The next year, the vacated parsonage added educational space. A preschool and daycare became part of an emphasis on outreach and youth as we began work on a long range plan to address both current and future needs. Worship attendance is about 180, Sunday school about 110, and the preschool attendance is 60. We transformed our staff to include a Lay assistant and part-time secretary. As new residents continue to pour into the area, we regularly make contact with new families.
Old traditions die hard when people are caught in the winds of change.
Some feel loss when a congregation's mission changes, for new people bring different visions. Go with God's timing. God brought together the right combination of people and talents at the right moment for us as both the congregation and I needed to grow to act within our new circumstances. Some groundwork had been laid. My call signaled that the time for action had come.