Although we are not going to have any kind of official party this year, I do want to pause to commemorate that on October 15, DeSoto Hills will celebrate her two-year anniversary.   The journey getting here was long and taxing at times, but I believe all of us who were involved in the move would have to say it was worth the work and the wait.  Wow!  What an incredible two years it has been and we are just getting started.

This occasion offers us the perfect opportunity not only to celebrate where we have been, but also evaluate where we are, and anticipate where we are going.  In doing so, we need to GIVE THANKS for the spirit that prevails here.  It is a spirit produced not just by your friendliness, but by our focus on Him.

We also need to be thankful for the statistics.  In the past two years, we have baptized 60 people and seen 282 other additions. We have averaged 470 in Sunday School, 633 in Worship, and given $2,757,150.  However, even as we celebrate all of this, it is critical that we GIVE THOUGHT to what lies before us, both in terms of obstacles and opportunities.  Even now, the new Strategic Planning Team is beginning to gear up to help us think through all of this.  We need to address debit retirement, space constraints, ministry expansion, and future building needs.  We were challenged last Sunday night during our revival to invest what the Lord has given us and not just to hide it away.

“to whom much is given, much shall be required”
Luke 12:48
Happy birthday,

Bro. James