Writing a New Story

MOOOO …

“Did you hear that,” I asked.

“What? The car passing by,” Marcia replied.

MOOOO …

“That wasn’t a car, it was a cow. The cows have come to welcome us to Habersham County.”

And so it was. On the day the moving vans rolled in from Beaufort; the bull, cows and new calves arrived in the pasture behind our new home to deliver their raucous greetings. The girls ran to catch a glimpse. Marcia and I hurried to keep up. Pushing our way through the underbrush we came to the edge of the field. Captured by amazement, we watched our new neighbors remind us of the new story God was writing in our lives in our new hometown.

As I begin as your new pastor, God has already begun to write a new story in my life. This story is marked by wonderful experiences of the call process, the smoothness of the transition, the generosity of so many, and of course, a warm welcome from a herd of cows! New beginnings – like welcoming a new pastor or moving to a new community – provide us new opportunities to be open to change in our story. As we begin ministry with one another, God has begun to write a new story in the people called First Baptist Church as well. I do not know our future, the chapters in the new story being written, but I am certain God has great things in store for all of us. As we begin this new story together, let us start looking for the movement of the Spirit of God within us.

Over the next couple of months in worship, we will focus on our stories – God’s story and our story. As we examine the narrative of God’s story in scripture, I will share parts of my story with you to help you know me better. We will also have a chance to hear faith stories from members in our congregation as they share ways God has transformed them. I hope you will make worship a priority in your life and invite friends and neighbors to come be a part of this great new story God is writing through First Baptist Church.

Connecting

I am still discovering the best rhythm of ministerial life in Cornelia. In a general sense, though, let me share with you some aspects of my work week.

Mondays: Visits, meetings, and sermon study

Tuesday am: Staff meeting; pm: Meetings and visits

Wednesday am: Meetings and visits; pm: Study time

Thursday am: Sermon Study; pm: meetings and visits

Friday: Day off

Saturday: Ministry events/day off

Sunday: See you at church!

One of my goals as we start ministry together is to hear as many of our stories as possible. What a great chance to get to know one another. If you have time for lunch, some free time where I can stop by, will be in town and want to stop by the church or some other creative way for us to share, please contact me. While you can always reach me at through the church office, here are some other ways you can contact me:

Cell phone: 706-499-9999

Email: espivey@fbccornelia.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/eric.spivey

Blog: http://erictspivey.blogspot.com/

I cannot express adequately how excited Marcia and I are to finally be in Cornelia. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us here. I look forward to hearing your story soon.

Pastor Eric