for the locals: Holding on to Hope

Hello friends!

Our church is hosting a community-wide event the weekend of March 13th, 14th, & 15th... and I want to invite YOU {those of you who are nearby}. The conference will focus on trusting the Sovereign God when your world falls apart. David and Nancy Guthrie will be leading us and along side them will be Reverend Charles McGowan. Charles McGowan spent 12 years pastoring First Pres Dothan and has most recently spent his years at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. It was in Nashville that he met David and Nancy and witnessed first hand how they chose to follow God and honor Him when they lost 2 of their children. Since then God has blessed Nancy and David with a ministry of trust and hope to countless of people nationally and internationally.

An excerpt from Nancy's website describes what she and her husband have walked through:

In today's modern world, few parents have to face the bitter task of burying a child that they love. But Nancy Guthrie has faced the grave twice now, burying two children who lived only six months.

When Nancy gave birth to a daughter, Hope, in 1998, club feet, extreme lethargy, an inability to suck, and a number of other small problems hinted at something more significant. On her second day of life, Hope was diagnosed with Zellweger Syndrome, a rare metabolic disorder that is characterized by the reduction or absence of peroxisomes (cell structures that rid the body of toxic substances) in the cells of the liver, kidneys, and brain. There is no treatment and no cure for Zellweger Syndrome and most children with the syndrome live less than six months.

For Nancy, her husband David, and their son, Matt, the diagnosis was devastating and disappointing. Hope’s brief life—a life of only 199 days— made a significant impact on them and those around them, causing them to dig deep into their faith to make sense of such significant suffering.

To have a child with Zellweger Syndrome requires that both parents be carriers of the recessive gene trait for the syndrome. So, after Hope was born, David and Nancy took surgical steps to prevent a future pregnancy. Evidently it didn’t work. Just a year and a half after Hope died, Nancy discovered she was pregnant. And a few months later, pre-natal testing revealed that this child also had the fatal syndrome. The Guthrie’s second son, Gabriel, was born on July 16, 2001, the same day a story on the Guthries appeared on the pages of TIME Magazine. Gabe’s life was also very short, a mere 183 days.

Those who have watched Nancy and David walk through such loss, and the millions who have read their story worldwide in TIME Magazine and USA Today have wondered at their ability to emerge from such sorrow with joy for life and passion for God. Nancy offered many of the lessons she learned from this sorrowful experience in her 2002 book, Holding On to Hope: A Pathway of Suffering to the Heart of God which has helped thousands of people pursue God in the midst of their suffering. She regularly hears from readers who have been touched by the book from all around the world as the book has been translated into German, Danish, Norwegian, Korean and Chinese. The One-Year Book of Hope, provides hurting people with a daily dose of truth from Scripture to guide them toward healing. Publishers Weekly wrote: "Where other devotionals offer tiny and undemanding snippets from Scripture, Guthrie's approach is meatier, and we see her genuinely wrestling with some of the more difficult passages of the Bible. Throughout, Guthrie's soul-searching honesty and personal anecdotes make her a perfect companion in times "

This conferece is free and childcare will be available by reservation (334-794-3128) by Tuesday, March 10th.

Friday, March 13th-- First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary 6:30-8:30-- When Your World Falls Apart
Saturday, March 14th-- Fellowship Hall-- 9am complimentary breakfast & coffee -- 9:30 -11:30-- Questions We Ask When Life Hurts
Sunday, March 15th-- Combined Sunday School classes in Fellowship Hall @ 9:00 am-- Worship Service @ 10:15 in sanctuary with sermon by Charles McGowan

Let me know if any of you have any further questions! Charles McGowan was here this past Sunday and he always presents a powerful message full of the richness and grace of the Gospel. I've had the benefit and blessing of hearing him preach several times and each and every time I am moved to tears! As much as I'd like for you to come to my garage sale the weekend before, I'd much rather you come to this... or how 'bout both? :)