About seven years ago, Glasgow Church (now called Reach Church) sent our son Dan to plant a church in a neighboring community, Middletown, Delaware.

Our leadership encouraged people who lived in the area to embrace the vision of helping build a Christ-honoring Church in one of the fastest growing regions in Delaware. My family has deep roots in Middletown, including a little church where my grandmother and mother were charter members. My father’s construction company built part of the building. How ironic that Stone’s Throw would be the first Protestant Church to build a sanctuary in Middletown in fifty years. The last one built was the little church I attended until we moved to Newark, Delaware

Recently, Chuck had the honor of participating in the ordination of Scott Winchester.

Our son, Dan, oversaw the ordination service, giddy with joy that his dear friend, Scott, had stayed the course of years of hard study in order to reach this milestone.

The congregation applauded frequently for Rev. Scott Winchester, a young man who denied the existence of God until the Lord opened his eyes to the grace of the Gospel.

At Scott’s request, Chuck, still recovering from surgical complications, participated by giving Scott his charge. Chuck had baptized Scott, married Scott and his beautiful bride, June, and baptized their children. Scott worked for Glasgow Church before helping Dan plant Stone’s Throw Church. Watching Chuck charge Scott in such a personal way in the context of such life history moved me to tears.

As I watched the service unfold, I realized that almost every man on the stage had come to Stone’s Throw Church by way of Glasgow Church (now Reach Church). So much history on that stage of young men whose parents probably spent countless nights praying and pleading for the Lord to protect their sons from making life-devastating decisions. (Missing from these pictures is Rev. Tom Harr, Associate Pastor at Faith Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware.)

Sitting in the congregation were numerous people I had never met, evidence of the ever widening circle of grace growing in this church family.

Chuck with Our Good Friend and Stone’s Throw Elder, Stu Lindner

Such a physical demonstration of God’s sovereign love encourages us to continue to open our mouths with praise, to “utter hidden things, things from of old, things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We are more determined than ever that we will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. His power, and the wonders he has done, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds but will keep his commands.” (Psalm 78)

In the congregation were children “yet unborn” when their parents were growing up at Glasgow Church. Chuck and I shake our heads in awe at the way the Lord is keeping His covenantal promises. We love the Stone’s Throw Church family and look forward to the next generation of those “yet unborn” who will not only hear but see the wonderful and praiseworthy deeds of our Lord in the lives of their parents and their church family, a family that “makes much about Jesus.”

In His grip,

Sharon

Psalm 78:1-7

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands

From Generation to Generation – Stone’s Throw Church