Today, I'm sharing with the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark with my brother Rev Joe Carter. The New Hope family is celebrating the church's 105th anniversary. With businesses, financial institutions and corporations folding and closing there is a blessed assurance that God church has and will survive.
I was honored to minister in two of his three services. Carter's church is in the heart of Newark doing some amazing and innovative stuff (inner-city school, VA volunteer program, job placement). Joe is a fantastic preacher but this weekend he impressed me most with his pastoral expertise. His church didn't happen by accident but on purpose.
I've had the pleasure to preach, teach and visit several major ministries across the country and few churches have the gift of hospitality like New Hope. I was just blown away by the thoughtfulness and the personal care they took to make my stay enjoyable. (Standing Ovation!!!)
I was honored to minister in two of his three services. Carter's church is in the heart of Newark doing some amazing and innovative stuff (inner-city school, VA volunteer program, job placement). Joe is a fantastic preacher but this weekend he impressed me most with his pastoral expertise. His church didn't happen by accident but on purpose.
I've had the pleasure to preach, teach and visit several major ministries across the country and few churches have the gift of hospitality like New Hope. I was just blown away by the thoughtfulness and the personal care they took to make my stay enjoyable. (Standing Ovation!!!)
It almost sometimes surreal to be around people you've grown up with there's always that moment with me that I realize that we're talking about things that happened 20-25 years ago. Another strange thing is being around people who really, really, really good. The strange thing is that it feels like home. So many time people think they know you or they know the person every says you are...it just cool to hang out with people who know you and you know them.
Its taken me two days to post this...so at this point of the post its Monday and I'm sitting at the airport in Newark getting ready to head home. Ready to get home to see the family. Getting ready to board my plane check back going to be a long journey.
Its taken me two days to post this...so at this point of the post its Monday and I'm sitting at the airport in Newark getting ready to head home. Ready to get home to see the family. Getting ready to board my plane check back going to be a long journey.
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