NHCBC family,
If I could sum up everything I want to say today in one word, it would be gratitude.
Gratitude is the most honest place for me to begin.
I am grateful that my family has found a true church home here—a place where we are known, loved, and rooted.
I am grateful for the trust you have given me to try things, to experiment, and to grow into this calling.
I am grateful for the grace you have shown me when I have made mistakes— responding not with suspicion or fear, but with patience and generosity.
And I am grateful to serve alongside such a gifted staff and such faithful lay leaders.
Everything I say today flows out of that gratitude—for what has been, for what is, and for what God is still doing among us.
This year is special for us.
We are celebrating seventy-five years of ministry.
75th anniversary is the Diamond anniversary — and I think that’s perfect for us.
Because diamonds are not formed in comfort,
They are formed in pressure.
And this church has known pressure.
Pressure to survive in changing times.
Pressure to remain faithful in uncertain seasons.
Pressure to love boldly in a world that often rewards fear instead of grace.
There were seasons when resources were tight.
Seasons when numbers were small.
Seasons of conflict, grief, transition, and doubt.
And yet—this church endured.
Not because it was perfect.
Not because it was powerful… flashy…trendy…or wealthy,
But because it was faithful.
Scripture tells us that endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
And for seventy-five years, hope has refused to die in this place.
Like a diamond, this church has been shaped over time, under pressure, held together by forces deeper than what the eye can see.
And, like a diamond, what God has formed here is not fragile.
It is resilient.
It is radiant.
It is precious.
When I look back on this past year alone, I see evidence of that beauty everywhere.
One of my main hopes this year was to help NHCBC remember what a unique and valuable church it is.
A church of real hospitality.
A church of genuine relationships.
A church that shows the love of God not just in words, but in real-world care.
And I believe something shifted this year.
Today, NHCBC feels like a confident church—
grounded in history, rooted in the gospel,
and excited about the future of God’s Kingdom.
It has been a good year at NHCBC.
We spent most of our Sundays in The Moral Teachings of Jesus, listening closely to how Jesus calls us to live.
We hosted services centered on AMOS Health and Hope, refugees, disability, and chronic illness.
We welcomed guest speakers, scholars, pastors, missionaries, and partners in ministry.
We worshiped together in moments of joy—
from VBS and Youth Sunday to Friendsgiving and the lighting of Christmas lights.
And we witnessed something truly beautiful in our Christmas Cantata, which filled not only our hearts, but our sanctuary and parking lot.
We ordained Rev. Dr. Heidi Clark.
We licensed Christine O’Neil.
And we took a courageous step in becoming an Open and Affirming church—declaring clearly that all people are welcome in this community and in the family of God.
That is not the story of a church shrinking in fear.
That is the story of a church being built up and refined in love.
Pressures have shaped NHCBC, and our love for each other, our neighbors, and our shared ministry have polished us, and the Spirit’s leading and provision has cut and mounted us to shine for the sake of God’s glory.
NHCBC is a diamond. But here is the truth about diamonds:
They are not formed simply to be admired.
They are formed to reflect light.
And that brings us to the future.
In 2026, I am asking for your help.
We have begun collecting the story of our church—a timeline of seventy-five years of faith, struggle, courage, and grace.
And I want to gather a group of members—young and old, new and seasoned—to help us interpret that story and imagine what the next chapter might be.
Because it is hard to know where you are going if you do not know who you are.
So in the coming year, we will work together to clarify our identity:
our vision,
our mission,
and our core values.
Not so we can look impressive.
But so we can be faithful.
And that is my call to action today:
Do not let the diamond sit inertly in the display case.
Find a place to grow.
Find a place to serve.
Find someone to bring with you into this community of faith.
If God has carried this church through seventy-five years of pressure, faithfulness, and grace,
then surely God is not finished with us.
What God has begun here, God will bring to completion.
And the question before us is not whether the pressure will continue.
The question is whether we will continue to shine.
We are not here by accident.
We are not here out of nostalgia.
And we are not here just to preserve the past.
We are here because God is still at work.
Seventy-five years of pressure has not weakened this church.
It strengthened it.
It clarified it.
It prepared it.
So let us refuse fear.
Let us refuse complacency.
Let us refuse to dim the light God has placed in us.
This is a season for courage.
This is a season for clarity.
This is a season to shine.
Find your place.
Offer your gifts.
Invite others into this story.
Because the diamond God has formed here was never meant to sit behind glass.
It was meant to catch the light.
To scatter hope.
To reflect the glory of God.
So,
With gratitude for the past,
confidence in the present,
and faith in the future,
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells us to “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
Let’s shine.
Thank you.
Grace and Peace.