It is easy to feel discouraged when we look around our congregation and remember the good old days when our congregation was full of young children. It is logical to wonder what difference our outreach programs like Easter Jubilee, VBS, and Lent Giveaways make when we do not see many new families joining our church. Recently, I learned of two young men whose lives were deeply impacted by the wonderful, faithful people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The first young man was William Billings. He attended St. Tim’s as a child with his mother, Jeannette Corey. William is in the Marine Corps now and was married during a very brief leave in July. He wanted to get married at St. Tim’s because his childhood at St. Tim’s had so deeply and positively affected him. He wanted to get married in the church that first planted the seeds of faith that have grown deep and strong inside him. He wanted to be married in the congregation that had taught him about God’s love not just through words but also through actions. The second young man is Keegan Reilly, great-nephew of Barb Vecsi. Keegan frequently came to St. Tim’s with Barb as a child. He is now a freshman in college and when he heard about our VBS he asked if he could help. The Bible stories mattered but even more, our love has forever shaped this young man. What we do matters. We are here for a purpose. God is still at work through us. Two young men stand firm in a foundation built through love, Bible stories, and some fun. We do not always see the fruits of our labor but what we do makes a difference in the lives of others. Keep it up. Continue to invite people to church and continue to share God’s love. You never know what seeds you are planting and how the Holy Spirit is moving.
