Patsy Adkins 1929-2014

Although we had my older son, Jay, bring the message at Mom's Funeral Service this past Sunday, each of Mom's three sons took a few minutes to share a few words regarding our Mom.  As the oldest of the three of us, I went first.  Here are the words that I shared:

Psalm 11:12-15  What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.  I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

We have gathered today to celebrate the life and to rejoice in the home going of a beloved Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Aunt, Great Grandmother, and Friend.

Patsy Ruth Stidham Adkins was born May 23, 1929 in Ethel, (Logan Co) West Virginia, the eldest of  five children of the late Jerry E. and Mary Sommerville Stidham.  She departed this life from Huntington Health and Rehabilitation on Tuesday morning, October 7, 2014.  Her time on this earth was 85 years, 4 months, and  14 days.  She now dwells in the House of the Lord forever.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death only 104 days ago by her husband, Rev. Caudle Adkins, Jr. who passed away only one week from their 65^th wedding anniversary.

Mom was also preceded in death by a sister, Hester Lucinda Stidham and two brothers,

(infant) Charles “Buddy” Stidham and Jerry Robert Stidham.

Mom graduated from Logan High School in 1947 and immediately entered the work force, as a payroll clerk in the offices of Island Creek Coal Company.  When she and Dad moved to Huntington in 1952, she was a stay at home Mom, raising her thee boys and looking after the needs of her family.  In the 1970’s she returned to work, managing the medical office of Dr. Beckett Martin.  She later worked in the office of Hoffman Urological Clinic and finally as a clerk at Niermann’s Pharmacy in our old neighborhood.

Mom trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior as a young girl back in Logan County, and faithfully followed Christ for more than 7 decades.  She supported Dad in his pastoral and evangelistic work, and served her church as a Sunday School Teacher and Vacation Bible School teacher.  Although she never had any daughters, Mom served as a mentor to many girls and young ladies over the years and was a surrogate mother to a some.

She is survived by her younger sister, Dori Wilson and her husband, Vern, of Houston, TX.

Mom is also survived by by my two brothers and their wives, Bruce (Sandi) Adkins of Huntington, Carl (Sarah) Adkins of Atlanta, GA, and Linda and myself.

Also surviving are 6 Grandchildren:

·        Jay Adkins and wife, Michelle of New Orleans, LA

·        Benji Adkins and wife, Leigh Anne of Ashland, KY

·        Joshua Adkins

·        Caleb Adkins (both of Huntington)

·        Kate and Alex Adkins, students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL

Five Great Grandchildren

·        Quint Adkins

·        Will Adkins

·        Canon Adkins

·        Asher Adkins

·        Nathaniel Adkins

Two Step Grandchildren:

·        Merle (Erica) Wooten of Huntington

·        Lea (James) Dalton of Hurricane, WV

Six step great grandchildren

·        Amber, Katie & Austin Wooten

·        Wesley, Ethan, and Olivia Dalton

Mom is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews, a large family of brothers and sisters in Christ, and a special friend, Alice Davis.

On behalf of our family, I would like to thank you all for your attendance here today, for your many expressions of sympathy and love, and we would also like to thank the staff of Huntington Health and Rehab for their wonderful care for her for these past 10 months. We would also like to thank the staff of Chapman’s Mortuary for their kind assistance to our family twice in the last 3 months.

It is natural for us to cling to this body, because it is hard to disassociate it from the one who lived in it.. who nurtured and raised us and sacrificed for us.  But in reality, it is only the worn out garment that Mom cast aside on Tuesday morning when she went to be with her Lord.

My Mother was a wonderful, godly woman.  There is no way I could put 64 years of memory and appreciation into words today.  I thank God that she was my mother.

Like Abraham Lincoln I would simply say today, “All that I am or ever will be, I owe to my Angel Mother”.

I think Mom’s 85 years could be simply summed up in two words.  Faith and Family

She was the best person I have ever known, but if she were here today she would shun the spotlight.  She would simply say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”.

I miss her and thank God that she is now living in total clarity, in a land where we’ll never grow old, and in the presence of her Lord and Savior.  

This is not goodbye Mom, but only farewell for a little while.

Two Dollars And A Swaller

I guess politics is in my blood.

As a Pastor, I have been convicted about bringing politics into the pulpit.
Not moral issues.
Not biblical issues.
But partisan politics.
You know what I'm talking about. "God is on our side!" "No! He's on our side!"

I have often said "Almighty God does not ride on the back of Elephants or Donkeys, but the last time I said that, Deacon Jim Lackey said "Well, He did one time."  OK. Point made.

Giving props to Palm Sunday, I still stand by my commitment to keep partisan bickering out of the pulpit.
That is hard for me, because my flesh loves it so.  As I said it seems that it is in my blood,

Both of my grandfathers were "New Deal" Democrats.

One ran for, and won public office. He served two terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing Logan Co. In later years he was a lobbyist for the United Mine Workers of America, where he courted all of the Democrat movers and shakers in the Mountain State.

The other was also active in Democrat politics, but in a very different way.  He never ran for office in his native Lincoln County, WV, but he was deeply involved in electing those from his party who did,

Papaw Adkins (Caudle Adkins, Sr.) was a faithful foot soldier for his party in Lincoln Co.  So deep were his Democratic ties, that he even had a German Shepherd named Rex, whom he had taught to sit silently when asked if he were a Republican and to bark loudly when asked "Rex, are you a Democrat?"

This drove his GOP mother in law, from neighboring Wayne Co, crazy.

Testifying to his devotion to the party, during the Great Depression, he was rewarded with a supervisory position on the Works Projects Administration (WPA).

Lincoln County was, and sadly still is, a hotbed of political shenanigans.  As recently as a few years ago, several county officials not only were removed from office for voting irregularities, but also went to prison.

Dad told me once about a time when he was a young boy living in the county seat.  On the night before local elections, he went with Papaw on a "get out the vote project" of sorts.  Dad remembered his father having several crates of small liquor bottles in the trunk of his Ford, and a huge roll of Two Dollar bills in his pocket. They traveled up one hollow after another, stopping from house to house, leaving a bottle and a $2.00 bill for any registered voter who promised to cast his vote for the slate of candidates backed by the county party machine.

Word is that the next day, there was a party official at each precinct who checked each ballot cast by the recipients of the Two Dollars and a Swaller before they went into the ballot box.  If the voter had upheld his end of the transaction, the poll worker would signal a thumbs up to a guy who was lurking around the polling place.  That thumbs up went a long way toward getting gravel on your road when needed before winter.

Dad often told of driving up one creek or another and seeing new gravel along a stretch of road in front of some houses, and just rutted, muddy, ungraveled roadway in front of the homes of those who would have had the nerve to go against the slate.

Apparently there were even dead people who often cast ballots in the Lincoln Co elections back in the day.

It occurs to me that politics hasn't really changed much here in the mountains of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky since the 30's..  Technology has advanced, but money still plays a big role in politics.  If you don't believe that, then you haven't had a television on for a while.

Money still speaks volumes in elections.  I don't know what the cost of a vote would be today, but it appears to be much higher now that "Two Dollars and a Swaller" of my Dad's day.

Just When I Needed It Most

I never cease to be amazed at how our Lord knows exactly what we need, and how He often uses others to encourage us - just when we need it most.

It was the last day of April of this year.  Without going into all the details, let me just say that I was going through a very dark and difficult time in my life and ministry.  Frustration.  Depression. Discouragement.  You've probably been there.

When the mail arrived, there were the usual bills, junk mail, etc. Mixed in with the other stuff, was the card you see pictured here.
It came from a young wife and mother whom I had known since she was in 1st or 2nd grade.  Her parents were old friends of ours and our sons had played baseball together from Little League through High School and Summer Ball.

I hadn't seen the young lady for a number of years.  We were friends on Facebook, so I have been able to keep up with her and her growing young family.  She had married a young man who had been in the youth group at a former church I served as Pastor many years ago.  He had accepted Christ and had a real desire to serve the Lord in his life.  I had not seen either of them in a number of years, yet "out of the blue" at a time when I was beginning to feel "what's the use?", this card comes in the mail.

I am not using their names, as I have not asked her permission to do so, but here is what the young lady had written on the inside:

C.J.,
I'm going to steal a line from a song I'm sure you have heard many times. "Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed." 
I'm not sure if you know what an impact you had on my husband's life.
You were such a strong, Christian role model in _______'s teen age years.  Under your ministry he became a Christian. As a direct result of your ministry I have a Christian husband.  My girls have a Christian father.
He is a leader, serving in our church.,  He is respected at his work and is known as being a man of integrity and character. That is all a direct result of your example in his life.
Although it has been a long time since either of you were at Ashland Baptist, __________ still respects your teaching of the Word and refers back to things you have preached or taught.
I don't believe in coincidence and I think it is amazing that a man who has known my family my whole life is also the man who led another man at a different time in life to the Lord!
It is an assurance to me that God is always working in our lives, even when we don't see it!
Again, I just wanted to take a minute and let you know that we love and appreciate you and Linda and are forever grateful for your ministry and friendship.  Phil. 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."
                                             In Christ's Love,
                                             ___________________

Well, let me tell you this.  By the time I got to the end of the note I could barely read it for the tears welling up in my eyes.

I hadn't had much contact with either of these folks in a number of years, yet God used this young lady to minister to me in such a tremendous way.

I began to think about how God put it on her heart a couple of days earlier to send this card and write that beautiful note, and drop it in the mail so I would receive it when I was at my lowest point in years! As Dr. Chuck Kelley would say, "To coin an ancient Hebrew expression, WOW!"

I immediately wrote her a private message on Facebook to thank her, and here is the exchange.

Dear ________,
I received your beautiful card and note yesterday afternoon. You cannot imagine what it meant to me especially with what I was going through at the time. Our God used you to bless and encourage me when I needed it most. Thanks for being attuned to His Spirit and being used by Him to encourage this old preacher.
I love you guys and am humbled that The Lord allowed me to be part of His plan for your lives, Oh how He loves us!

Here is her reply:
I can't express to you how strongly God had put you on my heart to send it....and how much the devil has been on my back since!! He does love us!! Have a blessed day

Isn't it interesting how she said God had put me so strongly on her heart ?
She had no idea of the valley I was walking through at the time.

Isn't it also interesting how Satan had hit her so hard for being obedient to the Father?

What a wonderful Lord we serve. He knows us. He loves us. And He's there just when we need Him the most.

Circumstances actually got worse for me over the next two months, but God used this young lady and her note to help remind me that it hasn't been in vain. My spirits were raised, and His Spirit helped carry me through the next two months with the joy that comes from knowing Him.

Thank you, Lord for using this young lady to bless me and minister to my spirit, when I needed it so badly.

And thank you _____________ for being obedient to His Spirit.

Called To Serve

We find the need for deacons (servants) in the church arose in the early days of the church in Jerusalem in the 1st Century. As you can see, from the scripture passage below from the book of Acts, chapter 6, the seven men selected, were chosen for the purpose of serving to make sure the material  needs of all of the widows in the church were met.

Even though the Greek word "diakonos" (attendant or servant) is not used here it is important to note that these men were chosen to be servants of the church, and not the "governing board" of the church, nor are they anywhere referred to as pastors, bishops, overseers, or elders. The job description is simple and straightforward.

We see that the Apostles gave instructions as to the qualifications of the men to be chosen. They were quite simple as well - they were to select men with:
* A good reputation
* A Spirit filled life
* Wisdom
* (and, by implication) A heart and willingness to serve

Seven men were chosen and "ordained" to do the work.

The results were that a divisive issue in the church was settled, the pastors (Apostles) were freed up spend more time in prayer and the ministry of the Word, and most importantly, the "word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith".

Wow!

Here is how Luke reported it in the Scriptures:

(1) Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. (2) And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. (3) Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (4) But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (5) And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. (6) These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1b-7(ESV)


Now, in Paul's first letter to Timothy (chapter 3) he points out the qualifications for Bishops and for Deacons. The are listed here and rather easily understood.

(8) Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. (9) They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. (10) And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. (11) Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. (12) Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. (13) For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:8b-13(ESV)

Since the office of Deacon itself is a servant position we should be reminded that servants are not chosen to be exalted or honored. Their duty is to humbly do those lowly jobs that need to be done, but not to receive glory, power or position. However, Notice that verse 13 does tell of the reward for faithfully fulfilling the office.
"For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus."

I thank God for humble men who are willing to serve God through the local church when their church calls, and for men who realize they are called to "wait tables" not to "manage the restaurant".

Tension Breaker. Had To Be Done.

My brothers and I were in Dad's house the day after his funeral. The place was just as he had left it when I had picked him up that morning, just five weeks earlier to take him to see his doctor over some breathing problems he had been having.  It would be the last time he would ever be in his home of 62 years. It was an eerie feeling, looking over all of Dad's belongings. So many things that he had accumulated - each of them valuable to him (if no one else).

In a corner of the front bedroom I came across this model of Joan C. Edwards Stadium, the home of Dad's beloved Marshall University Thundering Herd.  Dad was a season ticket holder there for many years and he loved the game day experience.

The memories came back in a torrent when I remembered the first time I had ever seen the little replica of "The Joan".

It was early December, 2004 and I was a patient at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, KY.  Four days earlier I had gone through extensive abdominal surgery.  A colonoscopy two weeks earlier had revealed a large mass in my right ascending colon. Dr, Warrier, who had done the test told us that it was likely that the mass was malignant, and that we should see a surgeon immediately.  Within a week, Dr. Staten had done my surgery.  He told me that he had removed about three feet of my colon.  He told me that he had seen some suspicious spots on my liver, had biopsied them, and also removed several lymph nodes for biopsies as well.  Plus, he said, while in there he removed my appendix.

Now, four days later I was beginning to feel much better as I recovered from the surgery.  I had been up walking that day, and I was hoping to go home in a couple of days. Even though we knew we were probably going to be dealing with cancer, we were still waiting for the results of the pathology reports and were optimistic that the malignancy was still contained in the colon.

I had several visitors that day.  Linda was there with me (she had rarely left my side since the operation).  My son, Benji's in laws, Lance and Linda Clanton had come by to see me, and Mom and Dad had driven down from Huntington to see me for the first time since the surgery.

Dad had brought with him his brand new prized possession - the scale model of Marshall Stadium that had come as a surprise gift from Mom's sister, Dori, in Houston.  She knew how much he loved the Herd and had ordered the keepsake for him as a surprise gift.  Dad proudly pointed out to the Clantons where his seats were located, and we talked about the good times we had experienced in that place.

While they were all there, my family doctor, John Darnell, came in to see me.  On this occasion, however, he had two nurses with him. Normally he made his rounds alone.  We exchanged pleasantries and introductions of the visitors and he asked how I was feeling. We talked about the fact that I would probably be discharged in a couple of days.

"Any questions?" he asked.

"Yes" I said.  "When will we find out the results of the pathology tests?  Will Dr. Staten give me the report, or will you, or what?"

Dr Darnell looked around the room uncomfortably. "I can give you the results now if you like..." he said quietly.  Again he gave an uncomfortable look around the room at the visitors who were there.

"These folks are all family" I replied. "They can hear whatever I hear".

"Well" he said, after clearing his throat and looking at the chart he carried in his hand.  "The mass in your colon was malignant. Also the biopsies of your liver and lymph nodes showed that the cancer has spread to other areas of your body.  You have a very aggressive form of cancer. You are in Stage 4, and it is incurable."

I heard a short gasp escape Linda's lips.  Everyone else was totally silent.

I remember thinking, so this is what if feels like when they tell you "you're going to die". Here I was,  only 54 years old, and I had just come face to face with my mortality, and I felt nothing. Just numb.

The silence was deafening.

It seemed like forever. No one said a word. The Doctor sat quietly waiting for me to ask the obvious question (how long do I have?) but the words just didn't come.

More silence.

Then from the other side of my bed I heard my Dad's voice. "Hey Doc!  Look what my sister in law sent me from Texas!" he said holding up the stadium model.

Dr. Darnell's reaction was priceless. His head snapped toward Dad, and with a puzzled look on his face, said weakly, "Yeah. That's nice.".

I've thought a thousand times what he and those nurses must have thought.  "I've just told this guy he's going to die, and his Dad wants to show me a stadium replica!"  They probably thought he was crazy, but anyone who knows my Dad, knows exactly what he was doing.

Tension breaker.Had to be done!

It worked.  I snapped back to reality and asked the Doctor what comes next.  He said we need to get you with an Oncologist.  Although the diagnosis was "incurable", hopefully my life could be prolonged for a few months with chemotherapy treatments. I quickly asked if I could see Dr. Kirti Jain, and Darnell told me he would get that arranged, and he quickly exited the room.

It was a typical Caudle Adkins moment.

Although the situation was serious, the silence was broken, the mood was lightened.

It wasn't that Dad didn't didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. Nor did he think that little stadium replica was that important.  I was his oldest son.  His namesake.  His colleague in ministry. He understood completely, and I'm sure his heart was broken to hear what we had just heard.

However, Dad just had the gifts of common sense, discernment, and the ability to defuse any tense situation with his down home sense of humor.

That stadium replica sits in my office at the church today.

I cherish the memory of my Dad's actions on the day I heard the worst news of my life.

I miss him so much, and I thank God every day that I was blessed to be raised by Caudle and Patsy Adkins. I'm thankful for the priceless memories I have of him.

I love you Dad, and I'll see you soon!

Jack Hollan...One Of A Kind!

Today I have the opportunity and privilege to deliver the eulogy at Second Baptist Church of Ashland, KY for the funeral service of my long time friend and neighbor Jack Hollan. One of my great joys was leading Jack to the Lord Jesus Christ on August 31, 2012, and the blessing of helping his pastor, Ed Caudill baptize Jack.  The following post are the notes I will be using. I hope it will be a fitting tribute to a good and decent man, and a blessing to his family.

Jack Hollan was one of a kind.  He was an original.  He was a fixture in the community, and he will be missed. He was the neighbor who was always dependable.

·        He was the guy who was always aware of what was going on in the neighborhood and in the town in general.  (I called him the mayor of east Ashland)

·        He was the guy who always had the tool you needed, and was glad to loan it to you, or even to use it himself while helping you with your project. 

·        He’s the guy who always had a project going himself, whether it was a remodeling project in the house, or manicuring his lawn. (he had the best little lawn on 49^th street.  The rest of us just had “yards”).

• He’s the guy who had a strong opinion on just about everything, and would share it with you at the drop of a hat. (and when necessary, he would supply the hat!)
• He’s the guy who had a distain for those who could work, but wouldn’t, but he would go out of his way to help or even employ folks who were willing to work to try to better themselves.
• He’s the guy who always had time for the kids or the elderly people in our neighborhood. And they loved him for it.
• He’s the guy who loved politics.  We had many political discussions over the years.  We were almost always in agreement on issues regarding our city and local government.  But I would guess that we cancelled out each other’s votes for President in every election since 1980!
• He’s the guy who always had a story to tell about his daughters and His grandchildren.
• He’s the guy who loved his family more than anything on Earth.

It was that family that motivated Jack.  While he worked hard to support them financially, he and Doris both poured their lives into their four girls and each of them bear the indelible imprint of their parents.  Jack shared his knowledge with the girls and encouraged them to gain all the formal education available, but above that he shared his common sense and his wisdom.  There is no doubt in my mind that he loved Doris, Linda, Debbie, Jenny, and Laura with all his heart. He supported the girls in their activities and he doted on each grandchild. 

Jack lost his mother at an early age. And although he and his siblings grew up with the love of the remaining family,  It was a loss he felt deeply for the remainder of his life.  I’m thankful that about 2 years ago came to peace over it when he trusted Christ as his Savior right there in his living room. I believe the impact of the loss he experienced as a child helped forge him into the fine “family man” that he became.

Over the past 34 years, I knew Jack to be a man of character and integrity.  His word was his bond. He couldn’t abide a thief or a liar and he could spot a phony a mile away!  He had a deep sense of fair play, and he had compassion for the down trodden. If you were a political candidate or a government official, he could be your best friend, or your worse nightmare! When I served in elected office and as a volunteer on boards in the city, I often sought out Jack’s opinion and advice and I valued it.

He boldly stood up and was willing to fight for what he thought was right and for the good of our community, such as working to keep neighborhood schools, fighting Pollution from the Coke Plant, advocating for a neighborhood crime watch, fighting with CSX for a quiet zone for the railroad, and battling the guy from Huntington who wanted to put in the adult bookstore on the corner lot.

He lived his life at a high moral code, but much like Jesus said to the Rich Young Ruler we read about in the scriptures, there was “one thing he lacked” and that was the most important thing to every human. A personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

I am thankful that on the last day of August Jack took care of that “one thing”.  He surrendered his will to God’s will and accepted Jesus as his Savior.  What a joy it was for me to be able to help Bro. Eddie Caudill baptize Jack right here at 2^nd Baptist Church in full view of his family, friends, and neighbors.

I am thankful that I have had opportunity to know Jack Hollan for over half of my life and to call him my friend.

It is natural for us to cling to this body … But in reality it is only the worn out garment that Jack cast aside on Monday afternoon when he left this world and entered into the presence of the Lord.

I believe he is there today.  Not because of any good things he has done to deserve it, but because he had trusted Jesus to do for him what no one else could do.  Not a loving wife, or children. But through faith in Christ alone. I’m glad he left that testimony.

So don’t grieve as those who have no hope. Remember.  Christians will never see each other for the last time.

Help Needed. You May Just Be The One God Is Calling!

Jesus told his disciples not to prohibit little children from coming to Him.  In fact He said that they should welcome the presence of little children, and to share the Good News with them.  Westmoreland Baptist Church has been attempting to do just that through Children’s Ministry on our campus at the corner of Hughes and Court Streets for the past 99 years.

We have been granted a tremendous opportunity to do just that, outside the setting of our local church.  God has richly blessed this opportunity, but we are at a point now where we need help. I believe there are some readers out there who God is preparing to step in and help us carry out a tremendous ministry to children at Central City Elementary School located in the West End of Huntington, WV.

In past years many of us have lamented judicial decisions to “take the Bible out of the public schools”.  However, through His providence, (and a ruling from the Supreme Court) God has, indeed, allowed us to take the Bible and the Good News of Jesus into the public schools through after school programs.

This September we will be beginning our second full year of reaching the children of Central City Elementary by partnering with Child Evangelism Fellowship and a neighboring church (Sunshine FWB) with a Good News Club.

We began our Good News Club during the last five weeks of the 2012-2013 school year.  In that short time we were able to minister to 10 children who stayed after school for an hour on Thursday evenings. Those kids were treated to delicious snacks, a fun time of recreation, songs, a Bible memory verse each week, along with a Bible lesson, missionary story, and a Gospel presentation.  Several children made professions of faith during those few weeks. 

Last school year we were blessed to enroll 27 children in our Good News Club.  But along with the blessing of an enrollment that nearly tripled in number, came the problem of a shortage of helpers.  For the ministry to be successful and to grow in number, we MUST enlist some new workers for the coming school year.

We desperately need to have enough helpers to split the children into two age groups. The future effectiveness and success of this ministry rests solely on God providing us with enough helpers to make this work.

The requirements and qualifications for workers and helpers are simple.  The workers must be born again followers of Jesus Christ.  They must love children, and be able to pass a criminal background check, and attend a brief training session offered by Child Evangelism Fellowship.  And they must be willing to give about an hour and a half of their time on Thursday afternoons in serving the Lord through serving these children.

Would YOU be willing to help?

You do not have to be a gifted musician or Bible teacher (although we can always use more of those), you just need to be willing to help.  Beside the obvious teaching and singing folks, we need helpers who are willing to serve in any of these other ways:

• Refreshments
• Games and recreation
• Passing out materials
• Greeting parents when they pick up the children
• Provide a loving presence for the children during the club hour
• Help with keeping order and attention
• Taking care of records
• Helping prepare materials
• Prayer support
• And other tasks as needs arise

We need to be there by 2:45 when school dismisses, to greet the children, and stay till the parents pick them up at 4:00.

We have had a wonderful crew of workers since day one, but during the last school one has passed away and two have had health situations that have limited their availability.

Would you be willing to help us this year? I will be glad to share more information with anyone who may be interested in being part of what God is doing at Central City.

Feel free to contact me via private message through Facebook, or by email at pastoradkins@frontier.com, or by calling the church office at 304-429-1348.  If you get voice mail, just leave a message with your name and number.  We will get back to you.

I pray that God will raise up individuals who will be willing to help in some way.