Well, we've finally made it.  This Sunday we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Potomac Hills.  What an amazing milestone.  We have an exciting day lined up.  In the morning, one of the leading Reformed thinkers in the world today, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary, will be with us.  He will speak to a combined Teen / Adult Sunday School class at 9:30 am and then he will bring God's Word to us during our worship service, speaking on "Thus Far the LORD has Helped Us: Encouragements to a Church at 25."  You have already benefited from the preaching and writing ministry of Dr. Duncan as I have quoted him numerous times over the years.  It's an honor to have him join us on this special day.

In the evening, we have a wonderful celebration planned.  We'll be meeting at Bethel Presbyterian Church on Evergreen Mill Road in Leesburg.  We'll be starting at 4 pm with a short worship service to thank God for His faithfulness to us over the past 25 years.  Dr. Duncan will preach a shorter sermon on "Making Disciples of All the Peoples," helping us look to the future.  Then we'll enjoy a banquet dinner while we get to watch a slide show of our 25-year history.  Kudos to Cici Palme for her tireless effort and meticulous planning of this dinner.  Immediately following dinner, we will return to the sanctuary for "A Night of Testimonies" where we will recap our history and hear a few brief testimonies of how God has blessed us through the years.  Then we'll share some of the goals the Session has been working on and will be working on for the next year.  Finally, we'll reveal the total of all the gifts and pledges that will go towards paying off the mortgage on the church office.  And, of course, we'll begin and end all of this with prayer.

If you haven't been able to give or pledge to this campaign to pay off the mortgage on the church office, it's not too late.  I would urge you to prayerfully consider what level of generosity the Lord may be calling you to.  There are still many individuals, couples, and families in the church that we haven't heard from yet and we would like everyone to have the opportunity to participate in this "act of grace" as the Apostle Paul calls it in 2 Corinthians 8:6-7.  Paul also reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 11, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ... You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God."  The goal of generous giving is not for us to feel good about what we are doing, but to be grateful to God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do.  That's how we want to walk out Sunday night, with great thanksgiving to God, for He is good, and He is faithful.  It's going to be a great day.  I'm looking forward to it and hope to see you there, Dr. Dave