Dear Congregation,
I'm writing to let you know about a LOT of things taking place in the life of the church just before I go on vacation! Please take 5-10 minutes to read through this message carefully.
First, I made a mistake on Sunday, November 13th. In my planning of worship with David Madden this past week, I made a mental and written note to recognize military veterans, those currently serving, and family of those currently serving. It was planned and ready to go as of Wednesday. However, I became distracted by something else that happened prior to worship (something that affected my mind throughout worship), and I completely forgot it (and a couple of other things). I hope that you will forgive this honest mistake, and that you joined me in honoring our military over the weekend in a variety of venues.
Second, I would normally never go to such lengths to communicate about my schedule, but this vacation is a bit different. I will be traveling with Holly and extended family members overseas, and will be completely removed from any communication back home. No phone calls. No emails. No social media. Therefore, I felt it proper and best to let you know about what all is going on in my absence from November 17 - December 3.
First, Bryan L. Rabon will be preaching on Sunday, November 20th, and Herb Gladden will be preaching November 27th. How grateful we are for a church with many men capable of faithfully preaching the Gospel!
Second, Brian Charles will be teaching the Pastor's Class on Wednesday, November 30th. Brian's focus will be on idolatry. The class begins at 6:15 and ends at 7:30. I hope you'll join him!
Third, Peter Newell and Tony Steffee will be welcoming guests and sharing the Gospel at the drama performances on November 20, December 2, and December 3.
Finally, Shannon and Clay will be sharing other ministerial/pastoral responsibilities that I might normally be involved in. Additionally, our deacons will also be ready for some needs, including hospital visitation. Our adult youth leadership team is in a great position to be there for our students and our families. Of course, the bulk of my vacation will be over the Thanksgiving holidays, so I'm hopeful that my unusually long absence will not be overly burdensome to our deacons and staff.
I will be back in the pulpit December 4th, returning to the Gospel of John in chapter 8. I will also be at both performances Sunday, December 4th. I will be in the office December 5th, and at nearly all of the drama performances thereafter. I will miss only two Sundays between December 4 and the end of May 2012. Please note: we are heading into the "theological deep end" for the next several months in the Gospel of John. John is going to hit us with wave after wave of profound truth that will shake us to our core and cause us to reexamine what we think we know about the Gospel and how we live according to it. Pray for me, that I will speak truth in love. Pray for the congregation, that we will receive it with humility and gratitude, and bring friends and family to hear the Gospel. John writes with theological depth because God uses it to bring people to faith (John 20:31).
To close, I want to let you know what is going on with our student ministry right now! I'm so grateful for how God has worked in a way to unite our church through this transition, and how things are going so well as we work our way forward! Beginning December 1, Seth Stoddard (pictured above) will begin serving as our Interim Student Pastor. Seth is 33, and has been married to Jenny since May of 2006. They have a daughter (Charis) and a son (Hudson, not pictured). Seth has a vast array of experience with both youth and children's ministries, as well as a B.A. in Christian Education from Presbyterian College, and a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. They currently live in Irmo and are very excited about joining us! Seth was unanimously chosen by a representative body of staff, youth leaders, parents of youth, and students, and we are all confident he will serve us well. An added bonus: Seth will be full time! I look forward to introducing him to you in December!
Thank you for praying for my family on this trip! I look forward to sharing the experience with you when I return!
Grace,
Pastor Rob
