I have been reflecting on what we have accomplished at Sunrise.
When I came here, Sunrise was a hurting and very conflicted church. But it was clear that this was not your nature. Your nature was to be "the church where love lights the way."
I remember my first Session meeting -- elders yelling and screaming. What a night! After a few months of session meetings like that, I made all the elders start meeting in the Upper Room, and I told them that we would not vote on any business until we learned how to work together. I told them I wanted them to ’come with excitment and anticipation that something special was going to happen’ and that after the meeting they were to ’go home with joy in their hearts.’
One elder called that a radical idea. But soon that was the way we were meeting, and joy returned to the Session.
I have had 5 great years at Sunrise -- of course, many of you know I’ve been here SEVEN years. The first two, I will admit, were pure hell.
But those conflicts are over. Thank God.
I pray that you do not experience that conflict again as you did the last time you were between pastors.
Please remain the church ’where love lights the way.’
I want to commend you for the work you have done while I have been with you.
In the area of CHRISTIAN EDUCATION...
Nancy Jones did a great job years ago on the School for Christian Living. A couple of years before I came, I understand there were as many as 200 attending classes on a mid-week evening. When I got here, I was surprised to see it had dwindled down to about a dozen.
Nancy was a great Director of Christian Education and she knew that you always have to be creative -- constantly building up the programs of Christian Education.
The School for Christian Living had to close. But other things came up in its place.
We started Bible Study Fellowship in September 1996, an ecumenical and intense Bible Study for women that has been held every Monday night. What a great program that is -- with over 150 women attending these classes.
When I arrived, only about a dozen adults attended Sunday School classes. Now there are over 50 in attendance. We doubled the size of our enrollment in Christian Education programs.
But remember -- you have to remain alert! Be creative. Don’t be afraid to let some of the ministries I began close. Be willing to start new ones!
I think one area that I take great satisfaction is in CHILDREN’S MINISTRY. The first Sunday I was here, I invited the children to come forward for a children’s sermon. Four little girls came forward. Four!! This morning in church we had so many kids! I counted over 30 kids. Wow!
I can’t begin to tell you how many things Sunrise has done for children.
One thing we did right after I got here was to make the weekday preschool and kindergarten a Christian school. Until then, prayer and Bible Study was not allowed. I insisted that it be a Christian school and I started meeting each week with the kids for a chapel. I remember how nervous I made Nancy Jones, who was the director back then. She worried we would lose students. A few weeks later, she came in my office with a big smile on her face -- true, we’d lost one student -- but we were gaining new ones because of the religious emphasis.
A lot has happened in the preschool. We added an art teacher in 1998 and a music teacher in 2000. Two years ago, in 2001, the Sunrise Preschool became the Sunrise Christian Academy -- we now go through 3rd grade! I want to thank all the work Barbara Hassal has done to keep that program alive and growing!
I hope you always remain proud of that program.
It is a wonderful ministry to the community.
But we also minister to our own children.
Maryann Tatum has said many times that she remembers longing to be old enough to join the youth group. Now kids no longer have to wait. Our youth program goes from Preschool through High School, with the KFC, or Kids For Christ, being offered to our younger children.
If you want to see energy -- come here on Sunday nights and look at the 60 to 100 children and their leaders!
But remember what I said a moment ago -- Christian Education, youth ministry, and children’s ministry all takes creativity. Don’t be afraid to join in! And don’t be afraid to close programs I started so you can create new ones.
In the area of MISSIONS...
Many of you know how dear Missions is to me. I was glad when we began supporting missionaries in 1997 by helping to fund the work of Harry and Debbie Horne in Guatemala. I knew Harry from a time when we both served in Savannah Presbytery together -- although I did not know him well. I’ve gotten to know him better as we have received his letters from the mission field. What great fun we all had a couple of years ago when our children collected almost 1000 toys to send to the children in Guatemala.
Harry and Debbie will soon be returning to the United States, but I hope you continue to support missions. If not, I hope you will always treasure the relationship you had with the Hornes.
We did some great mission work here in Miami. We helped start two sister congregations. A Korean Church started at Sunrise in 1998 and moved to Kendal area in 1999. A Spanish language congregation was started in 1999 and outgrew our chapel and relocated in 2001.
I also have to say that one of the greatest things you have done as a church is to help your sister church in Liberty City -- New Covenant Presbyterian Church. Because of internal conflicts in that congregation, Presbytery set aside the church’s local session and put an Administrative Commission in place to govern the church affairs. I served as the moderator of that Commission from 1998 until 2001. Rex Simon acted as the church’s treasurer during 1998 to 1999. One of our members, Ernestine Richardson, who was studying and preparing for the ordained ministry, served as stated supply. One of our elders, Angus Walton, later served as the moderator of the New Covenant Session. Today that church is strong and thriving, thanks to the help our church gave to them.
Good for you Sunrise!!! I hope you will always be working with other congregations in ways like this!
One of the most challenging mission programs we do in our community is the Living Nativity.
Me and my big fat mouth!
My wife and I had started one in Tennessee before moving to Miami, and so we thought it would be fun to do one here.
Did I say fun?
Did this thing ever grow!
Harriet Davis was the first director, and she and I worked closely with folks at Miami Shores and we had about twice the Living Nativity as I had expected.
Mary Ann Engel -- I owe you one.
Actually, I owe you a lot. Because you took this over from Harriet after the first year and you have kept it going.
We have so many people working as actors and behind the scenes. We get tense, frustrated, and perhaps angry -- but we do it all in love! And at the end of the last night, we are always so joyful! What a great program you folks have made this event.
We’ve never had a major accident at the Living Nativity.
Not true with the Golf Tournament! I know first hand how dangerous golf can be.
When I came here, the Scholarship program was still very, very new. The month before I arrived, the elders had taken money from the Scholarship program and used it for a youth ski trip. When I found out I hit the ceiling and made the session pay back that money!
What a great program!
You should be so proud of what you do for these young people.
I don’t know about the two years of the program prior to my arrival, but I’ve kept records since 1996. You have given 75 scholarships to 35 different people, totaling $68,084. My own son was one of the recipients of this program. And I can tell you first hand -- it is not just the money, it is the support and love these kids feel -- that their church would support them in such a real and sincere way.
My son!
He’s the reason I know how dangerous golf can be.
As those of you who were here at the time know, in 1997 my son and I were playing in a foursome with Jim Martz and his ’little brother.’ My son was driving a golf cart and ran right into me!
Laid me up for weeks!
But I’m glad to say that we have now gone 2,190 days without a major accident on the golf course!
Things do change, and the Lipmans decided they could no longer do the golf tournament. Charlie and Joyce -- you guys were great. Absolutely great to do so much for so long. But things change - we now have the Putt Putt tournament, Pet Walk and Scholaringo to raise money for the Scholarship program.
Remember -- you have to be flexible. You are about to go through a lot of changes! New pastor, new programs. Be creative and willing to try new things.
We tried a lot of new things while I was here.
The Internet ministry with the web page and email.
Bringing Jane Mann on board for counseling ministries.
Starting a Board of Deacons.
Starting the Senior Concerns Committee, and with it the Early Thanksgiving Feast.
We started a Boy Scout Troop in 1998 and the next year we started a Girl Scout Troop.
We’ve seen a lot of changes.
But one of the areas where I take the most satisfaction is in the area of finances.
One of the first things I did when I came here was to hire a Church Business Administrator. Rex Simon did such a great job! You are so fortunate to have had him on staff.
But what a nightmare he walked into.
You probably know that in the 5 years prior to my arrival, there were three instances of embezzlement of church funds. Rex and I put a lot of work into making the funds safe and secure with complete accountability. We set up annual audits. We physically separated the general budget offering from designated gifts.
Rex spent hours and hours here at night. What a dedicated man!
For several years, the church had been spending more than it was bringing in -- but with Rex’s help, we reversed that! We controlled spending and in my second year here, we turned things around. Since then we have ended every fiscal year with a surplus. We are sometimes tight! But we are never out of control.
We burned the mortgage in June 1998 and remained debt free.
Even when we bought a new organ, we did it without having to go into debt!
Way to go Sunrise!!
I also want to say something about the STAFF at Sunrise.
Such great folks.
When I came here, Barbara Stabley was our organist, and it is always great to see her substitute for Cleo. You fill the Sanctuary with you music, and also with your smile and grace.
Cleo, you have come to us as a Brazilian who learned English in Texas. I thank you for making me feel at home with your Southern accent!
Mark Sohan Dass -- thank you for being our custodian, and always going above and beyond the call of duty. You do so much more than anyone knows and you do it with love in your heart for Jesus and for this church.
Nancy Jones was the director of our preschool when I came here. I did not work with her long. I know she was so very tired by the time I got here, because she had to do so much extra work while the church was between pastors. But she kept this church going. I know there are some who believe I fired her, but the truth is she retired. She submitted her letter of resignation to elders, and Edwin Maier and I met with her and told her we were there to accept her resignation and to make sure that the transition to retirement was a happy one. I hope it has been happy for her -- for she deserves joy.
She was followed by Terry Vega, who was with us only a year before she moved. Then came Beth Wilson, who recently moved to Jacksonville. Great people who had the enormous task of following in Nancy’s footsteps.
Barbara Hassal is now our director, and I cannot tell you how fortunate you are to have her at the helm. She has redesigned the summer program. She has expanded the program to become an Academy with an elementary school. She deals with difficult students and parents with so much love and dignity. Thanks Barbara.
I’ve already sung the praises of Rex Simon as your Business Administrator. Angus Walton is now in that office. The only complaint I have about Angus is that sometimes he calls us Sunset instead of Sunrise. It must be confusing for him. After all, he works here during the week and at Sunset during the weekend as their Commissioned Lay Pastor. Angus, it really is great to have worked with you, and to have you not only do the business, but to add to the spirituality as a lay pastor.
Rex, of course, was also our music director before Cleo came on board. I will always miss that wonderful voice! I was so sorry when he decided to leave Sunrise to work for a sister church, but I know he is doing the Lord’s work.
In the office, until recently, Mary Hartman was our part time secretary. I was so distressed when she decided to leave us. I always knew I had nothing to worry about with the church records -- she did such a great job. Thanks Mary!
Now, as for Lynne Woehr, she talks to herself, wants to bring pets to work, and has 539 toys around her desk for the kids!!! But what a great blessing she has been to me. Lynne is not a member of our church, but she is certainly part of our church family. She has been absolutely wonderful!
When I came here, I was told that the first thing that would happen would be that the church would form a Pastor Nominating Committee for an Associate Pastor, to replace Mike Davis who had already gone to Tennessee.
But when I arrived, I could see the finances needed a bit of "healing" before we called a pastor. We had to wait a long time, but we finally were able to look for someone and call Jason Hefner. He was great! And I think it was a blessing for us to work so well together. As you know, he was in the US Navy Reserves as a chaplain and decided to go active. He’s now at the naval hospital in Jacksonville.
When he volunteered, I asked, "What about the baby? Don’t you want to wait until the baby is born?"
He said, "The Navy has given me a promise -- I can stay on land until the baby is born, UNLESS THEY DECIDE THEY NEED ME ELSEWHERE."
Yep -- with a deal like that he must have been following God’s call!!
Anette Westermark came just a few months ago -- Anette, I feel like I am deserting you. But thank you for your joy and peace, and for all you bring to this church.
And of course there is Neil Wyrick. He has been part of this church since before I came, and off and on he has been part of our staff. He is proof positive that if you want a minister to retire -- you have to take him out back and shoot him!
Neil, I’m glad you will never retire!
So this is it!
After 92 baptisms, 198 new members, 29 weddings, 47 funerals, and 579 sermons, we say farewell.
I am no longer your pastor.
But I will always be your friend!
May the blessing of God always be with you!
