In 1984, Faith Baptist Church hired a young Associate Pastor named Jerry Smith.  Over the past almost 30 years, much has changed at FBC.  Senior Pastors have come and gone.  Youth Pastors have come and gone.  Deacons have come and gone.  Church members have come and gone.  Times have changed.  Buildings have been built and renovated.  Property has been purchased.  However, one thing has remained the same.  Pastor Jerry is still an Associate Pastor at Faith Baptist Church.

Over the years, Pastor Jerry has had a wide variety of responsibilities at FBC.  One responsibility he is especially known for is his leadership of our music ministry.  We all love to hear him sing.  Personally, I can remember the first time he sang after suffering a stroke.  No one knew if he would ever speak again.  Yet, by God’s grace, his voice came back stronger than ever.  That Sunday, was a very powerful one.

On Sunday morning, December 15, Pastor Jerry will be in a familiar position.  He will be directing our Christmas Cantata.  It is a Sunday you will not want to miss.  Immediately following the Cantata, everyone is invited to a free lunch in our Family Life Center.  We just ask that you bring a “ready to serve” dessert to share.  Following lunch, we will have a special service in the Family Life Center to honor Pastor Jerry.

Keep in mind that there will be no 8am service or Evening service on Sunday, Dec. 15.  Our nursery will be open during the Cantata but your children will need to be picked immediately following the cantata and before lunch.  Also, there will be no Junior Church on Sunday, Dec. 15.

I hope you recognize that Pastor Jerry is extremely unique.  Sadly, it is uncommon for a Pastor to stay at the same church for 30 years.  It is even more uncommon for an Associate Pastor to stay at the same church for that long.  Pastor Jerry’s faithfulness to God and to FBC is truly something that we should celebrate.

I hope that you will join us on Sunday morning, December 15th, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and as we honor one of His faithful servants.

Stephen

PS – Here is a free Advent Devotional from John Piper that I have been enjoying reading through.