Â
Â
Dear friends in Christ, We arrived home Sunday in time for the Sonshine Choir homecoming concert. And what a blessing it was! It was a marvelous worship experience. The music and testimonies we heard of how God used our youth to share the good news on their tour was very special! I've also heard great things about the preaching during the month of July. I'm so grateful for our fine staff, and for our partnership with you in ministry. Sherre and I were grateful for the time apart. We spent a few days helping our son move from one section of Atlanta to another. Methodist preachers just seem to get an itch to move in the summer. We participated in the wedding of our daughter's dearest friend. And we also decided on a house (actually we are building). I dedicated much of our time to study and preparation. Here is a link to the reading I was able to do, along with the commentaries we're using in preparation for the year ahead. As you know, we will begin our study of the Gospel of John on the weekend of August 9-10, using the theme "WITH." There are three books in particular that I found especially meaningful. Two of them were written by persons who are a part of our congregation. The first is called "Repairing the Breach." It's the story of Margery Mayer's mission experience in Japan. Soon after World War II, she was one of several young adult Methodist missionaries sent to Nagasaki to help share the Gospel in word and deed. It's a remarkable story of courage and grace. Margery is still an active member of Brentwood UMC.
The second book is called "Ministry & Money" by Phil and Jan Jamieson. Phil is a United Methodist Minister who is presently the executive director of the Methodist Foundation. Jan is a CPA and teacher. They moved to Nashville last summer and began attending here in July of 2013. This book should be a staple for every seminary student. It provides a comprehensive theology of stewardship, along with practical guidance for personal and church management. The third book is called "Mission at Nuremberg." It's the story of an American Army Chaplain assigned to Nuremberg during the Nazi criminal trials. His task was to minister to the 21 inmates who were on trial for their lives. Eleven of them were convicted and hanged. The others were sentenced to prison terms. A handful were acquitted. It is an important read. We were grateful for this time of renewal. We are also happy to be home and begin this second year with you. We look forward to seeing you this Saturday night and Sunday morning in worship. Please keep our teachers, administrators and students in your prayers as they begin a new school year. Finally, it was good to welcome new members Dawn and Isabell Mangrum, Tucker, Ginna, Anna, and Tucker Felts III, Doug, Lori, Jenna and Matthew Corry, Phillip, Alex, Hutson, and Ellie Mills and Loyla Bennett at our Brentwood campus. Welcome to our church community. Yours in Christ,
Davis Chappell Sr. Pastor