12/21/2025
As we share some photos from this year’s baptisms, we rejoice as we welcome these new members into God’s family through the gift of baptism. Each life touched by the waters of grace is a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness and the growing life of His Church.
A message on this 2025 church year, from Pastor MacKain:
As I reflect upon 2025 church year, there is indeed much for which we should rejoice and give thanks. If nothing else, the numbers on the next few pages will bear that out.
• A small but yet significant rise in baptismal membership, communicant membership, and church attendance highlight a year of the Lord’s blessings.
• Seven baptisms and a wedding, as well as transfers from various places --- again the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever.
• A budget, not run in a deficit as is the norm for so many, but we have been blessed by faithful and charitable givers.
• A growth in mission support, where we increased our commitment to Mission giving from the 2024 year, and then went out and fulfilled that increased mission budget by the first Sunday in August. Thank God, we have an opportunity to increase our mission giving even more in 2026.
And let us not forget the various opportunities for spiritual growth and our family fellowship.
• We began a Wednesday After School Program (WASP) for our children this past February. And we have been blessed with such caring, faithful and wonderful adults who care so much for our children that they teach, direct the art work, the music, the games, the snacks. Without them, we would not be able to begin this new opportunity for Christian growth.
• The Evangelism Committee and Book Club sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt on Holy Saturday. We had around twenty children and eighteen adults attend and participate.
• Vacation Bible School was held in July. It was the largest VBS we have hosted since I have been here. And again without the leadership of the Parish Ed Committee and all of the volunteers (décor, crafts, games, music, plays, dinner, lessons, chaperones, for five days) we would never have been able to pull it off.
• The Family Fun Nights sponsored by the Evangelism Committee. Both adults and children enjoying the fellowship of a congregation family in food, games, movies and the like. We certainly look for more of that to come in 2026.
• And the numbers will show an increase in Sunday School Attendance, in Sunday Bible Class attendance and Monday Night Bible Class attendance --- please if you have not as of yet – please take advantage of these opportunities for spiritual growth.
• And I could go on and on and on – there was so much we did this year, tried this year, accomplished this year, promoted this year. Thank you all!
But having said all this, let me put the pom-poms down and put my pastor’s hat back on.
For you see, it is not the unbelievable number of Baptisms that we had this past year, or the new families and new individuals who joined the congregation that will secure the future of this congregation. It is not the size of the savings or checking account that will protect the congregation from unforeseen issues. It is not the increase in attendance or in church membership that will cause our congregation to thrive. It’s not increased efforts of the Evangelism or Parish Ed Committees that will ensure that we continue down this path.
No, to quote Jesus:
Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10)
The Blessing resides not in what we have done or who we are, but in Jesus and the fact that His steadfast love endures forever. In bounty, in growth, in excitement or not – His steadfast love endures forever. And it is this steadfast love, this grace, this undeserved love which accompanies our Savior which supplies the growth, the security, the protection, the thriving and the continuation of this congregational family in faith.
So, let us thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the faith born of the Holy Spirit – for the growth and the opportunities to worship, to serve, to love. Let us look forward all the more for what we can do in 2026 – because no matter what may come our way --- no matter what we may plan --- no matter what we may try --- THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER! Through that love we are blessed.
In Jesus’ name.
Pastor Mac Kain
