As I sit here behind the desk in the office that God and you have provided for yours and his servant, my mind goes back 25 years to the Homewood Theater on West Broadway with 7 people in attendance. After a few weeks we move to 3701 Penn Ave. N in a store front building where God had to work the beginning of a miracle to keep the church moving forward. Then we moved to 3007 Lyndale Ave. N where the Lord had dome some of his best work. He added to the church daily. Such as should be save he increased us so much. He said to me build me a sanctuary where I can meet with people and He is still meeting us in the cool of the day.
All I can say is thank God for allowing me the privilege to serve you. We have had some good days and some not so good days. Through it a;; we have learned to trust more and more in God. This has been the most exciting journey of my life. In these 25 years, we have learned to march to the beat with Jesus Christ as our drum major. And He plays a good beat. As he has led me in trusting Him when I could not see where we were going, He held my hand through the dark and brought me to His marvelous light. He led me in trusting Him for more than 20 years to believe that He would feed me and the wife, You know I have not worked a job since 1989? I have done my best to lead you in walking through bible with me week in and week out.
Now we start the next 25 years. My prayer for you is that we strive to get even closer day by day to the throne of grace. I know that Jesus is waiting on us. The angels are cheering us on saying, "You can make it" ! All we have to do is forget those things behind us an press toward the prize where our crown awaits us.
Well, I must bring this note to a close, but there is so much I have to be thankful for. This is only a few things, thank God for the four locations we have lived. To me they represent the four Gospels. St. Matthew represents Homewood Theater, the beginning. St . Marl represents the store front building we ha to get the job done. St. Luke represents the old church building, being a real church. St. John represents 704 30th Ave. N where we are now. But there is only one Jesus who is the head of this church. Berean wants its members, friends, and visitors to know many other signs truly did Jesus show in the presence of his disciples which re not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, The Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name. God bless each and every one of you.
With love from God's servant,
Pastor Charles Ford
