It was ten years ago on June 2, 2006 that my family and I arrived in Calgary, in the middle of the 100-Year Anniversary celebration (which means that the beginning of our time with you in Calgary literally initiated a new century for our church!). These ten years have gone by amazingly quickly – I suppose because time flies when you are enjoying what you are doing!!
I want to thank you, church, for honouring so wonderfully on Sunday Robin, Meghan, and me. I was both genuinely surprised and blessed by the events of the day. You have been soooo good to us. Almost 30% of my family’s time spent in full-time Christian ministry has now been with the Calgary Church of Christ. For this I am so grateful to God. No matter what things may look like from the outside, I never feel worthy to be blessed with the privilege of serving Christ and the church, and certainly not here, among such wonderful brothers and sisters. But God has blessed me where I don’t deserve it, and I am so glad He has.
Where will we be in another ten years; and I ask this not of the Carters, but of our church? While it is difficult to say, the word I would like to think will fit us in ten years would be – “flourishing!” I would like to think that service to our community will increase; that the outreach to our community will be more effective; that the Kingdom will be greatly influencing those around us because of our church’s presence here; and that the level of our taking discipleship seriously will be ever rising and impacting a wider circle of those who end up being Christ-followers. And I hope and pray that you and I will together help make this happen as the Lord blesses us with ten more years of service together!
~ Kelly Carter
