On Thursday our church will mark a special milestone in its history – the 60th anniversary of its first service. There are only two living persons who still attend Faith who were part of that special event. One of those was six months old and thus doesn't remember being there (I'll let you guess who that is). I am the other person and I do recall that first service. I am aware that as time passes and folks pass on, many important historical events are gone forever. A few years ago, in an attempt to share past events and experiences with my grandchildren, I began to write down these stories for them. I have already passed on to them over two dozen chapters and many identified pictures of previous generations. Since this continues to be my project, I decided that I should write my thoughts and remembrances of 60 years of Faith Bible Fellowship Church. And for the next seven days I will share these writings on my blog for others to see. Please understand that these are written for my grandchildren, so my family and I are mentioned quite often. And, these are my own memories and I could not include everything or everyone. I did ask two long-time members of our church to read my work, make corrections, and add things and people they felt that I missed. However, I was disappointed that circumstances did not permit either of them to complete this review in time for the anniversary. So I will be sharing things as I remember them. There is no question that Faith Bible has been a vital part of my life, my spiritual development, and my ministry. So this is my summary of the decisions, the people, and the ministries that are the fabric of Faith Mennonite Brethren In Christ Church, known today as Faith Bible Fellowship Church, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I trust that my blogs will help you to better understand what Faith Bible stands for and the events that helped shape it to what it is today. You will see how the Lord blessed this body in an unusual way as people sought the Lord's will and worked together to accomplish that. In the next six days I will share (1) The Beginnings, (2) Expanding Facilities, (3) Church Leadership, (4) Music, (5) Ministry To Children, and (6) Other Memories. I will welcome and appreciate your feedback as you share my memories.
Picture shows charter member Horace Kauffman, his grandson Craig Kauffman, and former youth pastor Brian Frable at the groundbreaking for our newest building. The elders gathered stones which were part of a monument to remind us of God's leading in our journey to this new property which we claimed for Him.
Coming tomorrow - Part 2
1 comment:
Great writing, Barry. Thanks for the memories. God is truly amazing and it is encouraging to read how He continues to work - 60 years later.
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