The Pastor Search Team met on Sunday, May 23 and named Crystal Aveson as the Team Leader and Nancy King as the Secretary. Please pray for this team as they begin their work. They will make reports to the congregation as they make progress.

Our church faithfully gave to support Camp Alkulana this year. Thank you for your contributions which totaled $889.00. A group of us well be going to Camp on Saturday, June 5th. If you would like to go, please speak to me or Nancy King.

We will be honoring our High School and College Graduates on Sunday, June 13 in our 10 AM Worship Hour. If you have a graduate who is a member of our church or an immediate family member please let me know who they are and the school from which they are graduating.

Church Hill Academy will be hosting their graduation celebration on the church parking lot on Friday, June 16 at 11 AM. The church family is invited to attend and show your support to these seniors who have worked so hard, especially these last two years when so much has been virtual.

I am going to be away some Sundays this summer. The Church Council has granted me 3 weeks of vacation from last year when I wasn’t able to travel. There are some jobs that need to be done, especially on Sunday mornings. If you would be willing to wear any of the hats I normally wear, please contact me. These hats include: unlocking and locking the door to the sanctuary, turning on on and off the sound system, making sure pulpit guests have a working mic, turning on and off lights in the sanctuary, sorting the mail, making sure worship leaders have an order of service and being in your place for worship each week.

Howard

This congregation extended a call for me to serve as your pastor in May of 2005. I began my duties as pastor on Father’s Day, June 19, 2005. During the last 16 years of ministry, it be- came apparent that I was likely going to end my vocational ministry as pastor of Carlisle Avenue Baptist Church. Lee and I began talking about what that would look like. I also have had informal conversations individuals, committees and at times large segments of the congregation about my plans. I assured all I spoke with that I would not make a rash decision about retirement or make a quick exit.

As you know, I will turn 65 in October of this year. It is my intention to retire from the pastorate of CABC on September 30, 2022.

I have chosen to give you 17 months notice so that I may help you with the transition to a new pastor and to finish the work of making a decision about the future ownership of our build- ing and property. It is important for the church and CHAT to know my plans.

I will work with church leadership as I am needed over the next 17 months. I recognize that there will be times my presence is not needed or desired in some meetings. Please tell me when to stay away.

I wish you all of God’s best and His richest blessings. May God lead us all in these months ahead and bless you all the days and years that you have ahead.

With great love and affection,

Howard Germany

Excerpt of statement read in Spring Business Meeting on April 25, 2021

It has been great to return to In-Person Worship. Hopefully the numbers will maintain their current status and we will be able to continue with In-Person Worship throughout the spring and summer.

On Sunday, March 28, 77% of worshipers had received at least one vaccine. Hopefully that number will climb as more vaccines become available. We will continue to track that. Once we reach 80% who are fully protected we will be in a very good place to feel safe about being together for worship.

Check out the dates and times for services for Holy Week and Easter Services.

Howard

I do not know why your February Newsletter was so late in arriving. It was delivered to the Post Office on January 28. It is my hope that this one arrives in a timely manner.

I expect all of us are ready to turn the calendar to March and say goodbye to February and the winter weather. While it was bad in the Metro Richmond area, it was far worse south of us and of course in Texas. We have a lot to be grateful for.

If you read the article last month about resuming in person worship, you know that one of the metrics we are watching is the number of regular attenders who receive both doses of the vaccine. Please call me or text me on my cell phone or email me to let me know when and who in your family has received both doses of the vaccine. Positivity rates are declining and hopefully sometime this month we will be able to resume in person worship.

Remember that Sunday, March 14 we return to Daylight Savings Time. Spring Forward!

Howard

A tribute to Henry Aaron.

I spent my youth learning to be a baseball fan. When I was 9 years old, the Braves moved their franchise to Atlanta from Milwaukee. I quickly became a fan. I went to my first game at the new stadium that fall. Our church regularly took the young folk to games a couple of times a year. I quickly became a fan of Hank Aaron.

In 1966 or 67 CocaCola did a bottle top campaign where they put pictures of players inside the bottle tops. If you collected all the players, you could turn in your sheet and receive colored, autographed pictures of each Braves player. My brother, Charles, and I both filled out a sheet as did our neighbor, Joe. Later, as a VBS craft,we were doing decoupage. I chose to use my picture of Hank for my project. That picture hung on my wall for years. I found it recently and it is now hanging on our wall next to the original members of the Braves Hall of Fame.

On April 8, 1974, I was in the stands when Hank hit the home run to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. It was a night I will never forget.

Not only was Hank a great baseball player, he was a quality man as well. He spoke up for civil rights for all people. During his run at the home run title, he received hate mail and death threats. Those things hurt him, but he kept playing the game he loved.

He did not just hit home runs. He won gold gloves for fielding. He ended his career in the top tier for hits, doubles, rbi’s and hitting percentage.

Hank was always humble and let his playing speak for itself. I am so glad I got to watch him play the game in person. It was always a thrill.

Howard