Well Hello Chilson Hills Church!
I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly (haha you know I can’t keep anything brief) remind you of the plans during my upcoming medical leave. As most of you know by now, I am in need of abdominal surgery that will require me to be resting for up to 8 weeks. And as most of you know, this will be a challenge for me (to say the least) to be away from Chilson Hills and away from the “work” that I love (serving this wonderful congregation). My surgery date is March 18th and I plan to return to full capacity in May.
One of the questions that may arise after hearing how long I will be away might be, “Who’s going to be preaching on Sundays?”.
I am so grateful to welcome Pastor Danny Langley into the pulpit for the remainder of the Lenten season and Easter Sunday. Danny has retired as Lead Pastor from Crosspointe Meadows Church in Novi and has been one of my mentors with the American Baptist Churches Ministry Leaders Group. Danny has preached here at Chilson Hills many times now and you may also remember what a talented musician he is with the Mandolin. No doubt we will all enjoy Danny’s sermons with his witty sense of humor and stories from a plethora of life experiences and travels. Please welcome Pastor Danny and his amazing wife Renee.
After Easter Sunday, our very own Deacon Scott Runyon will begin a sermon series focusing on the Lord’s prayer that will take us into the Spring. What a treat. Scott’s sermons always give us so much to reflect on. I look forward to his seemingly effortless insight that always invites us to stretch beyond what we think we know about God. Both of these gifted preachers will nourish our spiritual appetites on Sundays as they are both led brilliantly by the Holy Spirit. Thank you to Danny and Scott for your willingness to teach us! And thank you to our talented worship design team that will keep Sunday mornings running smoothly.
Another question may be, “What do I do if I have a prayer request?”. There are a few things that you can do if you would like a prayer request sent to the prayer team. One way is that you can CLICK HERE and submit a prayer request on our website. You can also call the church office at 810-227-9596 and a Deacon will be happy to talk to you or you are welcome to talk to a Deacon on Sunday mornings.
You also might be asking yourself, “What if I want a hospital or a home visit for a ministry of presence while the Pastor is away?”. I am so pleased to let you know that the Deacon team is available and eager to serve the church in this way. If you need to speak to a Deacon simply call the church office and leave a message and our Lead Deacon, Alia will make sure that someone gets back to you. The Deacons are making sure that there are no gaps in ministry and support while I am away. Their presence and willingness to serve the congregation in this way will help me rest easier and heal faster. Trust them. They are beautiful, spiritually generous, and loving people. Their calling to serve in this way is the same calling that I have, not only are they an extension of pastoral ministry, more importantly they are the hands and feet of Christ’s ministry.
Lastly, I know how beautifully generous and caring you all are and so you might be wondering, “How can I help support Pastor Angie and her family during this medical leave?”. This is simple. Pray for us. We are a praying church and have faith in the power of prayer. Pray for my swift healing and strength to return because God knows I will be itching to get back as soon as the Doctor says that I’m allowed! I promise that I will be a good patient… And if I’m not, I’m lucky to have my family to remind me to take it easy. If you want to check on me, help me out and reach out to Nick first. I am begrudgingly making him the official “Bouncer”… if I don’t, you know I’ll have a revolving door because my heart will want to let anyone call or come and visit anytime. However, this would negate my rest and slow my healing process… (see this is me trying to be a good patient!)
Who knows, maybe as I’m feeling up to it I will be able to attend worship in-person… Just make sure your hugs are gentle. 😉
Thank you! to the Executive Ministry Team, the Deacon Team, and the Worship Design Team (which includes the staff) for their support and encouragement to make my health a priority. It takes a lot of logistical planning to make this smooth and successful. Thank you to all of you! For your countless words of encouragement and prayer that you have offered. I am in constant awe that I get to serve such a beautiful community of people, it brings me to tears. Thank you for loving me and my family.
God Bless and see you soon!
Angie
angela@chilsonhills.org