On Sunday, we are going all out to celebrate our GRACE Dads.
I know dads can sometimes feel like “their day” is a distant second to Mother’s Day. A Time article I recently read re-enforced this idea. Did you know that it took 58 years after Mother’s Day was officially recognized (1914) before Father’s Day received national holiday status (1972)? Maybe you are not surprised that consumers spend billions of dollars less on Father’s Day versus Mother’s Day. The article was quick to note that most fathers are probably glad of that fact. At the end of the article, it noted that the federal government spends $100 billion dollars annually on programs to support father-absent homes.
So, what’s the worth of fathers? As one advertisement says, the impact of fathers is “priceless”. Fathers make so much more than an economic impact on families. Recent studies show the power of fathers on the emotional health of families. And, powerfully, when fathers show their commitment to Jesus Christ, children are more likely to grow in their own faith.
Some of us have complicated relationships with our dads. Some of us, me included, have to thank God for our dad, who is in heaven. Some of us, will have to FaceTime rather than hug our dads Sunday. But I hope you will join us for worship on Sunday where we will pray for our dads and will give a special gift to every GRACE Dad in worship. We will also have a photo-booth for you to take family photos. If you are watching online, don’t worry, we have plans for you too.
It is really good to see so many of you returning to in-person church. I am so grateful for our tech team who has sustained our worship through COVID and will continue to allow you to be a part of worship, whether you need to stay away for medical reasons or you are headed to the beach. I am also now so grateful for our hospitality teams and volunteers who are welcoming people back to worship and providing for our fellowship time together.
Sunday, I will continue in our Nehemiah series, REBUILD, with “More than a Building”. The building project is complete, but God has some other building he wants to do. And Nehemiah will lead the way. To get ready, you can read Nehemiah 7-9. And this is a good Sunday to bring your Bible to church since I’ll be moving through several chapters.
On June 19, 2016, I preached my first “official” Sunday here in Bethlehem. So, this week marks my 5th anniversary as your pastor. What a joy and privilege!
I can’t wait for Sunday,
Dr. Marnie Crumpler
Senior Pastor