The BIG Heritage Event

The favor of God rested upon the congregation of NGWC as they gathered last Sunday for their 3 hour Heritage Event. God’s presence was felt in the worship service from the moment Pastor Randy Haithcock began leading the congregation in singing until we prayed the Lord’s Prayer together after partaking of communion at the Lord’s Table. Total attendance was 112; the adult and youth count in the sanctuary was 86.

After the worship service, 71 adults and teens stayed for the small group discussions led by the Transition Team members. Everyone was given the opportunity to express both pains and pleasures from their past experiences at the church. Once the small groups concluded their discussions, everyone enjoyed an abundance of soups, sandwiches and desserts in the Family Life Center.

As our stomachs digested the food, we gathered back in the sanctuary to enjoy a power point presentation reviewing the years of the last six pastors since 1979. Fond memories were shared by congregational members of times with both these senior pastors as well as the assistant pastors.

The Transition Team announced that they had composed letters to be sent to the former senior pastors. The letters expressed appreciation for their service, affirmation as our brothers in Christ, and a prayer for God’s grace to heal any painful memories or hurts received while pastoring at NGWC. The addresses of the former pastors were also provided in the church bulletin so that individual members could communicate with these men if they felt led to do so.

The Transition Team is now preparing to lead the congregation through our next focus point – Mission. It is anticipated that we will spend about 3 months working of clarifying the church’s identity, vision and purpose. Stay tuned for the ongoing progress on this Intentional Interim journey of NGWC.