For the past eleven years, this has been our church home. Our memories extend back to that first Sunday in 2000 when Charlie filled the pulpit. Snow covered the ground. The black cross on the front of the building beckoned us 
up the long driveway. We entered the building and found a group of friendly people. We rejoiced in the beautiful music we heard that morning and left certain that they would want someone better qualified to be their pastor. Instead, they called us and became our personal friends. More than that. They became family.
Eleven years is longer than I have ever held a single job and longer than I’ve ever lived in the same house. Those who were teens when we arrived have graduated from college and are living on their own. Between the time we came in January and March when Charlie started as pastor, a little girl named Polly was born. Her bright eyes and pixie smile are a continual reminder of how long we've been here. One night, about eleven years ago, we were awakened by a phone call that one of our members had been rushed to the hospital with respiratory heart failure. When Charlie got off the phone, he realized he hadn’t asked which hospital; and we were new enough that we didn’t realize that there were only two hospitals in town. That woman is still worshipping with us and has been such a blessing through these years.
During these eleven years, the church has stood by us. We have moved multiple times since we arrived – into a temporary residence, then a three-bedroom white ranch, then a four-bedroom contemporary ranch to care for Charlie’s father, and then our stuff into storage and ourselves into a series of temporary residences. On every occasion, there were people from the church ready to help. They stood by us and prayed for us when we tried to adopt children. They were there for us when Charlie’s dad died and my parents moved in and then out of Maine. They have encouraged us, helped us, and made our ministry here a joy.
With grateful hearts for the past eleven years and high expectations of what God will do for West Hampden Baptist Church in the future, we say farewell. We rest in the certainty that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
We love you, West Hampden and look forward to hearing of the great things that God is doing in your lives.
up the long driveway. We entered the building and found a group of friendly people. We rejoiced in the beautiful music we heard that morning and left certain that they would want someone better qualified to be their pastor. Instead, they called us and became our personal friends. More than that. They became family.Eleven years is longer than I have ever held a single job and longer than I’ve ever lived in the same house. Those who were teens when we arrived have graduated from college and are living on their own. Between the time we came in January and March when Charlie started as pastor, a little girl named Polly was born. Her bright eyes and pixie smile are a continual reminder of how long we've been here. One night, about eleven years ago, we were awakened by a phone call that one of our members had been rushed to the hospital with respiratory heart failure. When Charlie got off the phone, he realized he hadn’t asked which hospital; and we were new enough that we didn’t realize that there were only two hospitals in town. That woman is still worshipping with us and has been such a blessing through these years.
During these eleven years, the church has stood by us. We have moved multiple times since we arrived – into a temporary residence, then a three-bedroom white ranch, then a four-bedroom contemporary ranch to care for Charlie’s father, and then our stuff into storage and ourselves into a series of temporary residences. On every occasion, there were people from the church ready to help. They stood by us and prayed for us when we tried to adopt children. They were there for us when Charlie’s dad died and my parents moved in and then out of Maine. They have encouraged us, helped us, and made our ministry here a joy.
We love you, West Hampden and look forward to hearing of the great things that God is doing in your lives.
2 comments:
That was touching, thank you.
We miss you both. Church doesn't seem the same without you. 11 years went by so fast. I love the picture but that Bickford family looks like they don't want to be seen together. :)
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