Pastor's Blog: We've a Story to Tell
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It’s hard to believe that it was only last year when we were preparing to celebrate our church’s 75th Anniversary. So much has happened since that time, some things we never could have predicted. But one thing has not changed. Our church continues to look for creative ways to build upon our rich heritage, and these last several months have shown that to be true.
When we will be together again as we were last September no one knows. Clearly, there must be a vaccine and it must be widely available before most of our church family feels comfortable participating in large gatherings. Living in expectation of such a time has most definitely tried our patience. In the meantime, our church staff continues to produce online content and to look for other responsible ways to bring smaller groups within our fellowship together.
Now, we’re ready to introduce another way to encourage our congregation in this season of COVID. You’ll remember how over the course of the months leading up to our 75th Anniversary we included inserts in each Sunday’s worship guides that told stories of our church’s development from starting out as a small mission church to becoming the strong and exemplary congregation we are today. In those stories were impacts, accomplishments and testimonies. I was inspired by each one and from the countless positive comments I received, so were you. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Catherine Allen and Amy Hirsch for compiling, editing, and arranging each one. All these stories have been brought together in a bound book, titled We’ve a Story to Tell, which has been published and is available for distribution among our membership.
Because we did a limited number of copies in the first printing, we also needed to come up with a strategic way to distribute them. So, here’s the plan. We are making this book available free of charge to every church family that requests one, one copy per church family. Therefore, if you wish to receive a printed copy, you need to come by the church office to secure yours or call and let us know of your interest so that we can mail one to you. They are available now. But you must let us know of your interest.
After we have distributed the requested copies, we will then make available those left over to anyone who would like to purchase additional ones. Each additional copy will be $10 per copy.
Our hope is that the distribution of this book of stories will be an encouragement to you and others in our membership during this time in which we are not able to gather. As you read through it, we trust that you will call to mind the wonderful heritage we have at Mountain Brook Baptist Church and be ready for the day when we can return to move forward into the good future God has for us to know.
Thank you again for how you have been an important part of that heritage. Join with us in pondering the possibilities of what we might do together in the future, whether gathered or online, as we keep the story going and continue to “Love God and Live with Grace and Generosity.”
“I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us” (Isaiah 63:7).