Due to water damage at the Heritage Lodge, we will NOT be able to hold our in-person worship service this Sunday. Instead, we will hold a Zoom only service. Although we all miss being together, we should still PRAISE THE LORD that we have this option to gather and worship!
During the past week’s cold weather and tough conditions, many in our church family reached out and checked on each other. Some invited others to stay in their homes and share in the water, food, and heat. Others made sure to call our friends just to see if they needed anything. Everyone took care of themselves and their families – but they also made sure to care for others. This is the very definition of what a church should be and should do. Blessings on all of you! May we continue to stand together, especially when times are tough. The Lord blesses us in those times too!
Pastor’s dreams for our church: Future “Minister Training” Church
It is often said that “seminaries train ministers; churches train pastors.”
I am here to vouch for the accuracy of that statement. Seminaries are wonderful training grounds for preparing individuals to become leaders of the church of Jesus Christ. But how many of those individuals get real world experiences that will truly prepare them to be pastors of churches?
Heritage PC could become known as fertile ground for training future pastors. A good way to do this is to have at least one seminary intern working in our church each year. There are two reformed seminaries right here in Houston (Fuller Seminary, Houston Graduate School of Theology), and Austin Seminary is only 160 miles away; Princeton Seminary also places seminary interns all over the world, and I have a relationship with them. We should be forming relationships with these seminaries to recruit and “train up” seminarians who want to serve a small church such as ours.
This will cost money; we cannot expect a seminarian to pay for his/her own experience, and seminaries are reluctant to support any practicum at a church without some type of financial support for that intern.
To me, any money we spend would be returned a thousand-fold in the work we could do and the new ideas we could acquire.
One more thing: in 29 years of teaching, I have some experience in working with and training up future teachers. I believe we could also do this for a future pastor who would be willing to take a chance on us.
So…what are YOUR dreams?
Property Sales Countdown: We have granted the proposed buyer of our property an extension to the inspection period. This means the current contract now goes through April 7th, so we have about 46 days to go (counting from Feb. 21st.) So…you haven’t stopped praying, have you ?!?!?
Weekly Tithes and Offerings:
February 19th deposit: $70
Souper Bowl of Caring deposit: $505.00 (wow!)
Thank you for your faithful participation and support of your church !