Pastor, FBC Hallsville

Second Service Packed Again

The second worship service was packed again Sunday.  We are still trying to get some answers on some of the options, such as putting in a balcony.  Putting in the balcony would only be a temporary solution and probably would only add about 125 seats.  At some point in the near future we need to get serious about plans for a new Sanctuary.

I baptized Priscilla Sunday morning.  I'm not sure that everyone could see her face but when she came up out of the water she was just beaming.  I could tell by the look on her face that she was really blessed by getting baptized.  As our church usually does her baptism was followed by applause.  When she heard the applause her face seemed to glow even more.  That was good.  Thank you Lord, for letting me get in on what you are doing.

Easter Sunday

Wow!  What a great day!  The storms were forecast to hit about 10 AM.  That is about the time the Easter service was to begin at the High School Auditorium.  I thought that would definitely hurt the attendance.  I was wrong.  Our best guess is that about 650 to 700 people attended the Easter service.  That is a larger number than last year. 

Ed did a fantastic job with the music.  The choir was absolutely fabulous.  The instrumentalists were great.  Martha and Sara and Rachel gave us their beautiful voices.  I am probably leaving someone out so forgive my poor memory.  The main thing is that the music was so good! 

My thanks to the behind the scenes guys running the audio and technical stuff.  Everything went without a hitch. 

My prayer is that the people who attended that are not connected to a church will get connected to some church family and that those who do not know Christ will make the decision to follow Christ and make Him Lord.

Packed House

The second service this past Sunday was a packed house.  Very few seats left in the auditorium.  I invited some to move the the early service to provide more room in the second service and I asked that we leave the back pews open for guests.  The staff is exploring some other options that might help us get some more room.  I'm thankful for the challenge that we have before us.  Growing churches always have challenges.  I am confident that the FBC Family will once again rise to the occasion.

Becky is doing very well.  She is getting chemotherapy today.  Her counts remain good.  The doctor told us that he is going to do two more rounds after this one and then we wait and see what happens.  Thanks for all your prayers.  Prayer is powerful.

Last Night

Last night we had a full room for the Wednesday Night Prayer Time.  This group is so faithful to come every Wednesday night to lift up prayer requests.  We've seen some amazing things come from our prayers.  I know that God answers our private prayers but there is just something about a gathering of God's children in prayer.  We get encouragement from each other and it increases the fervor of our prayers. 

Last night I looked in on the Mission Friends class and counted 13 preschoolers in the class.  They were having such a good time that when I stuck my head in the door they never noticed.  Carol and Melissa are doing a great job.

Last night I saw a new face.  A mother bringing her child to the Mission Friends.  This mother commented on how nice the Children's Ministry Center is.  The new building is definitely a great tool for reaching children and families.

Last night I saw this large group of ladies heading up the stairs in the Activities Building.  They were all headed for the new Wednesday Night Study, "The Frazzled Female."  The all seemed pretty excited about the study.  Since I'm not female I'm not sure exactly what a "frazzled female" is but I have three daughters so I am pretty sure I've seen a "frazzled female."  Though I would have to say that the condition of frazzlement (I just made up that word) is not confined to females.  I know exactly what a "frazzled male" is because I am that critter.

Update

Here is an update on Becky.  The CA125 (that is an enzyme that is a cancer marker.  With ovarian cancer it is a very good indication of the presence of cancer cells.)  for Becky has been stable at 34 for the past two months.  That is good because anything below 37 is considered normal.  The new regimen of chemotherapy has worked.  The doctor is considering stopping the chemotherapy for a while to see what happens.  The big danger with ovarian cancer is that it has a very high rate of recurrence.  Becky has now had three recurrences.  We are thankful that the chemotherapy worked and she is in remission.  Our prayer for now is that the cancer will not return.  We are also thankful that this new regimen is working so in the event that it does return we know that we can go back to that.  The side effects are minimal and that is another praise.

My daughter Michelle is still in Florida.  She has been clean for over two months now.  We are so thankful.  Everything is still really fragile.  We are praying that she will be able to find a job soon.  I think this will help her self esteem as well as giving her something to fill the time.  Continue to keep her in your prayers.