Gratitude and Faith Through the Years by Rick Hill

 

🕰️ Our Journey and History

As many of you know, Sara and I moved up here in 1976. Sara was pregnant with our first child, Julie, who was due at the end of October—right at the beginning of deer season!

Our first challenge was moving in and learning to operate the Mt. Chase Lodge, a well-known sporting camp that catered to hunters and fishermen, as well as other outdoor enthusiasts. It was the beginning of a forty-year journey, which I should have written a book about. (I still may!)

We had our hands full and did not really have time for church, as running the lodge was a twenty-four-seven job. Most of our guests checked in on Sundays for weekly stays, and most of our hunters stayed for the week during deer seasons.

Over the next few years, we did manage to get our kids baptized at our church and started to go when we could, mostly in the winter months when there was no business to be had until Memorial Day.

The Anchor of Our Church

Irene Bradford, a potato farmer who inherited her husband’s farm upon his death, was a very good friend of our family for at least two generations. She was a very faithful member of this church. When we moved up here, she was the treasurer and had been for many years. If I had to name the person responsible for encouraging me and my family to go to church, it would be her.

She was the person known to everyone in town. If you had a problem, you could go into her farmhouse, sit down at her table with a cup of coffee, and she would listen to your story. In today’s vernacular, she could be known as the town therapist. All who knew her took advantage of her compassion at one time or another.

Rodney Harris was the next person who took over as the church’s treasurer after Irene. Another local potato farmer of major status in the town, he served for many years, though I do not know the exact number.

We had been here for perhaps 10 years at that point and had become more regular churchgoers. I do remember Rodney bringing Sheila to a church committee meeting at one point, and saying that she would be interested in being treasurer when he was ready to pass on the job. She very diligently handled the job for the next 23 years. Somewhere in that time period, I must have been asked to be a finance person, though I don’t remember the details of how that happened.

Our current treasurer is Raye Porter, a professional Certified Public Accountant and very capable administrator. She has been good to work with and is very computer literate, making the finances easier to keep track of.

I tell you all this because I think it is important that our current congregation knows our history and how it relates to how we feel about our church.

Challenges and Blessings

I do not remember when or how we established a formal finance committee or how I became the chair. However, I want to acknowledge how grateful I am to those who helped me along the way on this journey.

There have been many challenges, some of which have kept me awake at night. Covid was one of the most recent sucker punches that worried me the most. Having to close the church left me wondering: Would people still support the church financially if they weren’t coming to church on Sundays? After many sleepless nights during that period, I decided to “let go and let God.” The best decision I ever made!

Our biggest and most recent challenge was losing Pastor Dan to illness, and not being able to readily find a replacement for him.

After scurrying around to find volunteers to preach for the next several weeks, three angels descended upon us: Mary Miller, Paula Lilley, and Kathy Maclachlan. We will be forever grateful for their efforts to bring stability to our services for the next two years.

A Thank You to Our Community

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have not only graciously given your continued financial support, but also your time, leadership, and service to our church’s missions. Your generosity in these areas has allowed us to give scholarships, send needed funds to hard-hit areas for disaster relief, and provide a welcoming area for those who seek what we can offer to better their lives.

I would like you to look at your nearest neighbor and count to five. The person you are looking at has a vested interest in our church, and they are the reason you are here! AMEN!