50th Celebration

This past weekend was the culmination of many months of planning by a myriad of people as Second Reformed Presbyterian Church celebrated its 50th anniversary.  It was exciting for me and many others to see all the details come together under the Lord's hand of blessing!

Psalm 105:8 says, "He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations."  This is indeed what God has done for His Church. As we all came together and reflected on God's work these last fifty years in the life of our congregation, we couldn't help but thank the Lord for His faithfulness to His promise.

On Saturday afternoon, we hosted an open house where people had the opportunity to mingle and share stories with one another as well as peruse the museum featuring pictures and historical documents from the last fifty years.  Though rain showers spoiled the outdoor activities, we still had a great time reminiscing and fellowshipping together.

We also sold Second RP t-shirts and mugs in honor of this milestone.

I was privileged to be the "official photographer" for the afternoon and snap pictures of those who came through our doors.  I especially enjoyed those candid shots capturing conversations from longtime friends and acquaintances.  We also had a photo booth where some seemed to have a little too much fun...

But there were also the "normal" folks...

And the little ones eventually found their way to the costumes, too!

Me and the photo booth "director"

On Sunday morning, we heard testimonies from longtime members of how God used this particular church in their lives to call them to Himself and strengthen their spiritual walk.  We also engaged in worship together and heard a poignant message from Rev. Ken Smith. 

Perhaps the crowning event of the weekend celebration was the joint psalm-sing service at North United Methodist Church on Sunday night.  With over 600 people joining to celebrate together in song, one can only imagine the sound that rang throughout the halls.  It was truly a little taste of heaven!

My family along with many others coordinated the reception following the service.  It was a lot of effort preparing for enough cake and punch to serve over 600 people, but many hands made light work.  The evening went so well from beginning to end!

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend recounting God's faithfulness to His people.  We look forward to seeing how He will continue to build His church and use His people for His glory in the next fifty years!