Church: Recent Episodes
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It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost here. And, Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday of the year. It’s the time of year when extended family and friends get together to prepare and share a meal, memories are made, shopping kicks off (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday…) and for some, Christmas decorating begins. For me, it’s about traditions such as advent calendars for the kiddos, planning for Christmas get-togethers, holiday baking and Hallmark movie marathons. But Thanksgiving is so much more – it’s “giving thanks” and there’s so many ways to do so. I’m truly grateful and thankful for the numerous blessings in my life – too many to name. And, as I engage in my Thanksgiving traditions again this year, I’ll prioritize the most important day of the week – Giving Tuesday, the annual celebration of generosity. I’ll prayerfully decide how I’m giving back – paying it forward. Whether it’s making a meal for others, volunteering my time, donating to a ministry of the church or all of the above, it’s important to me to bless others as I’ve been (and continue to be) blessed.This year I hope you will join me in giving thanks. And, I hope you will also join me in remembering the family, friends, and others that are no longer with us.It’s been such a blessing for me to support Wright’s Chapel online ministries and to worship remotely with each of you – this is what community is all about! If church online is the way that you and your family worship each week, or simply on occasion, we hope that you will let us know of your attendance via chat/comments if worshiping via Facebook or YouTube. If you’re new to online worship, we invite you to complete the online connect card to ensure we have your updated contact information so that we can personally thank you for worshiping with us.Have a question about Wright’s Chapel? Do you have an interest in learning more about the ministries at Wright’s Chapel and how you can get involved? Feel free to contact me directly via email at tonya@wrightschapel.org or by phone or text at 540-604-0038. I look forward to hearing from you.And, I look forward to supporting you in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world – together, we can.Blessings,Tonya
As Summer winds down and we get back into the hustle and bustle that comes with the Fall season, I find myself already planning for the upcoming holidays. I’ve started baking my friendship beads to put in the freezer (these make for great gifts), jotting down what’s on the menu for our Thanksgiving meals and scoping out what movie Ken and I will go to on Christmas Day. Hint: I’m thinking Aquaman 2, but I’ll need the next few months to get Ken on board with this choice.This is also the season when weekday evening Bible studies kick off. I’m super-excited about our upcoming biblical feast which will begin on Wednesday, October 4th at 6:00, a 7-session Bible study on the book of Psalms titled “As For Me” a Bible Study by Adrienne Camp. Throughout this study, we’ll gain a deeper understanding of who God is and be encouraged to hold on to Him no matter what is happening around us. The Bible Study Book with Video Access is available for purchase through Lifeway for $20.99. There is also a 30 Days in the Psalms Prayer Journal available for purchase for $7.99, but is not required for the study. We will gather both in-person at Wright’s Chapel and remotely, online. If you are interested in participating in this exciting Bible study, please reach out to Tonya@wrightschapel.org.It’s been such a blessing for me to support Wright’s Chapel online ministries and to worship remotely with each of you – this is what community is all about! If church online is the way that your family and you worship each week, or simply on occasion, we hope that you will let us know of your attendance via chat/comments if worshiping via Facebook or YouTube. If you’re new to online worship, we invite you to complete the online connect card to ensure we have your updated contact information and so that we can personally thank you for worshipping with us.Have a question about Wright’s Chapel? Do you have an interest in learning more about the ministries at Wright’s Chapel and how you can get involved? Feel free to reach out to me directly via email at tonya@wrightschapel.org or by phone or text at 540-604-0038. I look forward to hearing from you.And, I look forward to supporting you in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world – together, we can. Blessings,Tonya
It’s almost that time… No, not time for Spring cleaning (especially if you’re in Virginia as the pollen will be with us ‘til June) – it’s time to get ready for Cindy’s Closet $1 Sale! Yep, you heard it right folks, clothing for the entire family for just $1 each – now that’s a deal!
- Who – You!
- What – Cindy’s Closet $1 Sale Event
- When – Saturday, March 3rd from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
- Where – Wright’s Chapel UMC
- 8063 Ladysmith Road
- Why – to support our community and to support the All the Good We Can capital campaign to raise money to expand Cindy’s Closet to a new building on the church property that will also house the Mobile Ministry.
It's the most wonderful time of the yearWith the kids jingle bellingAnd everyone telling you, "Be of good cheer!"It's the most wonderful time of the year…While it may sound cliché’ there is something magical about this time of year – it’s just special. The story of Christmas is a reminder that family and friends are important to us and to God. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus – God’s ultimate gift to us. It can be a time of healing, forgiveness and renewed strength.At Wright’s Chapel, we’re excited to invite you to our in-person and online Christmas Eve service and or Christmas day online service.
- Christmas Eve:
- In-Person at 5:00 PM (Contemporary Service w/ children participation) and 7:00 PM (Traditional Service)
- Online at 5:00 PM via Facebook and YouTube (can be watched at any time)
- Christmas Day
- Online Only at 9:45 AM via Facebook and YouTube (Can be watched at any time)
It’s Monday, and I have the day off from work. I’ve been looking forward to this 3-day weekend for a while now as I’ve been wanting to do some “Fall” cleaning. Ken spent most of the day power washing the fence while I cleaned closets. Ugh, I know… closets! As with most tasks, I had […]
I just wrapped up my annual girl’s weekend with my childhood friend Jill. We spent the weekend at the river in beautiful Deltaville, VA. I always enjoy this special time with my bestie. Similar to when we were kids, we stay up late each night talking and laughing. We play card games, go out to […]
A few weeks ago a little more than 100 families participated in the church survey we did at Wright’s Chapel. Rev. Zip Long from Horizon Stewardship helped to lead that survey for us and sent us a detailed report with recommendations. (You can find the link to full survey results below.) The survey was designed […]
I’ve always admired my oldest son’s ability to start a conversation with… well anyone. As the saying goes “he knows no stranger.” While on our family vacation to the Outer Banks, NC this month, my son and I sat on the deck of the large, commercialized vacation rental we were enjoying with the family. […]
It’s been a while since my sister and I carved out time from our busy lives to spend the entire day together, so when the opportunity presented itself to take a day trip to the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., we signed up. It was a great trip with several ladies from the […]
I’ll never forget the day that I truly accepted God into my life…unconditionally. I am a mother of two awesome sons. During their high school years, one was keeping me busy playing every sport that he could through school, recreational leagues, and travel teams while the other was keeping me busy testing the waters and […]
I was never taught The Lord’s Prayer as a child; however, I learned it as a teenager – ironically in high school. I know, it sounds odd that I was never “taught” The Lord’s Prayer, but I “learned” it. You see, each morning during homeroom, via the loud speaker, students would hear the daily announcements, […]
I’m absolutely loving online worship! There is just nothing like worshiping with others anytime, anywhere. For example, last month was my annual girls shopping weekend with my childhood friend Jill and our family. I say “our family” as for the past 40 years, that’s how I’ve been welcomed and treated. Seven of us loaded into […]
I have a confession to make… two days a week I treat myself to Starbucks. While I feel guilty every time I hear that my Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte will cost me over five bucks, that guilt quickly dissipates after that first sip of my hot java. My Starbucks visit is usually a workday ritual […]
Most folks who know me know that I’m not one who likes to be the center of attention, so please don’t feel the need to sing to me on my birthday or call on me to give the toast/speech at your special event. If I have to, I will, but I prefer to sit in […]
I’m not one to watch a lot of TV – never really have been. Not even cartoons as a kid. But give me a good article to read and I’m sucked in. When it comes to information and data, I just can’t get enough! I read, then analyze, glean more data, reevaluate, read to gather […]
This past Sunday I greeted a church attendee at the door. I appreciate fashion so I immediately noticed her beautiful purple shirt. As I complimented her, she shared “Thanks! I got it from Cindy’s Closet.” And my response was “I got my shirt from Cindy’s Closet too!” There is just something about donating to, and […]
As I’m sitting on my porch on this 90+ degree weather day, I’m reflecting back on the awesome (and busy) summer my family and I have had this year. A trip to the Outer Banks, weekend festivals, Sunday suppers, and a puppy (the puppy is where the busy comes in). And, even though we still […]
I knew it took a lot to run a church. Well, at least I thought I knew. These past few months in my new part-time role as Director of Connection Ministries with Wright’s Chapel has not only challenged me but has opened my eyes. I’ve attended a few trainings with staff members from other churches, […]
I know it is not officially summer yet, but it feels like summer doesn’t it? In our family it sure does. Lydia has graduated high school and is a lifeguard at the pool. Amy has cleaned out her classroom and has already been to the bookstore to get some fun books she hopes to read […]
I often think about and pray for my family and friends, and I find that there is never a shortage of things to pray for. Most recent I’ve been praying for my best friend (we’ve been besties since we were 10 years old) and her husband JT. JT is a Marine veteran who served in […]
My great grandfather and grandmother were two people who I always thought of as walking close to God. Part of that walk was that they practiced daily spiritual habits. Every morning before the busyness of the day would begin and before grandpa would be out working in his garden, my grandfather and grandmother would sit […]
Ask most folks who grew up in the church and they’ll tell you a similar story… get up early on Sunday morning, dress in your Sunday best attire, and when you get to church you better be on your best behavior! Back then there were few, if any excuses not to attend church in-person. Fast-forward […]
This week has been a very different start to the school year! I think we can say the same thing about almost everything that has happened in 2020. The one constant is that everything is different. The same is true for our youth ministry at the church. We quickly moved to zoom in the spring, […]
Dear Friends, Grace and peace to you all! I can’t tell you how proud I am to be your pastor and to walk with you through these unprecedented times. Even through a pandemic your church is still doing vital ministry in the name of Jesus Christ and making disciples of Jesus who will transform the […]
My first summer youth mission trip was in 9th grade. We went to West Virginia to work on homes with Appalachia Service Project. I have been on a mission trip almost every summer since then both as a participant as a leader. Almost 30 years of mission trips! This summer will be different. This will […]
Dear Friends The governor has announced that parts of Virginia are entering into Phase 2 of opening back up. As I’ve mentioned during worship however, Wright’s Chapel, as a United Methodist Church in the Virginia Conference and as a part of the Rappahannock River District, takes our direction not only from the governor, but also […]
It’s been a rough week for a whole lot of folks. Even though we thought it might be coming, to actually hear the announcement of schools being shut down, of business being closed for 30 days, churches allowed online worship only, and to hear of the massive layoffs, it was frightening and a real punch […]
It’s March 17th! Happy St Patrick Day! For years some of you have enjoyed going to a parade, but not today. And tonight some of you are missing out on spending time with friends, going out for dinner and having a green beer. Me, I was planning on sitting here in my chair and watching […]
Update: The Bishop of the Virginia United Methodist Conference has advised all churches in the conference to hold worship online only for Sunday March 15th and 22nd. You can join us on facebook live each of those Sundays at 9:45. Preschool for next week is also canceled. Dear Friends, Over the past several days, all […]
Things are starting to get a little busy here at Wright’s Chapel, as things usually do this time of year. We will be kicking off this season with our Annual Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper and Karaoke with Charles this Tuesday, Feb. 25th, 5:30-7 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We will be accepting donations during the […]
As many of you know, we have been going on mission trips to Haiti for the last five years. In between trips, we have financially supported the home for girls with disabilities that we have helped build. Through the generous donations of the people of Wright’s Chapel, we are now sending funds to help with […]
Last night we had our annual Christmas party with the youth. This year we held it at Ashland Skateland. Not everyone was a great skater, but I think everyone had a great time. We have these type of events a few times a year just to get together and have fun as a group. There […]
Some of our Crafters gathered this morning and put up a Chrismon Tree in the Church Gathering area. A Chrimon Tree is adorned with ancient symbols for Christ and only decorated in gold and white. It is very beautiful. Shawn and Susan are working on decorating our sanctuary as we prepare for the Advent and […]
This week, my husband headed out on a boys’ trip with one of our best friends to Montana to hunt with his dad (for a week in the snow). (His dad retired out there over 20 years ago.) Tom hasn’t been hunting since high school, maybe. He works hard and deserves a trip to do […]
Charles is beginning a new sermon series this week called The Fruitful Life. One of the things he is going to be talking about is the importance of growing up in good soil. For plants to grow and produce good fruit it is important for them to have good soil. The same is true for […]
I had planned to go the Battlefield District Volleyball Championship Game tonight with my daughter Lydia and her friend Jordan, but the game just got canceled because of the fear of bad weather. No, the Caroline Highschool volleyball team and my daughter Lydia weren’t in the championship game. The game was being played rather between […]
Connection as defined by a quick Google search is “a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else”. As humans, I think most of us crave finding someone that we connect with, someone that we have similar interests with, someone that will be your person or persons (like […]
Music is a powerful emotional tool in the worship setting. Do we participate in music to invoke an emotional response? Is it my calling as your music director to engage these reactions in worshipers? Is it my duty to include certain hymns because they touch an emotional chord within the congregation? Or do we simply […]
Last week Charles and I attended the Leadership Institute at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist Church in the US, near Kansas City. Wright’s Chapel has been partners with the Church of the Resurrection for several years. Each year they hold the Leadership Institute as a time of training for […]
I remember years ago now, 28 years ago actually, when I first came to serve as the pastor of Wright’s Chapel. It was 1992. I had invited my friend and mentor in ministry Rev. Jackson to come and preach at Wright’s Chapel. Rev Jackson had led me into ministry in the United Methodist Church. He had […]
Things are back in full swing with school starting a month ago, Afterschool started last week, WC Kids small groups started this week, and this coming Monday night we kick off Building Better Moms for the year, not to mention all the other awesome things happening here. The end of summer/beginning of fall is always […]
One of my favorite bible verses is Psalm 34:3, Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt His name together. For me, music is essential in the worship of our God. We are blessed to have two different worship service styles at our church. Our two very different styles of worship are actually very similar […]
Youth Bible study started back last night. This year we moved our Bible studies from Thursdays to Wednesdays. We meet most every Wednesday during the school year at three different homes. The high schoolers meet at my house, the middle school boys meet at the Collier’s house, and the middle school girls meet at the […]
My dad is still going through things that we brought back from cleaning out his house in Delhi NY last week. Dad is putting his house that he has owned for more than 50 years on the market and so we had gone there to clean it out. It was a week of deciding what […]
Last week, I was lucky enough to take some of our children in 4th through 6th grade on an overnight mission trip with the help of Laura. I have been on several mission trips with our youth (middle and high schoolers), but never with our younger children. We participated in Helping Hands 2019 at Woodlake […]
There are many wisecracks about why to join the choir: The large music folders can hide that magazine you are reading during the sermon.The collection plate never goes to the choir loft.If you think you sound good in the shower, wait until you sing with us for a few weeks! Which part do you sing? […]
Yesterday we had the opportunity to host a youth group from Lane Memorial United Methodist Church from Altavista, VA. I worked as the youth director at that church for 15 years before I moved to Wright’s Chapel. The Lane youth group is staying at the King’s Dominion campground and wanted to spend some time at […]
Our purpose when we started writing these blogs several years ago was to try to be intentional in looking for the presence of God and God’s work in our world. God we know is always present and active, but sometimes we just get busy and we get doing the stuff of everyday life and we forget […]
It’s here!! Well, it’s just about here! Sunday, VBS kicks off and I can’t wait for your littles, bigs, and even biggers (kiddos) to be a part of it. I can’t wait for YOU to be a part of it. Vacation Bible School would not be what it is without all of our amazing volunteers, […]
As Charles mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago, Carson Hale and I had the opportunity to travel to Haiti to check out the progress of the home for girls with disabilities. As you may know for the last 5 years or so Wright’s Chapel has been in a partnership with the home in […]
Bittersweet. If you were to ask me how I feel about having returned from my final mission trip with Wrights Chapel, a church that has been a part of my life for the past 13 years. This time, we spent the better part of a week in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the focus of this […]
So what does a music director do? Sings! Plays! Ok, last week that took about 37 ½ minutes. What does the music director do the rest of the week? Picks out music. Suggests hymns to the pastor. Gets the words ready for the screens. Reports the songs we sing on Sundays. Cleans up after the band. Files used music away. And then there’s the fun […]
Pools open up this weekend around our community. I suspect that there will be lots of excited kids ready for someone to take them to the pool and begin their summer vacation. My younger daughter Lydia is working as a lifeguard for the first time this year at a local pool. I suspect that means we’ll be […]
So here we are or at least I am (being sappy old sentimental me)…at the end of another school year with 3 kiddos. The youngest finishing elementary school and the oldest actually attending his last day of high school (TODAY) and the middle finishing her first year of high school with her last day of […]
A WORD FROM OUR NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR…Hello! My name is Misti Kai Gwynne. Please call me Misti Kai, MK, or “Miss Decay” as some of my choir kids have called me. My husband, David, and I are coming from the Richmond area. David works for Union Bank & Trust. We have known each other since the 2ndgrade! We really feel God has […]
This coming Sunday (April 28th) is one of my favorite Sunday’s of the year! We will be worshipping through service in what we call Christmas in April. There will be no regular worship services this week, instead we will meet at the church at 9am to help feed people in Caroline County and our region. […]
I’m still living in the after glow of the University of Virginia Championship Victory in Basketball. (For Auburn and VA Tech Fans, I promise that this will be the last time I mention it for a while.) One of the things that struck me though as the game approached was the number of people who […]
I was so lucky last month to go on my 3rd Women’s Retreat with what is now known as the Women’s Connection here at Wright’s Chapel. I was, also, able to have a little bit of input to what what went on that weekend. Let me just say that there is a lot of planning, […]
I tell my children all the time that they should thank God that they have the mother that they do. Amy is our vacation planner and so this Sunday shortly after we finish worship at Wright’s Chapel we will be headed out to Disney World. I love Disney World, but would never actually plan a trip there […]
This past weekend some of our high school youth traveled to Charlottesville. We stayed at the Wesley Foundation at UVA. We based the weekend on the show Shark Tank. We broke the group up into teams of youth. Each team met several times throughout the weekend to come up with an idea of a new […]
I have resisted sharing this, only because my kids’ high school was on a lockdown right after this particular lockdown happened and I wasn’t sure what my feelings on it were. This happened just a few weeks ago and life does go on. Nothing can cause you to gasp like missing several text messages from […]
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church finished their work on Tuesday of this week. The Conference had been called for two purposes. First to form policy around the United Methodist Church stance with regards to the marriage of LGTBQ people by our pastors and in our churches. Secondly the conference was called to […]
Starting on Saturday February 23 the General Conference of the United Methodist Church will be meeting in St Louis. The General Conference is the designated group within our church denomination that has the sole authority to set church doctrine and law, in what is called the Book of Discipline. The General Conference meeting is scheduled […]
You might be in children’s ministry if you run to Dollar Tree in hopes of being able to get everything that you need for your Valentine’s parties this week, all based off of a cool card that someone shares with you. Our preschool director came in one morning this week and shared with me these […]
Earlier this week I listened to a podcast called The Transformationist with Tash McGill. On this particular episode, Tash interviewed my friend and youth ministry coach Mark Oestreicher, better known as MarkO. The description of the podcast states, “This podcast is dedicated to real stories and conversations of transformation. These are the strategies, stories and […]
My daughter Lydia started playing tennis last year in the spring. It was about this time last year that she decided she was going to try out for the high-school tennis team, which thankfully for her not a whole lot of girls were trying out, and that pretty much assured her a spot. I have […]
Happy anniversary to me. Pardon me while I toot my own horn. I am celebrating 1 year!!! That is a pretty big feat around here (::insert sarcasm::). I can’t believe that I have put up with Charles for that long on a day to day basis (::more sarcasm::). But I have come to realize that […]
One of the things I get excited about that our church does for Christmas eve is the Christmas eve offering. You might be saying to yourself that’s a weird thing to be excited about. Most people enjoy lighting candles and singing Silent night on Christmas eve. Usually the offering is just an after thought or […]
Can you remember a worship service at a church that was really meaningful to you? Something happened for you in that moment of worship and you felt something special. Maybe you weren’t even sure what it was, but you felt something. Maybe you were sure it was the presence of God surrounding you. Maybe that […]
The Holidays tend to be a busy season for most people and families and it seems to start Thanksgiving. December definitely is one of my favorite months, partially because of Christmas. But I would be lying if I said that was the only reason. First off, it’s my birthday month. And it’s my anniversary month. […]
Two weeks ago 28 youth and 5 adults attended the Amazing Next Conference in Falls Church. The event was held at Falls Church Anglican in northern VA with over 200 youth in attendance. It was a great conference where we heard four different speakers and a praise band. There was a photo scavenger hunt in […]
I’m running the half marathon in Richmond on Saturday. My 20 year old niece Emily is flying down from Boston to run with me. Whether she actually runs with me or will be waiting for me at the finish we’ll have to wait and see. I’m a pretty slow runner. I don’t know if she’ll […]
I think I might have experienced my last year walking with a trick or treater last night. I really wasn’t prepared for it and actually didn’t think much about it when he was hoping to meet up with friends. But I think these days might be over. Halloween has always been one of my favorites […]
The youth are planning to go to a youth retreat called The Amazing Next Conference the weekend of Nov. 16th. We have been taking sign ups the last month or so. The deadline was last week and so I picked up the sign up sheet on Monday to see who all signed up. I was […]
I went for a long lunch yesterday with Shawn, Susan and Kim. It was a follow up lunch from our trip to Kansas City for the church leadership conference at the Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist Church in the US. It was an awesome conference! We returned from the church conference about […]
This school year I started my 21st year in youth ministry. It’s hard for me to believe it’s been that long. But when I see some of my former youth on Facebook and they are married and have kids, I’m reminded that it’s been a long time since they were in my youth group when […]
Things are in full swing here at Wright’s Chapel now that school is back in session. The building is alive with activity and the voices and the joyful noises of children echo throughout as preschool, after-school and youth has started back up. The Wednesday night Women’s Bible study started up last night, as has Thursday […]
If you have never had to teach a teenager to drive, you have been so, so fortunate. It has been many months of high blood pressure and sometimes complete fear…okay maybe only that one time…and maybe that other time, but nonetheless it has been a tough process for me, the mom, and I am sure […]
We started our middle and high school Bible studies last week. We meet every Thursday from 6-8 in three different homes. Middle school boys meet at the Puckett’s home, middle school girls meet at the Tillapaugh’s home, and the high schoolers meet at my home. There is a meal and then we study the scripture […]
We are into our second week of back to school at our house. Sophia goes to school all year, but my wife Amy and my daughter Lydia are now back in school after a very busy yet enjoyable summer. For us, the school year means back to more structured routines. For Lydia it is volleyball […]
I am so looking forward to a new school year and a new start with our After School program and launching Building Better Moms next month. Our After School program runs September through April and launches September 11th for kindergarten through 2nd grade and September 13th for 3rd through 5th grade. Typically, our buses drop […]
Dear VBS Volunteers and Supporters, Twenty-five years ago Dorothy Hamm decided Wright’s Chapel needed to bring back vacation Bible school. Reverend Charles didn’t point out that we really didn’t have many children to justify the planning this would take because his theory has always been to plan for what you want, not what you […]
I’d never heard of Vacation Bible School until I came to Virginia. In the small town I grew up in in upstate N.Y. we never had such a thing. Let me tell you friends, those folks up north don’t know what they are missing! Vacation Bible School has to be one of the highlights of […]
As we began our descent into the small island nation of Haiti, we were greeted by a small, peaceful fishing village with a small, peaceful harbor. Boats and people moved leisurely through the shallow, pristine waters. The harbor soon gave way to a town. This was town was my first glimpse of life in Haiti. […]
Arriving in Haiti was definitely a little bit of a culture shock. I have traveled out of the country a few times, but nowhere quite like Haiti. And let me tell you that the driving alone definitely sets Haiti apart from any other country that I have been lucky enough to visit. I definitely recommend […]
I spent all day Friday and Saturday of last week down at the Hampton Convention Center for the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church here in VA. Every year we United Methodists gather for a couple of days with about 1400 clergy and 1400 lay folks from United Methodist Churches all across VA in […]
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that […]
It is coming, Moms, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! Finally, a moms’ group where we can connect, fellowship, vent, figure things out, support one another, even work on a mission project or two during the school year. It will be here, at our very own Wright’s Chapel. My family has lived here […]
I got really angry and frustrated last week. I was so mad at a couple of people I just wanted to scream and for a moment at least I wanted to hurt them physically. I care about these same people deeply, but I was so mad at them in the moment. I was ready to […]
Last week was a fantastic week filled with lots of games and crafts and worship at the Arts, Recreation, Worship conference that I attended in Montreat, NC. It was adult camp…the clean version. Or at least what I envision camp to be. (I didn’t go as a child, so I totally have nothing to base […]
This is the season of graduations for a good number of folks in our church. I‘ve been seeing pictures of caps and gowns on social media. Invitations to graduation parties are in the mail, acceptance letters to college are being considered, lots of kids are being asked what’s your plan now? We’ve got families in […]
This summer our youth are going to Raleigh, NC on a mission trip. Last week I traveled down to Raleigh to check out the church where we will be staying and to visit some of the organizations we will be working with. The main reason I chose Raleigh is because I have a former youth […]
I am sitting here making sure that I have everything prepared for my last Tuesday & Thursday After School ice cream parties for the year and I’m happy to have survived…happily, I might add. At the same time, I am sad. If I am lucky enough to see some of them next year, they won’t […]
The last three weeks at Wright’s Chapel we’ve had big things happening on Sunday. Easter was three weeks ago with all of its pageantry and celebration. Then the next Sunday we had our Christmas in April food drive and potato drop and then this past Sunday we celebrated Children’s Sunday at 9:45 and had our […]
This Easter is different in a lot of ways for me. Not only did I start a new job this year, other “things” around me have changed, some in the last several months, some have been ongoing, some for the better and some I question. I had to start blogging, again. Something I had done […]
My wife Amy and my daughter Lydia love a snow day. For them it’s a day off from work, a day to sleep in, a day to just relax around home. They think of a snow day as an unexpected gift. My older daughter Sophia, we’re not sure. She likes to point out every few […]
As I’m sure all of you are aware, on Feb. 14th, 2018 there was yet another school shooting. This time seventeen students and teachers lost their lives and many others were injured. As with the other mass shootings, there has been a national conversation about how to end these terrible acts of violence. But something […]
I don’t know about you, but I am over this winter. I am ready for more sunshine and warm days. Days that can be enjoyed without wondering whether or not it’s going to be freezing by the time I get off work, though it was 60 degrees at lunchtime. This Florida girl doesn’t mind snow. […]
I’ll be so glad when the rain finally stops, the sun comes out, and the flowers start to bloom. In my life it feels like February has been filled with sickness and rain, and it has been a dreary gray month. My wife would say that my mood and attitude has followed the weather, dreary […]
As many of you have heard Cindy’s Closet (our thrift store) has been closed for almost two months. In early January a pipe burst and flooded the store. A lot of clean up and restoration had to be done. While we were waiting for that to be done we thought it was a good time […]
I don’t really consider myself a creative person. I have always loved photography and that is about as artsy as I get. I envy those that can draw and paint. I was not blessed with those skills at all. Charles had at some point started writing a question that related to worship on the chalkboard […]
I went up to COSTCO on my day off on Monday. I didn’t need a case of toilet paper or a new flat screen TV (although there were some really nice ones, someone tell Amy that would be a nice birthday present prior to the NCAA tournament), I wasn’t even looking to get a bunch […]
If you have come in the back door of the church the last couple weeks you may have noticed we have been doing some work in the hallway. Ron Tillapaugh painted the walls, Krista Kmety and Stephanie Beamer put up a world map, and Susan and Tom Driggers put up some shelves and pictures. This […]
Well, folks, I have survived my first few weeks…just in case you wanted to ask. And I have been asked, which is good, because that means people care about me and/or the church. I am a few weeks into my new position at Wright’s Chapel and it has been bumpy, just a little bit. I […]
It was my daughter Sophia’s birthday yesterday. She turned 21 on January 16th. Amy says we’ll celebrate more this weekend, but last night we had an ice cream cake and Grandpa came over. Sophia loves to sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles. It doesn’t matter if it’s her birthday or anyone else’s; she gets […]
It’s been quite a week at Wright’s Chapel! After a very cold spell here in VA, it has made it a challenging week. Sunday morning Charles called me around 7am to say the heat wasn’t working in the sanctuary. The temperature outside at that point was -2 and inside the sanctuary was 45. Charles said […]
Most people around the church, if you have been here for any length of time, probably recognize me either from the 9:45 or 5:30 services, preschool, youth, or vacation bible school. I usually have my camera in my face. For the last 3 ½ years I have taught preschool and volunteered with our youth. I […]
There are at least a couple of folks in our church who I know have Christmas birthdays. Freda Mills is a Christmas baby as is DaShawn Hamlett. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to share a birthday with Jesus. On one hand you would think it would be easy for people to remember […]
A couple of weeks ago around 20 youth and adults from the church traveled to Winchester, VA to volunteer with Teens Opposing Poverty. We stayed the night at First UMC and that Saturday morning we put together treat bags and signed Christmas Cards. After breakfast we headed out to a run-down motel for what Teens […]
I need some hand lotion. My daughter has used up the bottle I keep in my desk. I’ve been making a giant paper mache candle for the Wright’s Chapel float for the Bowling Green Christmas Parade next week. I haven’t decided if I want to tell you to look for it or just pretend our […]
I announced to the congregation on Sunday that we have hired Susan Driggers as our new Children’s Coordinator at Wright’s Chapel. Most of you know that Molly resigned from her church position in September and since then we have been working through our Staff Parish Relations Team searching for a replacement to begin January 1, […]
As you scroll through Facebook on Thanksgiving morning you see many posts about all things people are thankful for. It’s nice and a good thing to take time to think about all things we are thankful for. My second grade daughter had a homework assignment the other day to interview me about things I’m thankful […]
Today is my daughter’s sixth birthday. Six years ago today, I was completely unaware of her presence in the world or that my life was about to change dramatically. Seven years ago this month, I had begun taking classes to become a foster parent. I had felt this tug from God to do this for […]
I don’t know how you feel, but I’ve always thought that anniversaries are important! There is always the assumption that the man in the family never remembers the important dates and that the woman does. I’ll tell you, it is just the opposite in our house. Amy is horrible at remembering anniversaries. I rarely miss […]
Since the beginning of August Lydia has been on the Caroline High School Volleyball Team and last night the fall volleyball season finally came to a finish for our family. Lydia, my youngest daughter, is actually the only one in our family who played volleyball, but boy, at times if felt like we were all […]
This morning while I was eating my Honeycomb cereal, I turned on the tv, and the news was on. Usually in the morning I watch sports center, but this morning I just left it on the news. In case you didn’t know, there seems to be a divide in our country, and more and more […]
I have water in my basement. It started about a month ago with some dampness in the corner of my “Yellow Room.” It’s sort of like my attic. It’s a junk room. It looks somewhat similar to my office, actually. Anyway, there was some moisture in the corner, so I got the dehumidifier from the […]
I walked my daughter Sophia out to her car this morning so that she could ride to school. I quickly calculated when I went back inside that I’ve put Sophia in that car more than 2000 times over the last 11 years that she has been attending the Faison School in Richmond. The Faison School […]
Last week a team of 7 from our church attended the Leadership Institute at the The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. Church of the Resurrection is the largest United Methodist church in the denomination with around 20,000 members. This past Easter they just started worshipping in their new sanctuary. Just walking […]
This morning one of our three-year old preschoolers was in my office crying. She missed her Mom and Dad. I gave her a hug and tried to be positive, but she wasn’t having any of it. As I have before, I told her that if her parents don’t come to pick her up, then I […]
Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17 Like so many of […]
Haiti has been on my mind a lot the last few weeks. As many of you know we have been taking trips as a church the last few years to Les Cayes, Haiti. We have committed to a long term relationship with a group that is building a home for girls with disabilities. The last […]
The past couple of weeks have been a bit surreal for me. If you weren’t here on Sunday, Charles announced that I will be leaving the staff of Wright’s Chapel. Making the decision to resign my position at Wright’s Chapel was not something I had intended to do. But as I have talked to Charles […]
My dad and my older daughter Sophia spend a lot of time together. I suspect that they will spend even more time together now that my mom has died. Sophia has numerous special needs and intellectual limitations, but those limitations have not in any way limited her ability to express her love. Sophia loves her […]
The daily schedule at our house changed this week. No more going to bed late for me (late for me is 9:30), no more sleeping in late for me either (for me 6:30). Nope, we are on a new fall schedule in our house. My wife Amy was back at work as teachers in Caroline […]
It’s been a week of sorrows, tears, laughter, joy and hope for me this week. Some of you know so very well that when you start to cram all of those emotions into one week it can leave you exhausted even though it is only Wednesday. That’s been my week thus far as we’ve had […]
I’m on vacation this week. We traveled back up to the town where I grew up in the Catskills Mountains of N.Y. My sister and her family who now live in Boston met us there. It was very nice, I don’t get to see my sister and her family usually, but once a year. We’ll […]
Last week my family and I traveled with some good friends to Niagara Falls for vacation. For the past four summers we have traveled with our friends in their RV to different places around the country. I usually take two weeks of vacation in the summertime and my wife Nikki always wants one week at the […]
Each week at our 9:45 children’s Sunday school, we take up an offering. Right now, we are raising money for United Methodist Family Services, an agency that helps children and teenagers in need through foster care, adoption, and on-site education facilities. Every Sunday, one of our children serves as “usher” and collects the offering. As […]
I was forced this week to stop! I was forced to literally stop and just sit and be quiet. I did not want to stop. I had places to go, things I needed to accomplish. It was not fun to stop, especially because of the blue lights that were flashing behind me. But I your […]
This past week was probably one of the most eye-opening mission trips I have ever been on. Usually I just treat everything like a routine and go through the motions, not really paying attention to who I’m serving or why. But for some reason, this one was different. I actually got to know who the […]
Hello readers! My name is Ava Sparico, I am going into my junior year of high school and I am currently sitting in the common area of the Washington Seminar Center. A group of youth and adults of our church are doing mission work in our nation’s capital for six days. Washington D.C. is a […]
Even though I spent last week at the beach, it’s hard to believe it’s summer already. I like Caroline County’s new school schedule that ends the school year before Memorial Day, but I’m not used to it yet. I was very much ready for vacation last week and it was a wonderful, restful, fun week. […]
I’m spending this week at the beach with my family. (I’ll be back on Sunday to worship with you all) My wife and my two girls love the beach! I love my wife and my two girls! (I’ll leave it at that since most of you know how I feel about the beach) Charles at […]
Some of our high school seniors enjoying sweet frogs! Last week we took some of our high school seniors out for dinner to celebrate their graduation and to thank them for their contributions to our church (Kameron Rigg, one of our seniors, asked if I would mention him in the blog so here you go […]
I spent last week with the Presbyterians. I went to the Arts, Recreation and Worship Conference at Montreat near Asheville, NC. It is my favorite week every year. I learn new games that I can use with our children and youth. I pick up great activities to do at women’s retreats. I learn new songs […]
I’ve had the pleasure this past weekend of playing tennis with some of our young people who are on the high school tennis team. Their conference tournament was this week and they wanted a little more practice and asked me if I would come out and hit them some balls. I grew up playing tennis. […]
Those who have ever been to our house in Lake Land Or would know that Amy and I aren’t real fancy people. Practical seems to fit our current lifestyle so much better. My mom at her house in Delhi NY has a formal living room that looks very nice. It is fancy and pretty, but […]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NRSV) The Value of a Friend 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. This past weekend our youth participated in the Fredericksburg […]
I frequent the Caroline YMCA pool in the mornings. I used to walk and run and I loved that, but my feet didn’t. After surgery on both feet, my podiatrist said that I could keep running, but I would have more pain and more surgery. I gave it up. I had to find a form […]
I’ve filled out several college basketball tournament brackets the past few days getting ready for the NCAA college basketball tournament that starts on Thursday. I love this time of year. I have my Virginia teams that I root for. Unlike Shawn I will root for UVA, VCU and VA Tech. I also have some teams I definitely root […]
This week we introduced a new family member to our household. Maggie, our St. Bernard puppy, joined us on Wednesday. My wife Nikki and I have been discussing getting a dog for a few months now. Well really my two daughters and I have been begging Nikki to get one. When we saw the St. […]
One night last week, we had a little theology lesson at bed time in my house. As I was putting her to bed, Bel asked, “Did God die?” I answered that no, God has not died but Jesus died. So she asked, “Who is God?” For that one, I gave a possible frustrating answer – […]
In 1855 Thomas Shepherd wrote these words to a now famous hymn of the church: “Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.” A few weeks ago, prior to the start of the 9:45 service, I was carrying in […]
For the last month or so we have had a group of people, a mixture of long term members and newer members, looking at our building and offering suggestions. The idea is that they would walk around our building to see how welcoming is our space. I suggested to them as they do this to […]
I’ve been dreaming about the beach. We made our reservations for our summer trip to the beach last week and I now have the rental agency’s page about the house open in a tab on my computer so I can look at it any time. We missed our beach trip last year since we went […]
Young children here at Wright’s Chapel who are curious will often ask me what it is I do all week in my job. Some of them who mainly see me on Sunday mornings have told me that they think they’d like to be a minister when they grow up, since you only have to work […]
Two weeks ago we had our Haiti themed worship service where the team that went to Haiti was able to share about their experiences. It was a great Sunday where we could thank the congregation for their support and tell stories from our trip. The thing I was so impressed with though was the amount […]
It’s been a crazy week at Wright’s Chapel. We arrived on Tuesday morning to find that someone had broken into the church on Monday night and stolen the church safe. They broke some office doors, a window in the nursery and went through all the desks and file cabinets in all the offices. They seemed […]
It has been an inspiring, busy and great start to the New Year at our house. We had a wonderful Christmas season and we’re so appreciative of the generous love offering given to us by our church family. Two days after Christmas, Amy, Lydia and I were privileged to travel with our mission team from Wright’s Chapel […]
The excitement is in the air now. The Tuesday Afterschool kids were wound up. I’m counting down the spaces on the Advent calendar to see if I have enough little surprises left. (I have to put them in each night or they’d all be gone the first day.) I’m starting to run through lists of […]
On Sunday we had a wonderful celebration as we baptized 10 of our young people and some of their parents and then welcomed into membership at Wright’s Chapel 26 new members. Many of our young people (8th-12th grade) had recently completed an 8 week confirmation class where they had been studying what it is we believe […]
For the past 7 weeks I have led our youth confirmation class. I love teaching confirmation. Confirmation is the class our teenagers take when they want to join the church. They learn about the foundations of our faith including the Trinity, the Bible, and the apostles creed. The history and structure of the United Methodist […]
I heard lots of different opinions in the past week. Lots of folks have been sharing with me their thoughts and opinions with regards to how I as the pastor of Wright’s Chapel should or should not respond to the recent election results. Do you know anyone who has lots of opinions? Do you have any […]
This week has been a bit crazy. It’s been emotional and tiring. Yesterday at youth, Shawn encouraged our young people to be better than the adults they’ve witnessed during this campaign and election. We talked about how we make decisions and how God wants us to treat those whose decisions don’t match our own. I […]
Last week on the blog we were challenged to think about the answer to the question why. Why do we need Jesus, Why do we need the church, and Why do we need Wright’s Chapel. This weekend we are taking 30 youth and adults to DC to work with Teens Opposing Poverty as they minister […]
When I was a young child my mom says that I asked a lot of questions. I was one of those kids who always wanted to know “why?” Why is the sky blue? Why is milk white? I could go on and on and my mom says I could wear them down with all my […]
Yesterday at our Afterschool Program, I was talking to a small group of young children (grades K-2) about Moses. We were specifically talking about the story of the burning bush and how God asked Moses to do something that Moses didn’t think he could do. But God basically told Moses to do it anyway. God […]
I spent most of the day yesterday in Richmond at a Virginia Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry meeting. I volunteered for this board a little over 7 years ago. But now, when the day comes for me to go to a board meeting, I have to say I dread it. It’s a […]
This past week Charles asked us during his sermon the question of why do we need the church? Why do we as Christians need the church? Why do people need Jesus? These are important questions we need to answer for ourselves before we invite others to church. We need to know for ourselves why we […]
I went out to the Ladysmith Ruritan Park on this past Sunday afternoon. I met with Kim and David Napier and some others who have organized our Skeet and Eat Haiti Mission Fund Raiser for this Saturday. I appreciate everything they have done to put this new event together because by doing so they are […]
I enjoyed my Labor Day. My daughter calls those kinds of days “Stay Home Days.” She loves them. We didn’t actually stay home though. We went to King’s Dominion. It was a fun day – the weather was beautiful. Tuesday was hard though. After too many stay home days in a row, it makes it […]
With the new school year started it always brings changes in my family’s life. My two daughters are in new grades with new people, new teachers, and new expectations. Their extracurricular activities change and with it our week changes to accommodate them. My wife, who teaches 4th grade, has new students and new teachers on […]
Lydia decided that she wanted to be on the JV volleyball team this year and thus far she has really enjoyed it. Both Amy and I were glad when Lydia decided she wanted to try this. Playing volleyball is something totally new for her and so it was a little out of Lydia’s comfort zone […]
My daughter, Bel, started Pre-K on Monday at Lewis & Clark. Usually, I dread the end of summer, but this year, I’ve been looking forward to it. This summer it seems like it has either been too hot to go outside or raining and never much in between. I only went to the beach for […]
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I’ve been the pastor here now for quite a few years. With that being the case, I’d like to think that I have a pretty good notion of the ministry that is taking place here at Wright’s Chapel. I’m personally involved in some ministries more than others. I’m pretty involved with our youth, involved with […]
My office is a mess. It’s always a mess. I’m always planning to clean and either I don’t get around to it or it just gets messy again. It’s not that I like a messy office. I don’t. I wish I was the type of person who kept her office clean and neat and always […]
John 1:1-14 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has […]
Luke 2:1-20 2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to […]
Micah 4:6-8 6 “In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7 I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. 8 As for you, watchtower of the […]
Luke 1:46b-55 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those […]
Isaiah 42:14-21 “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. 16 I will lead the blind by ways […]
Luke 1:39-45 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed […]
Isaiah 66:7-11 “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. 8 Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she […]
Psalm 80:1-7 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. 3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 4 How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? 5 You […]
Hebrews 10:10-18 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for […]
Luke 7:31-35 31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ 33 For […]
Acts 23-31 23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced […]
Isaiah 11:1-9 11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he […]
Luke 3:7-18 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can […]
Luke 1:57-66 57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his […]
Amos 8:4-12 4 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, 5 saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, 6 buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair […]
Amos 8:4-12 6 Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel resorts! 2 Cross over to Calneh, and see; from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are […]
Isaiah 35:3-7 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and […]
Psalm 126 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of[a] Zion, we were like those who dreamed.[b] 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. 4 Restore our fortunes,[c] Lord, like streams in the Negev. […]
Isaiah 40:1-11 40 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord[a]; make straight in the desert a highway […]
Luke 3:1-6 3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around […]
Luke 9:1-6 9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you […]
Philippians 1:18b-26 The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[a] 20 I […]
Luke 1:68-79 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn[a] of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who […]
Isaiah 1:24-31 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you;[a] I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers […]
Psalm 90 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” 4 A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or […]
2 Peter 3:1-18 3 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 3 Above all, you must […]
Luke 21:25-36 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the […]
I am always amazed at the different ways God chooses to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. In Genesis we witness God who simply speaks and the heavens, seas, plants and animals of earth are created. In the gospels Jesus speaks and Lazarus who was dead is raised to life. But at other times God […]
I have been a part of Wright’s Chapel for a little over two years now and I am often amazed at the impact the church has in this community. There are ministries in the church that we all know about that are making an impact. Things like Christmas in April, firewood ministry, homeless ministry, children […]
How Will You Measure Your Life? Our new sermon series starts this week asking us how we will measure our lives. Five years ago, I would of answered that question quite differently than I do today. Then I would have talked about the kids and youth at Wright’s Chapel. I would measure my life by […]
Shawn, Molly and I are trying to start something new at Wright’s Chapel in sharing a blog post each week. Our reason for doing so is because we felt that as staff we each sit in a unique position and because of our being involved in so many different aspects of Wright’s Chapel we are […]
Wednesday after school ministry Our Wednesday after school program begins on Sept. 2nd and is open to all 6th-12th graders. The program is from 3:30-5:30, and you can ride bus 73 from Caroline Middle and High Schools. We will have a light snack, games, and a program each week. From those who are able, we […]