King David lived a life marked by God’s blessings. As a young boy he was anointed Israel’s next King, became a military hero by knocking down the giant Goliath, and (as if that was not enough) he also was a prominent musician in his day – playing for the current king and his court. In his adult life, David was the King of Israel, a writer of sections of the Holy Scriptures, and a “man after God’s own heart.” Near the end of David’s life, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, David wrote Psalm 103 — a great Psalm of praise to God. This Psalm begins this way:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:”
Of this statement, John MacArthur says:
“We must not forget ALL His benefits, because He has forgiven ALL our sins!”
All believers in Jesus Christ can (and must) thank God for the benefits of our salvation, our ultimate healing (in glory), and the way God loves and cares for us (things detailed in the rest of Psalm 103). In addition to these things, though, as a church family, Wildwood Community Church has the privilege of blessing the Lord and remembering ALL His benefits to us as a church over the past 50 years. Since 1968, God has provided abundantly for our church family, and over the next 3 Sundays (September 16, 23, and 30) we want to bless His holy name together, forgetting none of these benefits!
This Sunday, September 16, we will be kicking off our 50th anniversary celebration in several special ways:
- Our worship services will be at their normal times (9:45 and 11:00). In the services this week, we will be looking back at God’s faithfulness to us as a congregation. The Worship Team has prepared a special medley of worship songs throughout our history, Wildwood’s history will be recounted through a special video presentation, and Teaching Pastor Bruce Hess (who was the Senior Pastor at Wildwood for 37 of our 50 years) will be guiding us in a reflection of God’s goodness to us as a church. Make plans to attend one of these two identical worship services. Children’s ministry will be running as normal during both hours, Student Ministry (Middle School and High School) will be running during the 9:45 hour, Adult Groups will be meeting at their normal place and time, and College Life will be meeting at noon in the Fellowship Center for a free lunch.
- On Wildwood’s front lawn will be two 40ft. by 40ft. tents all morning long (from 9:00AM – 12:30 PM . . . before, during, and after the worship services) that will feature a variety of ways to commemorate our anniversary. A giant map will be present giving you the chance to mark places we have gone as a church (and individuals) over the past 50 years, a giant timeline will be up where you can mark when you first came to Wildwood, and a door will be present for you to sign if you have entered into (or re-entered into) a relationship with Jesus Christ during your time at Wildwood. Light refreshments will also be served. These interactive elements are for the entire family, so if you plan to visit these attractions before or after services – please have your kids with you (or go pick them up and bring them with you) as you visit the tents.
- The interactive elements mentioned above will remain around Wildwood for weeks to come, so you will have a chance to see them and interact with them later if you are not able to make it to the tents on Sunday.
- Just off our Gathering Hall in our “Living Room” area, we will have a camera crew stationed this Sunday before and after services to record any testimonies you want to share about how God has worked in your life through your time at Wildwood.
Make plans to be with us this Sunday, September 16 . . . and the rest of September . . . as we bless the Lord and remember His benefits together. Whether this Sunday is your first Sunday or you have been a part of Wildwood from the beginning, we have the privilege of following Jesus together. Looking forward to worshipping with each of you this Sunday at Wildwood!