An Exciting Future

Well, this is an exciting time! It is exciting for several reasons. I am excited to be back with the congregation here at Mount Juliet. Thanks to my fiancé Kathryn and her family, I am almost settled into my apartment. Kathryn and I enjoyed worshipping with you on Sunday, and I appreciate the warm welcome that we received. With our recent graduation, my move, and future wedding plans, life has been hectic, and we look forward to settling down and getting to know all of you better.
This is also an exciting time for this congregation, as the fellowship hall and new offices are being built and a busy summer is approaching. The more I talk with David, Phil, and the Elders, the more apparent it becomes that God is truly working through this church. Kathryn and I consider ourselves lucky to be new additions to the Mount Juliet church family.
I have been given the opportunity to work with the education program, among other things, and I am eager to begin. I was able to serve here two summers ago, and that has provided several advantages. I already know many of you, and I have been able to witness the growth that has taken place over the past two years. There is, however, one disadvantage. I do not have the knowledge gained by years of experience in the classrooms here. Many of you have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to teach classes for both adults and children. You have tried several different teaching strategies, and you know what works and what does not. As we focus on ways to organize and energize our education program, that knowledge will be vital. Every place is different, and the unique insights from these classroom experiences will help us develop our education program in ways that are specifically tailored to the needs of this congregation. We will have a short meeting soon with all of those who have taught or are interested in teaching an adult Bible class. We want to build on the strengths of our program, as well as look for ways to make it even better. Be on the lookout for an announcement of the time and place for that meeting. If you are at all interested in helping with the education program, please attend. We can always use more teachers and volunteers!
Ira North, a long-time Nashville minister, was often asked about Sunday School attendance goals. His favorite response to those who asked him how many he hoped to see in Bible class was "one more". No matter how many attended Sunday School, he always thought there could be at least one more. The number of those who attend Bible class here is great, but there is always room for one more. This week, let's go out and find one more to bring on Sunday morning!