The Installation of Our Pastors
July 15, 2018
In mid-July 2018 we were pleased to host a Service of Installation for J.D. Rose as Senior Pastor and Jeff Fulk as Associate Pastor of Saron United Church of Christ. An entire sermon series led up to the Sunday afternoon service entitled "Back To The Future" which served as a call to action for Saron to focus once again on its young people, its mission, and its community. During the Installation members of the Wabash Valley Association of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ were one hand to impart wisdom, blessings, support, and officially install our pastors per tradition.
We also had former Pastors at Saron with us. The message during the service, and at worship that morning, was brought by Rev. Paul Bauch, one of our beloved former ministers. Another former Pastor at Saron, Rev. Peter Haskins, shared a special prayer. And yet another former Saron Pastor, Rev. Paul Gettinger gave a closing blessing. Participants from every generation served as liturgists, Rev. Ben Biggs of the Linton First United Methodits Church brought a greeting form the area churches, an ensemble shared a special piece of music, and Nancy Harden led a prayer for the Pastors' wives that was joined in by most of our women.
July 15, 2018
In mid-July 2018 we were pleased to host a Service of Installation for J.D. Rose as Senior Pastor and Jeff Fulk as Associate Pastor of Saron United Church of Christ. An entire sermon series led up to the Sunday afternoon service entitled "Back To The Future" which served as a call to action for Saron to focus once again on its young people, its mission, and its community. During the Installation members of the Wabash Valley Association of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ were one hand to impart wisdom, blessings, support, and officially install our pastors per tradition.
We also had former Pastors at Saron with us. The message during the service, and at worship that morning, was brought by Rev. Paul Bauch, one of our beloved former ministers. Another former Pastor at Saron, Rev. Peter Haskins, shared a special prayer. And yet another former Saron Pastor, Rev. Paul Gettinger gave a closing blessing. Participants from every generation served as liturgists, Rev. Ben Biggs of the Linton First United Methodits Church brought a greeting form the area churches, an ensemble shared a special piece of music, and Nancy Harden led a prayer for the Pastors' wives that was joined in by most of our women.
We shared two videos recounting the journeys that both Jeff and JD took to make it back to Saron. You can watch both of those here:
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We also had a Delorean come visit that day! A member of the Delorean Motor Club of Indianapolis brought his car down for photo ops in front of the church. On top of a day of wonderful worship inside the church we had a lot of fun outside of it too!
At the end of the service Pastor JD offered his thanks to all participants, recounted the incredible experience he had as a teenager at Saron, and offered one simple rally cry: "Let's do it again!" And so we began again to be the kind of church that the future needs. What an amazing thing to be called to by God. What an amazing day this was. What an amazing church this is.
"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where it started is not the same as never leaving."
Terry Pratchett, A Head Full of Sky
