A New Phase

Well it wasn't long. Retirement, that is. I thought it might last a little longer -- like maybe to February or March. But the Lord seems to have had other plans. We had been home from our Alaska trip about 2 weeks when the Superintendent called asking me if I would be interested in being the interim pastor at the Newport Free Methodist Church. Actually it is called Agate Beach Community Church. Since this is the type of thing I had been planning to do, I said "Yes" -- although I admit my plans would have been for this to start a few months later. We visited the church on October 22 and began on October 29. The church has never been large and recently went through a period of upheaval so it is very small now. We are there to try to make the church viable again. There were 12 in church Sunday -- a slow start but those who were there are very excited about the future. Our plans are to live in Newport on a part-time basis. We'll commute back to Grants Pass every few weeks to check on things and take care of obligations here. We will move a few things into the parsonage and live there very simply. More about the parsonage on a later blog. The church building is small but very nice, very clean, and well maintained. It is in a neighborhood of houses but a little hard to find. Come and visit us. Turn west off Highway 101 onto NW 58th (on the east side is a sign that says NW 57th!!! I know, kind of strange). Go one block and turn right onto NW Biggs. The church is one short block away. Until next week and the next exciting chapter in our lives...