I believe that God calls pastors to communities as well as churches. You can’t have a healthy church without personal evangelism and local outreach. If is very difficult for a church to engage in these activities without the support of their pastor. In my experience as pastor, its hard to get excited about reaching beyond the four wall of a church unless you love the community where you minster.
In order to show my love for the area where I minster, I want to share a series of blog posts this week on the reasons why I love Ashland, Kentucky.
- The people here are warm and welcoming
My wife and I were both raised in the north. I’m from a small farming town southwest Michigan and she grew up in sprawing suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. We have lived a few places in our life together, some big and some small, but none with such kind and gracious people.
Our church family has been incredibly warm and welcoming, but it goes way beyond that. We have enjoyed a quick smile and an offer to help from shopkeepers, salespeople, and workmen. The teachers and staff at the schools where our children attend have been accepting and encouraging. Our neighbors are friendly and helpful and we have enjoyed a few cooks and block party together.
That is not say we haven’t encounter any grumpy people. But for the most part, the people in this hard-working little city have welcomed my family and I with open arms. For that, we are grateful.
Check back tomorrow another reason why I love Ashland, Kentucky.
Cool! Look forward to reading more!!!
Blessing to you and your family in 2016.
We transplanted here 13 years ago, we love it! Cant wait to read more
Tom and I are thankful that you, Sarah, and your family have come to Unity Baptist. You have made several positive changes at the church. Although we are retired and gone several weeks out of the year, we still consider Unity Baptist our church home. Sometimes when we are out of town, we are visiting family members or doing the Lord’s work. Like you and Sarah, neither of us are Ashland natives. We pray on a regular basis when we are gone for our church home and its members.
So happy for this good report! We love it here, too!