SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM PENNY FOLSOM
My expensive First Baptist household,
It’s with a tangled net of each pleasure and disappointment that I announce to you my plans for retirement on the finish of September. My final Sunday at First Baptist will probably be September 27. Serving you has positively been one of many best joys of my life – and one of many most lasting! This August will mark 33 years for me on this First Baptist employees. You took me after I was a “child” in ministry and with persistence, encouragement, prayer, and love, allowed God to develop and develop the abilities and presents that He had given me. As I grew, you graciously allowed my ministry management and job description to develop as nicely. My coronary heart is stuffed with gratitude to you and to our God.
I’ve at all times prayed that I’d not keep at some point roughly than God needed me right here, and I’m grateful that He has gently guided me on this determination. As a lot of , Byron has been retired for two.5 years already. 2020 and the abrupt and astonishing modifications it delivered to our lives triggered most of us to pause and re-evaluate. For me and Byron, there was a agency decision to reorder our lives in order that we would have extra time with our household. To that finish, we now have bought a house in Indiana – about midway between our youngsters – and will probably be shifting there this fall. It’s on a small lake, and we anticipate some enjoyable days of fishing, boating, and kayaking with our youngsters.
Pastor Gary has graciously invited me to take part within the search course of for my alternative. We’re each dedicated to a clean transition, and I’m excited concerning the prospects for the longer term. The music ministry has at all times been an integral and far beloved ministry at First Baptist, and that won’t change.
This isn’t goodbye simply but! I will probably be serving for 3 extra months, and I sit up for ending nicely.
I shut with Phil. 1:3-5: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 at all times providing prayer with pleasure in my each prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation within the gospel from the primary day till now.
Thanks in your love and help.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Penny
