Imagine what those who first met together in the Spring of 1960 were thinking when they decided to start a new Lutheran Congregation on Kent Island. Surely they wanted a church where they and their families could worship their Lord in a liturgical setting, where they could regularly celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, where they and their children could read and learn the Word of God, and where their different and unique talents and abilities would be put to good use in furthering the message of the Gospel in their community.

Now, some 48 years later, the people of Galilee Lutheran Church have the same goals. And I fully expect that the same will be said of the next 48 years (and a hundred or more, or until the Lord returns, whichever comes first).

This year marks the 19th year that I have been privileged to serve as the Pastor of Galilee. During that time there have been many changes: births, weddings, deaths; new members joining as others left; several improvements to our building and grounds; even the move that Sherry and I recently made out of the parsonage into our own home near Greensboro.

 But what has not changed is the determination and dedication of our members to continue to do what we've always done: honoring God our heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in our worship, receiving the Sacraments on a regular basis, growing in our faith and understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and serving each other and those around us by giving our time and our gifts. And everything that we do is motivated by God's love for us and our love for one another. Galilee is indeed "A Healthy, Caring Community in Christ, Reaching Out With the Gospel to Those Around Us."

In addition to our new home, there have been some other changes. Sherry continues as an esthetician at Swan Cove Day Spa and Salon in Stevensville. Our daughter Michelle is a Maryland State Trooper, now living on Federal Hill in Baltimore and working out of Harford County. Our son Ben is the Loan Officer with the Transcontinental Lending Group in Easton. He and Erin, who is the Office Manager of the City of Greensboro, live on the property adjacent to ours. AND our grandchildren Cole and Madison are close by so we get to see them often. In addition to my ministry at Galilee, I am still serving on the chaplaincy staff at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.

I trust you will join me in the prayer that God will continue to bring his richest blessings to us to my family and yours, to all of us at Galilee and in our surrounding community, and to all who through the Internet are reading about our church and our ministry. We welcome your response, and invite you to worship with us. And we pray that our great God will bless you now and always.