Pastor Letter: October 18, 2018

Dear Buck Run Family:

If you have enjoyed hearing sermons on the book of Ephesians only half as much as I have delighted in preaching them, you can say with me that 2018 has been a great time in the Word. I do not claim to have been a great preacher, but I have preached a great epistle. Knowing who we are in Christ and what He has done for us forms our identity and determines our direction in life. In the next 8 weeks, we will conclude the book by paying close attention to Paul’s instructions about spiritual warfare.

Thank God that, though we fight against a great enemy, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ and with one another! I get overwhelmed when I think of the great blessing of Buck Run Baptist Church. Sunday during communion I was simply overwhelmed looking around that sanctuary and seeing the grace of God at work in so many lives and in so many ways.

Christian bookstores will tell you that October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Please don’t believe them! You folks treat me and the other pastors so graciously and kindly all twelve months of the year, I can’t imagine that you can actually do any better in October! I really am God’s spoiled child, the most blessed man you’ll ever meet. You, precious church, are a big part of that blessing. Thank you for every card, every hug, every Reese’s Cup (especially Reese’s Cups!), every kindness that you show me and the other pastors. We are honored, humbled, and delighted to serve the Lord with you.

Part of the ministry that we have at Buck Run is training pastors for the next generation. That is one of the reasons we use interns, usually students at Southern Seminary, to serve in our student ministry and alongside our staff. So on Monday evening, October 29, we are going to have an Intern Preaching Night at Buck Run. Our three interns, Reeves Garrett, Justin Ray, and Andrew Cross will each preach a 20-minute sermon. You can hear the kind of feedback that Professor York gives his students and you can even give them your impressions of how they did. It will be a great experience for them and a wonderful time for us as we encourage them.

Don’t miss the Trail of Treats Fun Run on October 31. This community-wide event will give your family a free and safe night to show off your costumes and gather lots of candy and treats! Join us anytime between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. This is what we call a “Level 1 event,” an opportunity to just meet people and make friends, getting them comfortable coming to our property in hopes that we can get them to a service or a gospel presentation later.

Finally, I wanted to fill you in on our dear friend, David Miller. He was not able to be with us a couple of weeks ago due to some pressing problems. His son, Josh, had to have his thyroid removed, but the biopsy removed was benign and he did not lose his voice, which was a concern. David’s wife, Glenda, also had some serious health concerns but the tests revealed that they were not as serious as originally feared. Thank you for joining me in praying for the Millers. Please continue to lift them to the Lord so that Bro. David might fulfill his calling and bless churches and preachers as he has for decades.

I’ll see you in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s day!

Your grateful pastor,

Bro. Hershael