It Was a Good Year

I hesitate to say that. It may have been a hard year for some of our people. But 2023 was a good year in our church.

We reached many with the Gospel.

Our people have been wonderfully faithful.

We may as well face something as we move forward. The church is no longer just the folks in the pews on Sundays. We have many people who cannot come but who are faithful in watching online and faithful in giving. And there are even readers of Friday’s Word who think of St. Matthew as their church, or one of their churches. They may attend another church regularly and still watch us every week.

It’s a new day.

But one thing we want to do in the new year is to get more people into our pews on Sundays. We want them in on the fellowship—if this is possible.

I like to see you when I am preaching.

But I do thank God for all of you who can now be with us in spirit—or in Spirit—if not in person.

This larger church, beyond our walls, is important to us now.

A Bit More

I’m preaching at Lakewood Village (now, Christian Care Community) Sunday afternoon. If some of the residents there wanted to come to St. Matthew on Sundays—would there be a way?

Mary will be gone for two Sundays.

She will preach for us when she returns.

Expect a time of joyful worship this Sunday.

Don’t worry if it’s cold.

The heating is working.

God bless—MB

Tracy Maxwell is back home and improving after surgery.

Doug Montgomery’s mom passed away—aged 97. Our love to Doug and Cindy and all of Doug’s family.

We remember Larry Norris and those who loved him.