December 8, 2023
One of the things for which I'm most grateful here at POPC is our gifted, godly, and diligent staff. As 2023 comes to an end, POPC is about to go through several staff transitions that I want to make sure you know about.
Heatherly Edgar, our Financial Administrator, has taken a job with Ergon, and today is her last day with us. Patsy Holeman will be stepping in on an interim basis while we look for Heatherly's replacement. (If you know of someone with a background in accounting who is looking for part time job, please contact us!)
Bobby Epps, our new Youth Ministry Director, moves his family to town this coming Wednesday, and will be starting in his new call at the beginning of 2024.
Sam Thoman, who has been serving as Interim Youth Director, will move back into his Youth Intern role. Marcus Smith, who served as Youth Intern while Sam was Interim Youth Director, will no longer be on the youth ministry staff, but his wife Seija will still be a Youth Intern, so Marcus hopes to continue to volunteer with our young men as he is able.
As you see these saints in the coming weeks, please be sure to thank them for their commitment in ministry to our congregation. And pray for all our staff as they lead and serve in various capacities!
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This past Monday, December 4th, the PCA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first General Assembly, held in Birmingham, Alabama. This timeline with primary sources is a helpful resource if you're new to the PCA or unfamiliar with how we came to exist in the first place. God has been faithful to preserve, grow, and use us over these past fifty years, so let us continue to pray for Him to do the same the next fifty years!
Speaking of fifty years, if anyone would be interested in helping to plan our celebration of Pear Orchard's fiftieth anniversary in 2027, please let me know. I know that's four years from now, but I don't want it to sneak up on us, and I want to make sure we gather the stories we need to hear from those who were there at the beginning and are still with us. None of us can be certain that we will be here (or even alive) in 2027, but it's vital to remember how God has worked in the past as we pursue transformation by truth and grace together for the glory of Christ in the present. So I'm looking forward, Lord willing, to celebrating His ever-new mercies past, present, and future.
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Please note the opportunities for worship and for service this month. As we celebrate the good news of our Savior's incarnation, I encourage you to be present at our Cherub Choir Pageant this Sunday evening, our Lessons and Carols service next Sunday morning, and our Christmas Eve services Sunday morning and afternoon. Serve your neighbors by delivering gifts to special needs families, or by caroling in neighborhoods across our area, or by giving coats to children at Mission First. Be intentional to redeem your time this month for the glory of God, the good of your soul, and the good of those around you!