03/20/2026
With God, there are no small people and there are no small places…a lot of times it is the small places where God is doing some of the biggest work and I believe that is true in the town I call home.
I have been the senior pastor at Brookside First Community Church for the last four years…but Brookside has been my home for the last 25 years. My roots are here and they are deep…my grand parents lived here for as long as I can remember so I have been here witnessing the love of this town for 45 years.
In this town most everyone knows each other and there is a warmth that just can’t be explained…though I am going to try. I grew up playing at horse shoe bend….and the under-water bridge catching crawl dads. I ran barefoot all over the yard and pasture, wading in the pond, picking vegetables in my nanny’s garden and don’t get me started on all the blackberry picking we used to do.
I have some of the best memories right here in Brookside…anyone remember the cake walks and haunted house at the old community center. I’m talking the most delicious cakes you can imagine…everyone would be there it was a blast.
Every Halloween my Nanny ( Jamie Chamblee) would head off to the farmers market a few days early and stock up on boxes and boxes of apples and the fun would commence…she made the best candied apples…she would always dip them but she would let me set them on the parchment paper and wrap them up! She made enough for the whole community…it was a labor of love and it instilled in me the importance of community.
Everything I learned from her I cherish and I try to honor it as I Pastor…I love Brookside too. I show up at the Community events because I truly want to be in community with all of you.
Four years ago, I prayed and asked God to guide my steps in ministry here…I want Brookside First Community Church to feel like home…like family. God quickly gave me an idea for what is now called Freely…and can I tell you I love seeing the community come in the doors of Freely.
So many people help by bringing food on Freely Saturdays and just doing some of the most thoughtful things you could imagine….it’s truly community in the most beautiful way. I want to show people the love of God in abundance by meeting needs and bringing joy…shopping with no stress.
I get to have some of the best conversations and interactions with people about God. I don’t press people about church but I do jam out to Jesus music…which opens things up for inviting people to come visit. A lot of people will never come because I am a woman pastor and that is cool with me…I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. I am grateful to pastor a church here in Brookside and I have a lot of love to give.
We aren’t anything fancy…we are come as you are and we love Big. I take ministry seriously and discipleship is a necessary part of pastoring…I am going to challenge you. The walk with Jesus is not easy but it is a lot easier when you have a community…a family walking with you.
We are in the building stages as a church…we don’t have a lot of programs but as we grow…we will have more. I am believing for big things and it takes a village. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” And that truly is my prayer.
This is the mission… 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who [a]believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they[b] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
I believe the whole bible…not just the parts I like. As I said before I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s cool…maybe you have been coming to Freely for awhile but you never came to a Sunday service and your curious…here’s your invitation! We would love to have you visit…maybe you live here in Brookside and you don’t have a church home…here is your personal invitation to come visit…service starts at 11am.
If you made it this far just know…I have big vision for this town. I desire simple connection…family, and fellowship like back in the day. If you do too let’s talk, I have ideas…one being Sunday dinner…lets, bring that back like family reunion style…you bring a dish…I bring a dish…lets break out the grill and laugh alitte more than we cry….know your neighbors truly. That is the stuff I long for…tell me I’m not the only one.
