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There is so much about my church leaders that I am truly thankful for, but I would have to say that I am most grateful for their willingness to drop whatever they’re doing when the phone rings to help a person in need. There has never been a time that we needed prayer or support that our pastor was not at our sides as soon as possible. He even offered to fly home from Thanksgiving at his daughter’s home in Georgia to be with us when my grandfather passed away last November. Pastor Henry has such great compassion for each person in our church and it shows no matter what. It may be a simple smile and nudge when he’s walking past you in the hall, or a huge hug after church when you’ve been to the altar and he knows you’re hurting. It’s great to know how much he loves our church, and we are very thankful for all he does for us.

Well, to be honest, many well meaning churches and/or pastors tend to get caught up in the political and ideoligical riff raff that most unchurched people seem to find intolerable. Even as a church staffer I would find myself frustrated much of the time. But these past few years God has reminded me of a simple truth: the church is His Bride. Tattered and torn, blemishes and all she is His Bride and will one day be made spotless. With that newfound level of awe and respect I was able to transition into the role of Campus Minsiter and simply attend a church that I was not “working for.” My family and I have been so blessed by our new church family for so many reasons but largely because they are a body that reached out and welcomed us not only into the community but also into their homes and hearts. Our Pastor is a man of God, but also a devoted family man who doesn’t leave his family on the alter of church success. Our worship is sweet and Christ-focused and I know that my boys are being brought up in a Biblical atmosphere and for that I am truly thankful.

Giving. It’s a tough thing to do. And yet when we are asked the question (as we are often times around this time of year) “What are you thankful for?,” we have to pause in the light of giving to answer that question. If you grew up in church, you know the verse well; For God so loved the world, the He gave is only Son…John 3:16. Giving. It’s what we are ALL thankful for in our ministry. Personally, I’m thankful to be a part of a church that is committed to learning how to be a giving church. Our local church community in a suburb of a large city, and we’ve done some dangerous and risky things financially (even in a down economy) in order to reach out in the name of Jesus. For one - they hired me - a twenty something youth pastor with crazy ideas about loving God and loving others. Risk. We bought the house next door and called it the “Outreach House,” in the hopes that we could use it for small groups and outreach ministries. Giving. All my thankful thoughts these days go to our leadership teams for being brave enough in uncertain times to BE the church in our corner of the world. I’m thankful to be a part of that.Blessings~

I am most thankful for my Pastor. I have never been involved in ministry with someone who has as much love for teens and young adults, as he does for older people. I am a volunteer Youth Pastor, and he is always willing to give me anything I need to do my ministry well. He even dyed his hair purple on a Sunday morning for a fundraiser. It is rare to find a Pastor that gives equal love and attention to young people as he does to the older crowd. That is why I am most thankful for my Pastor.