Pastoral Notes: Church Fees

Instead of a raise, from now on fees for weddings and funerals will be paid directly to me. I will be paid 75% of the fee and the remaining 25% will go towards the upkeep of the church.

Pastoral Notes: Renovations

The Food Expo is upon us again and we're doing major renovations to the church. We plan on adding a fellowship hall so special events can take place at the church. To raise money we're doing a charity fish fry and selling fish plates for §25. We're also asking families to purchase a pew for §500 and thier name will be added to a small plaque on the pew.

Pastoral Notes: 1st Service

I can't believe it, we finally had our first church service. A few sims showed up and there as a very generous offering. Thanks to the offering and the fundraisers from the Food Expo, we were able to do some remodeling of the church. I now have an office to counsel and the gift shop is larger. Nicole found some nice bibles to sell in the store during the weekdays and after services. Now I must start work on the second sermon!

Pastoral Notes: A Season for Planting

and a season for harvest. Not only in the natural world are there seasons for harvesting crops and planting crops, but spiritually as well. I am continually reminded about my flock, the residents of the hood and how like the plants in my garden I am to nuture them, prune them at times, toss fertilizer on them and water them. God will cause the growth and then they will be ripe and ready for harvest. I have been praying about the spiritual state of the hood, residents seems to coast through life as if there is no God, that life is simply a state of wake up-work-eat-sleep. As if they are robots. I hope to get through to them that they are more than that-life can have purpose and meaning, but...well I struggle with how. Thank God for my lovely wife, Nicole. She thinks of the best ideas to spread the message around the hood, be it lectures, opening our home for dinners or what have you. She is truly my helpmate, I don't know what I would do without her in my life.

Pastoral Notes: Construction Starts

Spring is here and construction on the rebuilding process is underway. It is fascinating to watch something come out of the ground from nothing. Perhaps I will have my first sermon about that amazing phenomenon.

I am nervous about taking my post as the new pastor. Nicole and I have been given a modest bonus as an incentive, besides we are able to live in the house-rent free, as well as recieve a modest weekly salary. Not much, about $500 a simweek which equates to about $70 a day. Nicole wants to get a job at the new resturaunt, Tati's. That should bring in some additional money, not much more, but a little bit more. We're also going to plant a small garden and fish in the local ponds for extra income/food.

The most exciting news is the addition to the Humphrey family and which will keep me rather busy when not drafting sermons, preaching or tending our garden. We're going to adopt a child. Hopefully this will be the first of three, but we shall see. It was a disappointment that we could not bear children, but at least now we will give a needy child a home. I am anxious to see the little one.