Why I Am Blessed - Reason #8

When we moved up here, we started looking for a church home.  Actually, we visited a few churches even before we made our move.  We visited Presbyterian and Methodist churches close to us.  You know, sometimes it is hard visiting a new church every Sunday, but we kept looking.

In early September, we attended the Sunday morning worship at a Methodist church in the next town.  Everyone was so friendly, and we liked the minister.  So when the next Sunday rolled around, we decided to go again.  Then we went the next Sunday and the next and so on.  Once I said to Bill that maybe we should try another church.  But we decided we didn't want to miss the church service at First United. 

A month or so later, I said to Bill that if we were going to keep attending that church, we should take the next step and go to Sunday school.  So we did.  A guy named James that we had met during the morning worship was out front.  We asked him about the Sunday school classes, and he directed us to the one that he attended.  Wow!  They were so happy that we had come to their class.  Everyone (about 14 people) introduced themselves, and someone handed us a Sunday school book.  What a joy to be welcomed like that and to draw strength from the lesson.  Now we didn't want to miss Sunday school class!

Our search was over.  On April 20, we joined the First United Methodist Church.  When you join a Methodist church, people can stand up front with you.  We asked our Sunday school class to stand with us because they have played an important part in our decision.  When we went down front, everyone joined us.  They weren't the only ones to join us.  Several people from my Bible study class and a couple others that we had met stood with us.  I think there were over 20 people.  The minister made a comment about half the congregation coming down to the front!

The church has been there a long time.  In some families, three generations attend the church.  You would think that the members would be cliquish or snobbish, but that is not the case.  There are several ladies that I really, really like.  One has sort of taken me under her wing.

I go to the weekly Bible study and to one of the women's circles.  Bill attends the men's group.  The other day, he helped mow the city cemetery, a project of the men's group.  We've attended two Sunday school potlucks and played dominoes.  We had a good time. 

#8:  We have found a church family.

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The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.
Psalm 29:11