Welcome to the annual meeting for Life Church at Wayside. We are extremely grateful to all of you for your prayers and support. Karen and I appreciate your love for us and your heart and hunger for God. This year has been a call to grow deeper in our faith and to become mature disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This year Karen and I will begin our 10th year at Life Church at Wayside. We believe it will be a year of fruitfulness as we step out and boldly proclaim the good news in our community. We hope to plan and implement events that will help us impact our city for Christ. Some examples would be, vacation bible school, worship in the park, more community outreaches to bless our local community, and some Bar-B-Ques. To do this we will need “all-hands on deck” so to speak. We also hope to host events that will help equip and train us for the days ahead. It is our hope to bring glory to God in all we do in the coming year.
We continue to be thankful for the foundations that have been laid by those who have served the Lord at Wayside Chapel/Life Church at Wayside. The foundations that were laid have their roots in revival and a powerful move of God. We believe that God is reopening the wells of revival for our church and community, preparing us for a new wind of the Spirit that will open the door for many to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. We also believe that we need to remember the things that God has spoken to us prophetically and look for the fulfillment of His promises. He is not slack concerning His promises but will watch over HIs word to perform it. And finally, we need to be resolute until we see these things take place. Being resolute means to make a decision and act until the outcome agrees with the decision, letting nothing stand in the way or deter you. May we be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” until we receive the promise.
Special thanks to Karen Alban, Jim Smith, Fred Craddock, Jim and Carol Chapman, Randy and Pam Fultz, and Nathaniel Griffiths, Mike Smith, Amy Bradley and Josh and Brittny Bradley who all help with worship in one way or another. They are vital to our Sunday morning services and I cannot thank them enough. Please take time to thank them for using their gifts and talents to lead us into the presence of the Lord.
A big thank you also goes out to the men and women who have served on the Board of the church. The present Board members are Jim Chapman, Jim Smith, Ernie Turner, and Pam Fultz as our Secretary. They do a wonderful job of serving you behind the scenes.
Be assured that they work hard to help lead the church in both the physical and spiritual aspects.
Please take time to express your appreciation to them.
I also want to express my love and thanks to all of you who have given time and effort to support our church. From cleaning the church to helping with worship to mowing lawns to planning trips and outings and serving meals, we are deeply grateful and blessed. Your contributions, however big or small are vital in our church. I am always humbled and so very thankful for all of you.
I would like to thank Fred and Debra Craddock who serve all of us in many ways. Debra teaches and encourages us one Sunday a month and together they provide training classes and counseling here at the church. It is because of their efforts that we have been able to open the healing rooms and provide a needed ministry to the community.
That reminds me to say “thank you” for your faithful and joyful giving. We are so grateful to all of you. We believe that God will continue to bless us just as He has promised so that we will have all we need to be a blessing in our community. Your faithfulness will result in bringing glory to God as we are able to take care of God’s house and the needs of those who have suffered financially this year. For this reason, I wanted to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of you. Thank you for freely and joyfully offering your first fruits to the Lord. We will do our best to use what you have given to minister to the house of God first and then to abound in kindness to as many as we can. This would not be possible apart from your loving obedience to the Lord.
We have attached reports on the different ministries that are active in our church. It is encouraging to know that God is using you to further His work in so many ways. Thank you for being obedient and using the gifts God has given to minister to the body as well as in the community.
Although there are many things to be grateful for, we are not without needs and challenges. There are some areas where we need help: church cleaning, running the sound board, counting and recording the offering, special projects, mowing lawns, kids church, etc. Please take some time to prayerfully consider if you can help share the load in any of these areas and contact the office if you are able to help.
Finally, Karen and I would again like to say thank you for the many kind words and expressions of encouragement. We love all of you.
Pastor John and Karen
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