Bulletin Articles
THE FISHERS CHURCH IN 2021
THE FISHERS CHURCH IN 2021
It is time for my annual review of the past year’s activities. This is something I have done ever since I began full-time preaching. Over the course of a year, it’s easy to forget what has been accomplished; so, I find it helpful for us to see it all in one report. It not only reminds us of what we have done, but also keeps us focused on what is to come. Because of the pandemic, 2021 continued to be a troublesome year in many respects; but on the whole, it wasn’t a bad year for us! Let’s take a look…
We had nine baptisms (Mt.28:19-20): Evelyn Butler, Noah Coles, Jack Kirk, Tom Schranz, Gabby Frampton, Annissa Turpen, Linda Brewer, Sharon Macon, and Michael Samuels. We had one who was restored (Ac.8:22-24): Vivian Kirk. We had fifteen souls “join” this local church (Ac.9:26-28): Evelyn Butler, Noah Coles, Peter Colligan, Sherri Colligan, Carole May, Jack Kirk, Vivian Kirk, Michelle Quinn, Chad Malone, Tom Schranz, Gabby Frampton, Annissa Turpen, Linda Brewer, Judy Collier, and Jane Rush. On the negative side, fourteen members moved away (Ac.18:27): Monte Tapplar, India Tapplar, Jacob Boser, Laura Boser, Abby Witt, Colin Zachary, Jamie Boser, Gwendolyn Burnette, Justin Corbett, Paige Corbett, Bud Britt, Karen Britt, Aurora DeBerry, and Bud Elliot. Sadly, one soul was marked as unfaithful (Rm.16:17). And more sadly, three souls went on to be with Jesus: Velma Drake, Catherine Taylor, and Sue Hammer. In summary, because of the large number who moved away, we probably “held our own” in terms of numerical growth.
Due to the pandemic, many of our activities had been curtailed. Our monthly singings at the nursing home, the men’s classes, ladies’ classes, gospel meetings, and VBS were all cancelled. Even our regular weekly classes were cancelled. But we began to bring these things back little by little. We went from having two “half-assemblies,” to one “full assembly,” to two assemblies on Sunday. Ladies’ classes were added back; and then, children’s classes. We continue to teach the gospel via weekly assemblies, Bible classes, bulletin, Facebook, YouTube, and the church website. We ceased our support of Josh Coles and Rick Boswell; but are currently looking to support some evangelists in other places. We helped to relieve the benevolent needs of some of our members. And, we finally completed our parking lot expansion.
We still have countless “under the radar” activities: Visitation of the sick (when possible), phone calls, cards, studies, private benevolence, rides to services, technology tweaks, building maintenance and cleaning, as well as those who make preparations for worship. And I am sure that doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the wonderful things you do! Thanks-a-million to all of you! Praise God for your dedication to this church!
We do not know for sure what the coming year will bring. The pandemic continues to ebb and flow in terms of the number of cases, so we temper our optimism with a healthy dose of “Who knows what lies ahead?” (Jm.4:13-17).
Since you provide my support (1Cor.9:14), you need to know what your preacher is up to! I currently teach one sermon every week. I teach two adult classes per week. I write articles for our weekly bulletin, I write materials for the “sermon snapshots,” and I have the honor of serving as one of the elders here at Fishers. All my gospel meetings were canceled this year, but I do have some scheduled for next year. In addition to the above, I have several private Bible studies by phone, email, and in person.
If I have overlooked something, I’m sorry. I remain optimistic about our future here at Fishers, for I know that God will continue to bless our work! The elders ask for your continued support and involvement: personally, morally, and financially. We look forward to 2022 with great enthusiasm! We hope to grow, both numerically and spiritually. With this continued growth comes the constant need for everyone to “step up their game” in terms of participation and punctuality. There is still much to do, so we ask for your cooperation (Hb.13:17). We will keep you informed as we develop new plans and goals. Finally, let us be vigilant in watching for the Devil, for he always seeks to thwart our work (1Pt.5:8-9). Don’t let him use you for his evil purposes! All things considered; I believe 2021 was still a success for this church. But let’s do better in 2022!
--Lanny Smith
