January 3, 2020

It is an honor and a privilege to begin service, formally, as one of your pastors. My responsibility will be in the area of Christian Education. For those of you who are only familiar with my work in the area of music, education (in all its forms) has been my passion and calling for which I did my initial preparation in seminary and the ministry I served in for almost twenty years before coming to Lakeshore–which is why I initially became involved with the Christian Education Department. Now I feel I have come full circle.

It is my hope that the work of Christian Education will continue to be a collaborative effort. I welcome ideas and suggestions from you and how we may work together to implement them. We have a sacred obligation that reaches back to the call of the descendants of Abraham to be a witness to one another and to others of who is the Creator of the universe and how the Creator works in the world. This call included teaching succeeding generations of the truths, instruc-tions, and the work of God in their lives:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NIV

The call to us is the same. The living out of our faith personally and collectively serves as inspiration and example. For us here at LABC this includes actualizing what we learn by implementing it in our everyday lives and into the community and the world through the ministries of the church. My hope is we continue to find ways to encourage one another in our faith journey as we interact as a body in worship and/or in small groups.

I solicit your prayers as we embark on this part of our walk of faith.

Carolyn