Pastor's Column in the September Newsletter

Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ – the One Who Is, the One Who Was, and the One Who Is to Come!

As Labor Day begins to call summer to a close, I invite us to refocus our divergent energies in the coming weeks on three things: worship, fellowship, and service. Many of you already know that one of my measures for our spiritual maturity is our regular participation in worship, involvement in a fellowship group, and commitment to show the love of God to others in service. I hope the rest of this newsletter provides you with activities that will help you deepen your love of God and neighbor.

I will be leading our Wednesday night Bible study on how scripture describes a healthy congregation. This will be a time for fellowship as we pay attention to what God has done for the his children and what God is dreaming for our life together.

I invite you to join me in helping unload the truck from the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina on Thursday, September __. Last month I enjoyed handing folks a case of bottled water while saying “God loves you and so do I.” I anticipate another time of service with our “Hand in Hand” project at Southeast Elementary on Thursday, September 28. Meet me at 9:45 AM at the church and we will drive over together and read to the preschoolers and kindergarteners of Southeast. Can you imagine the smiles that will come across your face as you help someone develop an appreciation for the written word?

Worship, fellowship, service is a formula for spiritual maturity. I hope you find that “worship plus two” helps you learn to love God and your neighbor in a special way.

Grace and Peace, Allen Bingham

P.S. I dearly love the opportunities to meet you in your home or at a favorite eating spot to learn about each other. Contact Sandra Thompson at the church office or email me at allenbingham@msn.com to make an appointment.