It is evening now on Canadian Thanksgiving Monday 2020, and my mind is filled with thoughts of all the many things and people for which I have to be thankful! We have all experienced changes, restrictions, disappointments, and losses through this ongoing COVID saga; but we all also have so much to be thankful for! I Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, and truly even commands us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Truly, God has been good, SO GOOD, and we have been blessed! One of those great blessings is YOU and the blessing that God continues to use YOU to be in our lives as we seek to serve the Lord here in London, Ontario, Canada. Thank you for your support, your prayers, your love, and your encouragement.
We also thank that Lord that we are all well and in good health through the pandemic we have been going through! Praise the Lord, at this time neither our immediate family, extended family, church family, nor even personal neighbours or church neighbours we interact with have been sick with COVID! I thank God for HIS protection. I know that there are some of you reading this newsletter who have gone through COVID sickness and even COVID loss, but even in sickness and death, we can be thankful that our GOOD SHEPHERD is always with us to guide us and comfort us even in the darkest night!
Though we miss them greatly at home and in our church, we also thank the Lord that our two sons, Luke and Jack, are in attendance at Bible college. Luke is in his second year, and Jack is in his first. We ask you to help us keep them in prayer as you can and will. Please pray for them to mature and grow in the Lord, and pray that they would not succumb to the many fiery darts that Satan will seek to throw their way! We love them very much and are so thankful for the investment you have already made in their lives through the many years you have prayed for and supported our family while serving the Lord here.
We also just celebrated our Anniversary Sunday by holding a Friday Evening Youth Service, as well as an Anniversary and Thanksgiving Sunday. It was a joy to have our first guest speakers since the COVID situation last year that cancelled out numerous of the special conference and event opportunities we typically conduct. Our guest preacher for our Sunday service was Dr. LeRoy Pennell. He and his dear wife were a tremendous blessing to our church.
Another great blessing in September was that one of our faithful senior citizen men had his son, who was visiting in town,come to church with him on a Sunday evening. At invitation time, his son Clinton (age 58) raised his hand, unsure of his salvation. After the service, we shared the Gospel with him, and he sweetly trusted Christ. He stayed in town for a week, came back the next Sunday evening, and obeyed the Lord in believer’s baptism. How important it is for God’s people to be faithful to church. As a result of Bro. Cecil coming to church when his family was in town, his son decided to come to church with him, and as a result of that, Clinton heard the Gospel and got saved! Thank God for faithful people of God. Let’s all be faithful!
Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for you!
The Phil Powless Family
Galatians 6:9
