On Chicago... on Jackson... on Dayton... on ...

(Sorry the title sounds like Santa asking his reindeers to, well, you know!)

A few days have past since I have posted something.  Chicago was a wonderful experience with the various churches and McCormick Seminary.  On top of that, the whole experience of seeing many places from my childhood as well as the new look the city has.  As many large cities, there is always some construction going on.  And the ever-present traffic!  I now appreciate even more the traffic we have back home.  It is nothing compared with what I faced in Chicago!

Jackson, Michigan has a wonderful Presbyterian church that is doing some fantastic things with their children and youth.  They are also involved in replacing their floor in the sanctuary, so there isn't much to show there in the few photographs I took.  As has been the case in just about every church I have visited, I am coming to understand more and more how much we are all doing in Greeneville together.  I have to say that we are doing great things; however, perhaps the improvement areas I am thinking about may be about how we promote, show, communicate, and understand the vastness of what we do (ie. mission, for instance.)  I sure hope the Mission Fair is given enough latitude to explore as many avenues of presentation as possible and then promote the dickens about the event to our congregation AND to the community.

I am now in Dayton, Ohio -- here I will be looking at several churches as well as have a short visit with Barb's side of the family.

I want to share with all those reading that this time away has been a good reflective time for me.  Not just with the sense of history of going to places to see things, but to the people I meet -- it has been wonderful to share stories.  I find myself being asked to talk about our church, and people who I share things with wonder how it is that we do so much stuff with just a membership our size!  I explain to them that we have a wonderful congregation with people who are interested in their church, and are supportive, especially when it comes to mission needs.  So, if anything comes from my travels, it will be a new sense of appreciation for First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville.  For that, I am truly grateful, proud, and humbled to be part of a faith experience there.

Take care, my friends.

Alan