1 - 25

Being a Boston Red Sox fan since childhood, I have been excited to see my team win the playoffs and the World Series. Some people have asked how did a kid growing up in New Orleans become a fan of a team in Boston. Well as a kid with no real heroes to look up to, I found a player on the Red Sox team who was outstanding, Carl Yastrzemski. With the same first name I latched on to him as one of my heroes. I loved baseball and he was an all-star so it just stuck. I've been a Red Sox fan ever since then.

Watching the interviews after last night's game, they asked Brock Holt, a Red Sox player, how this team won a record number of games this year and swept through the playoffs and World Series. His reply, "It's just that early on we realized it was going to be 1 - 25 to accomplish our goal. Everyone bought into everything we wanted to do. It wasn't about just the superstars". That statement rang true as the player who won the Most Valuable Player of the World Series was not the superstar but a player the team picked up later in the year and who was considered a utility player.

As I thought about his 1 - 25 statement, it struck me that yesterday we had all a multitude of volunteers buy into what we were doing. It was amazing to see so many of you working and serving approximately 1800 people who attended. You were here because you wanted to let our community know that we care, that we want them to know God loves them and we want them to join us in doing life together. The amazing number that Pastor Mike shared with me was that some 200 + persons said they do not attend church - talk about prospects all around us. Thank you for caring and for making this event a doorway to reach into our community. Let me encourage all of us to take the next step and follow-up with these folks. We do know from past experience, that follow-up can be challenging but each year from this ministry event we reach new families. Jesus told us to "let the children come" and they came. Now we need to go and continue to extend His love for them.

Please remember Roger Jones and the family in prayer as Roger experienced another setback with his heart last week. He is home and resting but the doctors have said that his ability to endure and overcome another setback is not good. Pray for Peggy, his wife, and their whole family as they take care of Roger during these challenging times. I am so very grateful that this is a family that takes care of one another and will stand with one another in the days ahead.

Be blessed,

Pastor Carl