The 125th Anniversary of First Baptist Lumberton

Today I went home. It was the 125th Anniversary Celebration of my home church, First Baptist Lumberton. There were so many who came! So many memories came flooding in my mind.

My family joined this church the summer before my seventh grade year. We had been attending another church down the road from our house. Following a season of prayer, my father told us girls that God was calling us to serve in another church. Now, my dad was not a preacher or even a deacon. But he sure isn't a "pew warmer". And, when God told him to do something, he pretty much did it....always has, always will.

Needless to say, I was not excited about leaving the church that I had grown up in. I was just going into Junior High...very awkward age to say the least. I was also very, very shy! We went and visited First Lumberton. I was so scared! What if the kids here do not like me? What if I don't fit in? Why didn't God just let us stay where we were?

I can remember the first Sunday night we visited. There was a full choir of youth. Now, I loved music...so this really caught my interest. Then, some of the youth came to me after the service. They invited me to go with the group to eat pizza after the service. This was a once a month tradition for years!

I just about passed out right then and there. They were inviting me!

And that was the beginning. I was actively involved in the youth all through junior high and high school. I remember so many things about that time....

I remember....
being part of a caring youth group......
Bible drill
youth choir (I had my first experience with a female music director....that is when I first felt the call to serve in ministry, to be honest. All my life, I never saw a female serve on staff at a church.)
serving on ministry teams
being part of a team that started a devotion time during break time at school
singing with a great adult choir
my sister's baptism
my dad's deacon ordination

I also remember later on serving on staff there. It was truly a wonderful time.....the music director had grown up in that church....and I did, also. During that time, the church truly saw a clear picture of the fruit they were sowing.

May God continue to bless this church. May He continue to draw hearts to Himself. And then, may those hearts step out and reach others for Him!