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11.30.08 - "The Future"

(a sermon by Kyle Durbin)

We are at the beginning of a New Year! As such, we are reminded that we are perpetually operating on God’s Time. We have the chance to reorient our lives now accordingly! Advent is a two-fold season. First, we are asked to look back and remember all the things God has done in our lives. We are asked to remember that we worship a Lord who literally “tore open the heavens” so that he could come down and enter into our lives like no other divine deity had ever done. And he did this in the form of a humble, fragile baby in a manger. And so Advent is a season of preparation. It is preparation for Christmas, but that’s only part of it. Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves for God to tear open the heavens in our own lives. On the first day of the liturgical year, we can prepare our lives for God to interact with us, to intervene on our behalf in times of trial and triumph. And more importantly, advent is a time for us to “wait on the lord.” Advent is a time that we can prepare ourselves, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, for the return of Christ. Advent is a time for us to make ready a path for our King to reenter his Kingdom. Christ ushered in the Reign of God by his suffering and death on the Cross. We are not reading this Apocalyptic Literature looking for a Messiah because he already came, and now, we are blessed with the opportunity to prepare ourselves, our society, and our church for the return of our Savior to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth that will reign forever and ever. All that is asked of us, is that we “keep awake.”

09.30.08 - Davidsonville United Methodist Celebrates a Journey of Faith by Burning its Mortgage!!!

(by Roger Vales, Financial Chairperson)

District Superintendent Chris Holmes led a September 11th worship service celebrating Davidsonville’s debt retirement. The service was highlighted by the story of how this country church which struggled for years with a lack of space to carry out its ministries was able to build an 8,600 s. ft. addition, and retire the debt in ten years by having faith.

The faith journey started in 1996 with the arrival of Pastors John and Bonnie Campbell from six years of missionary work in Alaska where they built two new churches and the vision to develop a church Master Building Plan by Joe Mayhew, Building Committee Chairperson. The congregation approved this plan in 1998, voted to proceed with development of Phase 1 building plans and dedicated their resources, time and talent to make this church raising a reality, starting a three year journey of faith. So touched by these events, a church member offered to match congregational giving up to $100,000 and the building was begun.

In February of 1999 the District Board on Churches and Location, chaired by current District Superintendent Reverend Chris Holmes, gave its approval for the building. The ground was broken at an April 11th, ceremony and the grading and foundation work began. To save money, the Building Committee acted as the general contractor. Unable to find a framing contractor, the men of the church started a volunteer church raising on November 19th under the leadership of Chip Hardesty. By the end of the first weekend, the fellowship hall floor joists were set and the flooring installed. The second weekend saw the walls go up. On December the 4th, the roof trusses on the fellowship hall were to be set. A large crew was assembled, the crane arrived on time, and just as it was to lift the first truss into place, it developed engine trouble. It looked like a black day in Davidsonville. However, within two hours, prayers were answered, and a new crane arrived, and the trusses were set. By January 2000, the addition was under roof.   Every Saturday for the next 15 months the men and ladies of the church would gather to work on the building. The young guys, anyone under 60, came in Saturday and worked hard, the Geezers, retired over 60, came in during the week and on Saturday, and the building went up.

Twenty-five months after breaking ground, the occupancy permit was received on May 4th just in time for a May 5th wedding reception. The Reverends John and Bonnie Campbell’s last official event before returning to missionary work in Alaska was to consecrate this building to the service of God on August 26, 2001. During the period of construction, average Sunday church attendance grew from 150 to over 250, and church giving exceeded all expectations.   This Journey of Faith changed the church from a country church dedicated to helping its members to a church serving the Davidsonville community and beyond. For 12 years we have sent our youth to Appalachia to help make homes there safer, dryer, warmer, VIM crews to Southern Maryland and Alaska to build new churches, and to North Carolina, Mississippi and New Orleans to assist these storm damaged communities recover.

In a letter to the congregation read by Pastor Jim Stutler, Pastor John Campbell, District Superintendent Lithuania United Methodist Church, wrote: “I always seem to help churches that I have served get in debt with building projects and so it is a great load from my shoulders that your debt is now retired. Of course I have often felt that a church that wasn’t in debt maybe wasn’t doing all it could to expand its ministries, but I will leave that for you and Pastor Jim to determine for your future.”

Past Chairman of Finance, Ray Weems, and past Treasurer, Bruce Angevine, joined the current Treasurer, Russ Smith, and Pastor Jim Stutler in burning the mortgage. Superintendent Chris Holmes and Pastor Jim Stutler ended the service by dedicating the building as debt free. This is not a story of a building, for buildings come and go, but of “Faith” and how a congregation placed its faith in a vision, worked hard, and watched as God made this vision a reality. Praise be to God!!!