lord and Thank you New Bethel Baptist Church.
Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving as a Church family. I am so thankful for the Leadership of our Church for having this special day even though we are not in the worship center and do not have a kitchen to cook in. Tim and Pam, thank you so much for your part in the planning, and Judy for the decorating. Some people would not be rejoicing because of having the meal and the service in the same room, but I am. There have been a lot of things we have had to adjust to in the last several weeks because of the fire. Don’t forget to thank the Lord for what we do have. We are a blessed people. Look around at the things we have here in this building: Friends, family, and faith. What more could we ask for? The worship center has been painted and that is a praise. We were told this week again that by Christmas day we should have a service in our updated worship center with new paint, new carpet, new pad pews, new ceiling, new sound equipment, and much much more. We are blessed!
My Big Praise is 20 years ago I became the Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church. I did not know what the journey would be and here we are 20 years later celebrating Thanksgiving together. As I am typing this article my mind goes through some wonderful memories which the Lord has allowed us to enjoy together. The fire reminded me just how quickly it all can be gone and it will be one day. I am proud of the things that the Lord has accomplished through my ministry here. I have failed to tell some of you what you have meant to me but each family has a special place in my heart. The births of all the babies, the marriages, the celebration of answered prayers, the outreach in the communities, the wonderful funerals where you just felt the presence and power of God, to hospital visits and so much more. I am thankful I was the one God chose to be part of this. Miracles after miracles have taken place here and we were a part of them. Church, let’s just Praise the Lord. Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without thanks. Thank you Lord and Thank you New Bethel Baptist Church.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Pastor's Weekly Message - 11/13/11
November 13, 2011
We are seeing some progress on the Church buildings. The ceiling in the worship center is now removed. All the downstairs rooms are gutted. By that I mean all that’s left standing are the 2x4’s. The sheetrock, paneling, ceiling, wiring, and carpet have are all removed along with the contents. In the upstairs they have built back the floors which were burned. Brenda’s office and my office still lack a lot of work.
As most of you know by now the church voted to build a kitchen between the old fellowship building and the new fellowship building, which is on the side where we park the bus. It is going to cost somewhere around $10,000. Praise needs to be given here because someone came forward and offered to loan the church the money at no interest for the next two years plus pay the loan off at the bank, which was less than $10,000, and let us have that free of interest too.
God is so good to us. When I begin to see how he has worked though this fire I have to say Praise the Lord. Miracle after miracle has come through for us as a church. We now have classes for all the Sunday school classes and Wednesday night classes. We are almost back to doing things like they need to be done. We still have to have the Porta-Potties: Hope that will change soon.
Let me remind you that we are taking care of some families for Thanksgiving with a full meal and all the trimmings. A lot of you have already given food for this project, but there is more to do. If you don’t want to bring canned goods you can donate some money for this project. Speaking of Thanksgiving, we are going to have our Thanksgiving meal next Sunday with the deacons and myself fixing the meal and we want everyone to come. This is a way to thank the church and show you we love you. We may have to do something a little different, but we will make it work. This is always a special Sunday for our Church.
Pastor Tommy
We are seeing some progress on the Church buildings. The ceiling in the worship center is now removed. All the downstairs rooms are gutted. By that I mean all that’s left standing are the 2x4’s. The sheetrock, paneling, ceiling, wiring, and carpet have are all removed along with the contents. In the upstairs they have built back the floors which were burned. Brenda’s office and my office still lack a lot of work.
As most of you know by now the church voted to build a kitchen between the old fellowship building and the new fellowship building, which is on the side where we park the bus. It is going to cost somewhere around $10,000. Praise needs to be given here because someone came forward and offered to loan the church the money at no interest for the next two years plus pay the loan off at the bank, which was less than $10,000, and let us have that free of interest too.
God is so good to us. When I begin to see how he has worked though this fire I have to say Praise the Lord. Miracle after miracle has come through for us as a church. We now have classes for all the Sunday school classes and Wednesday night classes. We are almost back to doing things like they need to be done. We still have to have the Porta-Potties: Hope that will change soon.
Let me remind you that we are taking care of some families for Thanksgiving with a full meal and all the trimmings. A lot of you have already given food for this project, but there is more to do. If you don’t want to bring canned goods you can donate some money for this project. Speaking of Thanksgiving, we are going to have our Thanksgiving meal next Sunday with the deacons and myself fixing the meal and we want everyone to come. This is a way to thank the church and show you we love you. We may have to do something a little different, but we will make it work. This is always a special Sunday for our Church.
Pastor Tommy
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