My grandfather painted houses for a living. Sometimes he hired another man from our small town to help him. I remember my grandfather telling me once that Clarence was a good worker, but when it came to painting he didn't know when he was done. Perhaps I questioned what he meant by that, because I also recall my grandfather explaining to me that one of the hardest things about painting is knowing when to stop. In other words, it does no good to keep going over & over a board or a wall. There is a point when the surface is painted, and going over & over it with more paint is not only a waste of the paint, but of time & energy as well.

As I look at my approaching retirement I will admit that the most difficult part of the decision to retire was to figure out when I was done. This is difficult because in the educational ministry work of the church, unlike painting a house, we are never done. There is never really a time when we can clean all the brushes, wait for the paint to dry and then stand back and admire our efforts. Our work is an ongoing process. When we are involved in painting a picture of God's love for others to experience there is always more painting to do.

So it is that I hope to continue working in the educational ministries here at First Baptist. I will just be using a different "paint brush" - the kind used by a volunteer rather than that of a paid staff member. I realize that this may present situations where the line of expectation will be blurred between what I did as a staff member versus what I do as a volunteer. I suspect there will be times when I will feel somewhat like Clarence - a little unsure of how much to paint. However, I trust God to work that out - to help us all discern the difference.

I also trust God to help us know the difference between the ministries that are just fine as they are & those that need "a fresh coat of paint" with new and exciting approaches. In either case, I am confident that the Christian Education work of First Baptist Church will be carried out through the very capable leadership of Sarah Adams. I know you will give her the same good & faithful support that you have given me in the past nearly 15 years.

I suspect that the more opportunities Clarence had to help my grandfather the more he learned from the experience & the better he became at painting. I, too, have learned & grown so much from the experience of leading in ministry here at First Baptist. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve and work with you & I sincerely thank each of you for whatever way you have helped make disciples of Jesus Christ through the educational ministries of this church.

With Clarence, not knowing when he was done was a detriment to his work. With us here at FBC, not knowing when we are done is a good thing because it encourages us to keep working at the never-ending opportunity and responsibility to tell others about Jesus. May God bless us as we continue to do so.

And thanks to all those who have been bringing in the "ABC's for Education" from Scott's Grocery Stores. So far we have collected more than $20,000.00 worth of receipts. I will be taking them to Fairfield School on Tuesday afternoon, May 30. You may still bring them to the church until that time.