Golden Corral, October 18, 2009~ 

I look around me, and I see many of the faces I just saw a few hours ago at church.  They all had the same idea as my family and myself:  go out to lunch.  A Sunday tradition here at our church; if we don't go to one of the local Golden Corrals, there are other fine eating establishments to choose from.

And not just our church:  other churches partake in dining out after services.  So a lot of the local restaurants are very busy, to say the very least.

Church is going very well:  the choir is busy rehearsing for the upcoming Christmas Cantata, and the children are busy practicing for their Christmas production.  We are getting ready for our Harvest Festival, which will run for two (possibly three) days Hallowe'en week.  We need workers; we are putting bugs in everyone's ears, to remind them about the festival and the call for helpers to help run it, to ensure it all goes smoothly. 

In addition to that, we will be feeding the Veterans next month for Veteran's Day, and we will be feeding the city's downtrodden for Thanksgiving.  (We will also be feeding them at Christmas.)  Church is always a whirlwind of activity this time of year!

Today we had special music:  Trevor Cole, Tirpe Bilkey, Deborah Sandusky, Ryan Ewing, Elaine Goodfriend, Bill and Louisiana Sandusky, Johnathon Sandusky, and others sang some of the classic gospel hymns as a part of sharing some of our church family's talent with the congregation; they were all very well received.  They all did a marvelous job!  We are blessed to have so many wonderful styles of music represented in our church family!

I am happy to report that some of the members who had been stricken with swine flu came to our services this morning; it was great seeing Joey Davidson, Janica Sandusky, Henry  Thibodeaux, Ryan Carson, Wendell Crabtree, Tyson Gibson and his sisters Precious and Pernetta, Gladys Ritenauer, and Izzy Rossovich.  All have recovered, while others are still out, like Wayne Wright, his son Rheese, Barbara and Arjun Sandusky, Tabitha Craven, Oraste Nunoz, Brandy Millner, Debie Wood, Nevaeh Grace Prentiss, and Adames Ferrera.

Some are even still in the hospital; most are doing well, but a few (Tabitha, Oraste, Nevaeh, and Adames) are still very sick; they are still in the intensive care ward at several different hospitals.

We have our work cut out for us:  we (and our prayer team) have been incredibly busy, beseeching God to spare their lives and to bring them back to us.  We really miss them when they aren't here at church!

Last Sunday as an example, half of our church body was out with the flu or prior commitments that they couldn't get out of.  Today there were more people in attendance, but there were still quite a few empty slots in the pews.

Well, I am going to get another plate of food; still hungry, even after three plates!  (I had a small breakfast; only had a toast-and-egg sandwich, a few cups of coffee, and a banana for dessert.  That's not much!)  I will write in here again; if not me, then one of the other pastors will, so you can see what's going on in our lives and in the lives of our congregation.  Until then, this is Pastor Rick saying so long and God bless you mightily!

~Pastor Rick C. Jones, Christ Community Assembly of God Church, Nashville, TN.~