Diane Hooker
Jasper Members Return Home
When I saw Rhonda in church, I thought, Jesus must be coming very soon,” Judy remembers. It had been almost four decades since her cousin had attended church. Her eyes mist as she says, “Rhonda was the last one I expected to see from my family!”
Not only did Rhonda become a regular attendee, but she also started weekly Bible studies with retired pastor, Dan Hall. It was evident that she was falling in love with Jesus.
As the church got to know Rhonda, they learned about why she and the majority of her family left the Church many years ago. A needless hurt to one of the patriarchs who had participated in building the church had led to the family being hurt too.
At Christmas some of the members decided to make gift packets with sharing magazines, some cookies, and a note saying, “We are praying for you and we miss you!” from the church. These gifts were delivered to about 12 homes of members who hadn’t been seen in church for more than two years, including the aforementioned patriarch and his wife.
After the holidays, a weekly prayer group was started to pray over the names on the membership list. And then, a homecoming Sabbath was scheduled and providentially set for April 8, 2023, which they discovered was 75 years after Rhonda’s grandma got baptized (April 8, 1948). Efforts were made to invite every member, including those not currently attending church. This was a personal prayer for Rhonda and Judy as they prayed for their family to respond.
During the afternoon homecoming program, Rob Snider, pastor, beautifully shared about people being hurt by people, and that he was sorry for pains inflicted upon others. One of Judy and Rhonda’s relatives took a Steps to Christ book on the way out and placed it in his back pocket. God was healing wounds.
Since then, two of Judy and Rhonda’s cousins regularly attend on Sabbath.Moreover, on Monday nights, while a small group of members are still praying at church, Judy, and her husband, Danny, host a Bible study for her sisters, Rhonda’s sister, and two of their cousins. In addition, the patriarch and his wife once again attend every Sabbath with their eldest child, Rhonda, and niece, Judy. The church family’s hearts can only sing, “Hallelujah!”
Georgia-Cumberland | August 2023
Comments are closed.