A Preacher's Greatest Fear...

I think every man of the cloth has some phobia. One of mine is that I might forget a funeral. I haven't, but I have forgotten wedding vows.

Another point of contention is... the zipper. Even in seminary they touched on this profound subject.

A couple Sundays ago was really packed. Membership Commitment Class, baptism, worship, Stewardship Committee meeting... all opportunities for a big blunder.

So, there I am in the back with the three baptism candidates and their families, doing my priestly duties. I start up the stairs to the baptismal pool, happen to look down, and yikes! My zipper is down!

I quickly pull it up, thinking to myself, "That's one seminary lesson I didn't learn well enough" and "I sure hope no one noticed." Just goes to show preachers are human after all.

Ken Dyal

Some good news...

It seems that a lot of what we have talked about recently has been pretty somber. It's probably time for some good news.

Recently we have noticed a number of first time visitors. It's hard to say just why we are seeing them now, but for whatever reason we are pleased.

One of the most common things we hear when we talk to visitors is their almost universal perception of us an open, friendly place. Mostly, this is the result of our people being open and friendly- it is something the staff and leadership can want and encourage, but can be accomplished only by the people who are here Sunday morning.

Thanks Argyle. Your smiles, your handshakes, your warm greetings, have made a difference for a lot of people lately.

Hal Hunter
Ministry Pastor

The first Wednesday Night Connectiong Point...

was a big success. Over 100 adults and almost 40 kids were here. As always, the meal was suburb. I am convinced there is no BBQ anywhere, from anyone, better than what Chef Leroy serves us. The fellowship was great, and Pastor Ken's presentation was challenging and opened a lot of eyes. He provided some material to take home for further reading and reflection.

We will be doing it again next month. The first Wednesday falls on February 4, so mark your calendars and plan to be with us. We will have sign up sheets in the Welcome Center. If you are bringing kids ages 6th grade and younger, it is especially important you sign them up so Children's Ministry Director Amy Gieger can have adequate workers arranged for the kid's part of the evening. (It's not just childcare; they are doing a growth exercise of their own.)

We also suggest you bring your Bible with you. We will have Pastor Ken's primary scripture references on the screen, but having your Bible with you helps with the context of the references, and to look back to the reference passages during the discussion period.

Hal Hunter
Ministry Pastor

Looking ahead...

to the new year is a tradition at year's end. We plan, we ponder, we predict, and sometimes we even manage to get it right.

What do we want out of 2009? I think we all want our national economy to show some signs of real recovery. We all want our military efforts in the war on terror to be successful. Regardless of how we voted in November, we want the new President and Congress to succeed. We want our families and friends to be safe and happy.

What does our church want? Despite what it may seem money is not our main concern. What we really want is to carry out our mission-to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. If we do that, the money will happen. We want to develop people who are serious about glorifying God and telling the world about their relationship with Him through Jesus. We want to help people understand they must become less dependent on the world, and more dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit. We want to grow a close, loving community within our Argyle family.

Hal Hunter

Weather Watching...

It's not just farmers and fishermen who watch the weather. People who put on major outdoor events involving hundreds of people and a lot of electronic equipment and musical instruments also ponder the sky.

Each year we present an Outdoor Singing Christmas Tree. 2008 is the 14th year. Our Tree has become something of a tradition in our community. (After all, it can be heard a mile or more away on a still evening!) The singers and musicians started rehearsing in August. Over 80 people have spent months learning music and practicing.

Last week we built and decorated the Tree structure. This morning we set up the mixing console (48 total channels for the techies), powered speakers, sub-woofers, amplifiers, signal processors, lights, spotlights, computers, projectors and flat-screens, drum kit, two keyboards, and what seems like a bazillion music stands and a couple miles of wire.


Now comes the weather watching part: predictions say we should expect rain Thursday. Not just rain, but the "possibility of severe thunderstorms." There have been a couple times over the years when we had had to cancel a single performance for weather, but we hope that Thursday is not one of them. The hour-by-hour predictions say the storms should be over by late afternoon, with clearing by 6:00 pm. If those predictions are accurate, we are good to go with performing at 8:00 pm.

Join us in praying for good weather later in the day Thursday. Since God encourages us to bring all our cares to him, let's get specific: rain ending by 4:00 pm, followed by quick clearing; conditions at 8:00 pm- clear, dry, still and 58 degrees.

We invite everyone to attend. It's free, with plenty of parking and seating. We even provide hot chocolate and coffee. This may be the only time this Christmas season some of the people attending the Tree will hear the Gospel and hear the real Christmas story. That's one of the main reasons we do it, and one of the main reasons you should join us in praying for the weather.

Hal Hunter

Tree time rolls around again...

I swear it seems like we just finished the Tree, but it's time for another one.

For the fourteenth time, we are presenting our Argyle Outdoor Singing Christmas Tree to the community. Each year, over a period of four nights, as many as 3,000 people come to experience the music and the message. People all over our area know about the Tree, and for some, it is the only time they will hear the Gospel.

It is entirely free to our guests, but certainly not free to produce. We have to buy the music, buy the promotional material, buy the coffee and hot chocolate and the cups to serve them in, rent the chairs and scaffolding, and buy all the odds and ends of things needed to to produce the show.

In years past, we have had sufficient money in our regular budget to carry the cost of producing the Tree. This year, because of the budget shortfall, we are taking a special offering on Sunday, December 7, to subsidize the costs.

If you believe the Tree is an important outreach to the people around us, please join us in supporting this very public ministry.

Hal Hunter