Dear Pastor and Brethren:
Another New Year
2021 started with an unusual amount of consternation and fear in the hearts of most people in general. Political fear, economic fear, and health fear seem to head the list of those fears. However, we are not afraid by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Did not the Psalmist say, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” How can we fear while seated at such a table of spiritual prosperity?
Some Early Blessings
Although we have, for the most part, lost our Latino outreach, we now have Jose Bautista and two of his children, Josselyn and Jesus (Hesus), regularly attending our Sunday services. We have two Mexican brothers and their lady friend expressing their desire to come to a Sunday service but have been hindered by work demands thus far. LaShonda and her boys, Dona’te, and Deonta, were out for two weeks due to Covid-19 positive results being found in Dona’te. Thankfully, the Lord prevented any serious symptoms from developing in Dona’te’s life, and they have promised to return to services the seventh of February. During January we had our highest number in attendance on the tenth with sixteen attendees. We had a repeat visitor, LaShonda’s niece, Tyasia, visit with us on the seventeenth, giving us fourteen in attendance on that Sunday. Sickness and the loss of Bro. Ruben’s three children from our services have affected our attendance numbers. We are rejoicing over the Lord’s blessings in spite of pandemic fears.
Ministry Blessings
I finished my expository preaching on the Gospel of John the third Sunday of January and have begun a series of messages defining the differences between law and grace. These are transition messages defining the Old Testament dispensation of the Law and the New Testament dispensation of Grace. Lord willing, and after these transition messages, I will begin expository preaching on the Book of Acts, inculcating the doctrine of ecclesiology within the messages. The biblical doctrine of these messages is greatly needed by our attendees for their spiritual growth. We hope and pray that the Lord might add some to our mission by scriptural baptism as they learn what that truly is, and that some souls might be truly born again as well and also added by scriptural baptism. May this new year be a year of wonderful spiritual blessings, by God’s grace.
By His grace and in loving gratitude,
Tim and Roxanne Parrow