Building a Church

 Photo of the day: 

Me at 3 or 4 Funny how many turns one takes in a short 85 years.

So for today:

After a year and a half and the church was doing well and Sundays were better with class rooms. I answer another direction changing phone call.

This one  from the NC State Overseer, “WE are proud of your work there in Rutherfordton, but would you consider leaving to organize a new church plant in the New Hope area of Gaston County?”

After some thoughts and prayers Sherry and I agreed to move again.

We found a deserted auto garage and 3 acres of land with an old 3 or 4 room deserted house. We had the house moved into a field behind the garage. Then dug a hole for an outhouse. Our sons still brag about living in a house with an outhouse. LOL.

We then remodeled the garage, making a nice church out of it. It even had toilets with running water that we did not have at the time in the parsonage. LOL A fellow minister who was a REAL builder came down and helped me add space onto the church making it ‘L’ shape.  We used it as a Parsonage; the plans were to make SS rooms there when we built a final parsonage.

 (This is the present New Hope Church of God. The one we built is there on the left, attached to the new one. The first one was just a down scale of this. Same shape same design.) I do have some good picture's of the church I have searched hundreds of them and NADA

The church we built is lined off it has the cross and name as the newer part does now.  IT has grown, huh?

We started with about 15-20 people and gained up toward 80 in attendance.  Wonderful people as in other churches, we were like a family. We had great workers, singers and musicians. We were really enjoying ourselves and serving the Lord, doing His work.

My dad always felt that 30 minutes for a sermon was about all the average person would really hear and learn. My sermons were around 20 to 35 minutes.  It seemed to work.

We had no problems to amount to anything. Jack Jr. had started school; Sherry even got her old job back.  We both had family near, Life was good.......  And then…..  the doubts started invading my mind….. I prayed and fasted to try to keep them back, but they persisted.

I want to suggest that you never Try to Prove God, belief in God is a Faith thing. I became a Thomas, remember him?  He said, “Jesus is alive? You gotta be kidding me, I know he was killed, it was published all over. He was buried, REMEBER? I even witnessed part of it.  UNLESS I SEE THE SCARS, and TOUCH THE NAIL PRINTS I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! 

You have heard of Gideon and the Fleece placed before the Lord. Well it worked for him…

I tried that……..  I will try to end this long story tomorrow.  As you know from my life I did not continue as a minister.  If I continue, the Next part of my life is not all public knowledge and not any fun to write about, but I will try.

Nite Shipslog

PS:  God has allowed us to meet some of the best folk on the planet; in person and here on the net.  Thank you all for being here… and being YOU!