The Pastor’s Pen-June Newsletter

Finally arrived in the month of June. Yay! It’s been a rough ride through spring 2024, hasn’t it? But, as we always say, God is good, all the time! To the best of my knowledge, none of us has suffered any damage or loss in the repeated storms that have besieged our area this spring. For this, we are thankful!

I want to be brief in my June newsletter article. So, I’ve decided to use this month’s article to give praise and thanks to our wonderful Homestead youth and our dedicated youth leader Amy Swindle. As you know from the announcement last Sunday, Amy is “retiring” as of the end of May. She has done such a great job with our youth these past five plus years. And this was her second stint as youth leader. We can never thank her enough for her diligence and dedication to our youth. I know they are going to miss her very much.

The month of May was Youth Month at Homestead. Before the month began, they told me they were giving me a gift. The gift was a month off from preaching. I said it was almost like taking a sabbatical. And gift me they did! The youth group planned and carried out every service during the month. From the hymns we sung to the sermons, they were totally in charge. And they did a great job with everything. I am so proud of them! Please continue to love and encourage our kids. They are growing up in a much different world than the one we grew up in. From societal pressures to a very different educational pressure, they face much different challenges. They deserve our encouragement!

Also, I am so happy that Brandy Martin has agreed to accept the position of youth leader. I know she and Zach will do a fantastic job. As the parent of one of our great kids, Henry, I know they will dedicate themselves to the job. They’re such great parents to Henry. He is always willing and ready, even eager, to help in any church activity. That tells me they will be great for our youth, too. Please thank them for accepting this very important position and encourage them. And perhaps, most of all, pray for them.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Kelly Winn. Kelly is our “behind the scenes” gal! From being our head chef for Wednesday Night Life to helping wherever needed on Wednesday evenings, to raising her three great kids, Kelly is a huge help to the youth and our church in general. We offer her a huge thanks!

Enjoy your summer, dear ones, and be blessed!
Pastor Tim