Jeannine Lamb
December 21, 2014
Once more our hearts have been broken. Pastor Jeannine has gone to her final rest, but she does leave us with a legacy of hope, charity, forgiveness and a fire in our bellies! When she came to us several years back our church was in turmoil as was the United Church of Christ across town. She came into a "shared ministry" and she was the "shared minister". Many hills and valleys later she was all ours!
Very seldom do I find a minister with whom I can work hand in hand, but Jeannine filled needs in me that I did not even know I had. She challenged me in areas where I did not even know I was lacking. Under her guidance our church began to grow. Our people began to thrive. Any time the church had a function, she was there. Mother's Day Out which is our pre-school program was the bright spot of her day as she loved the chidren.
My first official fundraiser for the church was last May and was a high tea. Pastor was there as a server and she worked tirelessly. It was a rousing success! Our soup and bread Lenten Lunches were her idea and she was the server for those. Clean-up day found Pastor in her jeans and gloves. From the craft/bake sale to Sunday morning Navajo Taco's or biscuits and gravy, she was there. World AIDS day found her as our religious center. She learned early how to handle me! A simple "Gee, I think I would have done it this way," brought me to heel very quickly and left me thinking it was my idea. A true master, that woman!
There was no task she would not under take, but yesterday morning when the choir at First Congregational Church marched down the aisle to sing for the very first time, it brought a tear to many eyes. First Church has not had a choir for many years, but we do now! Ken Joyal sat at the piano as the organ got a short rest. The voices that rose to heaven yesterday reached the ears of God and our dear Jeannine and I know she smiled down. I winked at her and I know that while she may be gone from our sight, she is not gone from our church. I know that her and my dear Sammi Cody and all the saints that have gone before will lead us to a higher plain and our church will thrive and once more be a vital part of this community. How can we fail? We have a congregation held together by love and respect and angels in heaven smiling down at us! How can we go wrong?
1 comment:
Lou, thank you so much for your posting, otherwise I would not have known about Pastor Jeanine's death. We did not always see eye to eye, but it appears like she has done much for both churches and I admired her dedication and I know that she will be missed. God bless all of you and see you during the summer....
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