The daffodils have bloomed and the azaleas are in their glory.  It is springtime, my favorite season of the year (though my sinuses often disagree with me).  It’s not "summer-time-hot"' yet.  But the cold of winter is behind us, and the days before us are glorious.  The days before us are also busy.

I've been looking at the calendar as I do some long-range planning and have realized that we're in for another full season.  May includes Mother's Day and Memorial Day weekend.

June (6th – 9th) brings our Annual Conference when ministers and lay representatives from each church in our conference will meet at Frazer UMC in Montgomery to discuss and vote on the issues before us.  Pray for wisdom during that meeting. Immediately after conference concludes on Wednesday, I'll be going to visit my mom who'll be celebrating her 80th birthday on Thursday, June 10th.  Then, after church on Sunday, June 13th, a number of us will be leaving for a few days of summer camp.  The children and youth departments have joined together to conduct our own summer camp at Camp Lee in Anniston.  By Father's Day on June 20th, we'll be ready for a break.

Of course we are looking ahead to our annual ice cream social on Sunday, July 4th.  I'll be taking some time after that to attend the Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting, an old-fashioned camp meeting my family has attended for the past 46 years.  It was there that I experienced God's forgiveness and accepted his salvation.  It was there that many of my earliest and most profound

spiritual experiences occurred and where I learned much of what I believe.  Both of my children will be there this year … and my grandsons.  And, besides, it's a great time of spiritual retreat and renewal.  And then, after that … there's our Vacation Bible School.

I'm sure that if you look at your schedule you could come up with a similar list of activities for the next three months.  It's definitely a busy time filled with family activities and vacations, time on the water and time in the sun.  Our region is too beautiful not to enjoy.  However, I hope that you will plan to join us whenever you can throughout the spring and summer.  Our church is too much fun to miss.  And besides, we'll miss you if you aren't here to share the joy with us.

Please mark your calendar for September 22-24 for the Catapult Conference which will be held at Christ UMC in Mobile.  This is a major event and we are all invited.  I'd especially like to invite church leaders and persons who are interested in our future.  We'll have the chance to examine and reevaluate our mission and ministry.  There will be several presentations by nationally-known speakers as well as breakout sessions which will allow us to discuss the implications of their messages for our own situations.  It should be an exciting and informative time.  Please plan to join me if you are a church leader or if you have an interest in this program.

 

             For the cause of Christ,

 

                      Pastor Ray

In Loving Memory of

 

Eunice T. Rainwaters