Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Hello Folks,
     It is good to be back home.  I have been gone for 2 weeks and enjoyed my time but sure missed being with you all.  Ruth and I were in Mountain Grove, Mo for a week where I preached in the camp meeting there.  There were twelve services that I preached and Ruth sang in two of them.  The people were wonderful, the weather was great, even with the rain, and the food was exceptional.  I concentrated in the evening worship services from Wed. through Sunday a.m. on the message of the Church of God Reformation Movement.  It seems to me, and I may be wrong, but our people are hungry to know what we believe and why we believe it.  Some of them have been in Church of God congregations for years and their pastors have failed to proclaim those truths.  While I realize that we want to see people saved but there is more than salvation that must be declared.  Sanctification, Second Coming, Holiness, and other such messages must be delivered or we will grow people who will be spiritually malnourished.  What an honor and privilege it was for me to be with those people and to preach the Word of God.
     We also got to spend some time with our son, James, his wife, Michele, and their two daughters, Jordyn and Alexis.  I was able to take the girls to school and pick them up which was a pleasure for me.  Some of those things that many of you get to do with your grandchildren are seldom experienced by me and Ruth.  I also spent some time with James just doing some of the normal things like eating and talking.  My daughter-in-law, Michele, trilled me by just spending some time talking with her and listening to her talk about her job and the challenges that she faces.  Those are some of the joys that I experienced while on vacation.
     Tomorrow we will have our annual Business Meeting.  It is always a lot of work for the leadership of this congregation to get things together like our Budget.  This congregation will look to the next year financially and in placement of new leadership.  Every new fiscal year reveals what our efforts and challenges will be in the year to come.  I look forward to His grace in everything that takes place.

Have a great one,

HGRudd