June 2, 2026

Happy Father's Day! and Happy Summer! The first month of our traditional Summer holiday 3 months. May was a busy month, and June appears to be a full one as well. Praise God! Our two other churches (NBMBC & VGBC) are thriving and serving their members and the community; the New United Gospel Food Mission need is great yet God keeps providing both food and volunteers; the Annandale Greenway Alliance planted a native plants bed for us; the DMV Asian Night Market utilizes our parking lot well once a month; Amerikids’ children’s voices fill the courtyard on nice days; Arch Home Care is helping families cope with aging; FACETS stores diapers for giveaway to assist Fairmont Gardens residents; GUTS Toastmasters is grieving the loss of Bernie Cohen but carrying on his example; Kohaku Ensemble is rehearsing for their October recital; local voice teachers are having recitals here; Sopranessence ladies had a successful Benefit Concert here with new attendees; a wedding was held in late April; and another will be held August 30 in the Vietnamese Gospel Church service! Church is no longer just on Sundays! Christ is present every day of the week on our campus, and because of your support, we set the example for many other churches.

 

Yesterday, during a lunch with fellow pastors and denominational leaders from MACBF and CBF Global, Exec. Coordinator Paul Baxley shared that our 2014 Mission Center model is now a popular financial model for many CBF churches. “You pastors are not alone in the struggle. A massive economic and congregational shift has occurred in all churches, not to mention the economic instability of today’s world. Your (attendance) decline is not because of music choice or a bad sermon! The ministry marketplace and theological educational models are changing dramatically everywhere too! The fastest growing seminary training is online and not on a campus. This presents a congregational opportunity to develop leaders by ‘naming, noticing, and nurturing’ those who are called into ministry. CBF will be launching new Financial Health resources for churches, denominational partner trainings, and mentorships.” Our rich and affirming conversations continued after his presentation, so I feel encouraged and looking forward to the CBF General Assembly in Jacksonville, FL June 17-20 to connect with like-minded pastors and transforming churches like ours. Yes, we are making slow progress and it won’t show up on Sundays like the 1950’s experience of church, but the triune God is still in charge, and we are called to be his voice in this world and our neighborhoods and even in our families who may have strayed from Christian practices. We must be the hope and clarity of our faith. Remember my reading of The Tree that Survived the Winter? You are loved. “I am the vine, you are the branches, John 15:5.” Amen!​​

​

May 5, 2026

Happy Mother’s Day! We celebrate you this Sunday as a nurturing woman, mother, grandmother, great-grand, aunt, etc. We also recognize National Nurses Week (May 6–12) where we and health organizations recognize your sacrifices, service, and dedication caring for others and improving their health. Nurses provide care through every stage of life, working with patients at their most intimate and vulnerable moments. We also say Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We express this week (May 4-8) our heartfelt gratitude to all teachers and educators, those currently teaching and those retired. Every day, they show up and make a lasting, positive impact on their students and communities. Say a prayer of gratitude for your favorite teacher, nurse, and your mom. We all say THANK YOU!

 

Mothers, Nurses, Teachers, and dare I say, Pastors, all need times of rest and renewal in their schedules, and most serving professions forget to do that. In April, I was both inspired and blessed by an intentional creative arts retreat in Lynchburg; a long and winding ride but a beautiful one in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Eagle Eyrie, a historic Baptist Convention Center, lived up to its excellent reputation (my first time there!). The land grant goes back to 1761 and passed through two families until in 1950 the Baptist General Association of Virginia purchased the property to hold children’s, youth, music, and adult conferences and retreats for 20,000 Christian visitors each year since. It wasn’t fancy and there were lots of steps and hills because it all was built into the mountain, but the food and the people were wonderful. Female leaders in diverse ministry positions from VA, NC, and even PA were present for worship, rest, fellowship, and creative expression (painting, photography, writing, poetry, collage), all the while listening for God’s voice and direction. Shalom Creatives, Madison Heights Baptist Church, and CBF partnered to provide generous hospitality, daily prayer cards, and reduced rates. God was fully present there, and see, Baptists can work together well! 

 

On the first Friday of May, the Virginia Baptist Women in Ministry (VBWIM) gather annually to celebrate, empower, learn, encourage one another, and associate. The lunch is called FEAST! It is always a feast of worship, communion, Scripture, teachings, prayer, creativity, lunch, and this year more connecting regionally and by ministry roles. It was started in 1988, 4 years after the SBC (So. Bapt. Conv.) challenged all women in church leadership. Being on the Board of Directors has strengthened my own ministry. We share resources, education, and experience, so that these connections broaden our church’s reputation and make me a better pastor for you. May is a busy month; we are ready!

​

April 7, 2026

Happy Eastertide! He is Risen! Hallelujah! I hope you had a lovely Easter celebration after a reflective Lenten period (40 days), a joyous Palm Sunday, communal Maundy Thursday, and a Good Friday to ponder the crucifixion. As you can see in the photos, ours was full and meaningful. We thank David & Beth Evans, Charles Potter, Andrew Lam, and Debbie Caffrey for adding to various expressions of music in this season. Also, thanks to Elmer Shoemaker (flowers & greeting), Bob Harward (Sound), Bill Harward (Photos), Debbie (flowers & choir), Roudaina Iskander (admin & catering), and Pedro Figaro (setup & prep) for your contributions to the services. For those who couldn’t be here, we understand but missed you! God provided all we needed as usual.

 

In the weeks leading up to Easter, we learned from Gospel writer John, that Jesus healed and transformed lives (John 4:19-30), maintained a deep relationship with God his Father (John 5:16-44), forgave sin (including our own--John 8:1-20), led people in a servant’s humble demeanor (John 12:1-19), accepted his punishment, sacrificing his earthly life (John 17-19), and overcame death (John 20:1-18). These sermons from March and April can be found on our website under the “Services” tab, if you missed them and want to experience Easter’s back story!

 

Reading each year of this familiar story, I search for something I didn’t realize or connect before. This year, I was struck by 3 things: none of the disciples or Mary Magdelene understood how, why, or that God would interrupt the dying-burial process! That led to their confusion. Another was seeing that Jesus’ beloved disciple didn’t fully believe in what was said until he saw the folded grave clothes for himself (like our own skepticism of faith). The last connection is our theme, Roots & Branches: how Jesus and his relationship with Father God are indeed the roots of our faith; the trunk might be the eternal life yet short ministry of Christ expressed through Scriptures, forming rings of spiritual growth like tree rings. Sharing this good news becomes the branches of outreach and evangelism (like the apostles Peter’s and Paul’s ministries); and the leaves are the new lives born and changed through Jesus Christ our Savior, Lord, and Messiah. What were your “Aha’s!” from Easter this year? We’ll continue with Jesus’ appearances and ascension to complete the resurrection in the next few Sundays. Hope to see you!

​

March 3, 2026

This time last month, we were recovering from snow-crete, icy walks, and huge snow banks. It certainly was dangerous but mostly inconvenient. Today, there were unnecessary but cautious school delays in case of more ice. Another inconvenience for parents who work. Even though it is a gray kind of day, we praise the Lord it is warming up soon. However, compared to recent events and the Middle East conflict where hundreds were killed and displaced, snow is a blessing. We are praying for many friends, colleagues, military personnel, and extended family members who are in harms way in that region. If you would like to join us to pray for these known individuals more specifically, call the office or my cell, and I’ll share with you serious and immediate international needs. There are many, and if you’re willing to come to the church during the day, we can arrange a time for quiet prayer in the Sanctuary. In your daily prayer practices, please lift up those on our Agape Prayer list on the last page of this Vision newsletter as you always do. We usually increase our prayer time during Lent anyway, but we especially need to be praying now.

 

Christ is present in all these circumstances. It is because of God’s immense love of his creation (us) that he “. . . gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17 NLT).” We studied Nicodemus’ incredulity and transformation this past Sunday (John 3:1-17 NLT) Sermon can be found here on our website. On the 15th we held an old fashioned Hymn Sing with David Evans leading with history and information on each of your requests. “Hymns have historically been used in crises as a tool for emotional comfort, communal solidarity, and spiritual strength, offering a way to express grief, fear, and hope when words fail. They provided a sense of familiarity during turmoil, such as epidemics or wars, and functioned as a, peaceful, unifying force during social upheavals (online search).” I encourage you this week to thumb through your old hymnals and sing one or two, reading the Scripture it refers to at the top under the title. If you need a hymnal for your personal use, please contact me or ask on Sunday; we have ones from the 50’s and the 1981 blue Baptist Hymnal available.

 

Let us remember the sermon topic on 2/22/26: “You Are Not Alone!” Although that was a lesson from Jethro to Moses in Exodus 18:13-27 about delegation, it applies to times like these as well. We must not wear ourselves or others out by worry or trying to do it all alone; we need one another for comfort, encouragement, accountability, agape love, hope, and to sustain our faith. Amen.

​