Thank you to all who attended the conversation on race event last night featuring Dr. Emmett Price. We had a packed house and it was a real privilege to hear from Dr. Price who shared valuable insights to think deeply about and to consider what next steps might be. If you wanted to come and weren’t able to make it, we’ll have the recording up on our website under Resources/Live and Recorded Services in the next day or two. Please pray for follow up and further dialogue on this vitally important issue. Thank you!

The second key announcement is about Thanksgiving! Hard to believe that this beloved holiday is already here! As many of you are aware, we hold a Thanksgiving service every year on Thanksgiving morning. This year we will have the service at 9:30am in the Coggin Room (note the time change from the past 9:00am start.) For various logistical reasons we have felt the need to hold it at 9:30. The service will last no longer than one hour and will most likely conclude by 10:20. I will give a short meditation, we’ll sing some hymns and share what we are all thankful for. 

Speaking of what I am thankful for, I am very thankful that my grandfather, Bill James, will be joining us for the service! My grandpa Bill lives in Canfield, Ohio where he has lived most of his life. My parents will be driving to Canfield from Vienna, VA on Monday to pick him up and then will leave to head to Boxford on Tuesday morning, so please pray for traveling mercies for them! This is the first time my grandpa has been able to visit us up in the Boston area, so needless to say Becky and I and the kiddos are very excited! 

A little about my grandpa for you: He is 94 years old, and served in the bomb disposal unit of the Marine Corps and is a tremendous role model to me. He and his brother have been in a business together for roughly sixty-five years called “James and Sons Insurance.” Through various other business ventures, my grandfather has been a real model to me of doing work with integrity, excellence and perseverance. And so…I kid you not…to this day my grandpa is still working! He puts on a coat and tie and goes into his office five days a week and gets it done. Unreal! He was also running and golfing up until about one year ago. One my fondest memories is that of my grandfather driving five hours to our house in Virginia, taking a brief break and then getting his shorts and running shoes on and running 3-4 miles on the bike trail….in his late 80’s! He was married to my grandmother, Marty for 68 years. My grandma died about five years ago and my grandpa really misses her. They had a wonderful marriage and she was an amazing woman. They danced to “Mack the Knife” at our wedding and people still talk about it to this day. Needless to say, I am honored my grandpa can make the trip and I hope many of you can meet him on Thanksgiving Day!

I will send an email out tomorrow about this upcoming Sunday. We have a guest preacher this Sunday at FCCB…more on that tomorrow, so please look out for that email. Thank you!

Blessings,

Pastor Andrew