Last year at this time, I presented my first "Year-In-Review." I believe there is something beneficial in considering what has occurred over the past year. Often we do not talk enough about where we are and where we are going. Yet, families often converse and rehearse the events of their lives.

My records show that it snowed on Jan. 20---2-3 inches; Jan. 23---

1-2 inches; Jan. 25---14 inches. Wednesday Bible study on the 26th was canceled and Sunday PM worship on the 30th of January. This is to make sure that we get the really important things mentioned first!

My records also show that everyone had a birthday last year, though several have tried to deny it! We have five who are above ninety years of age. Our congratulations to each of these! I was advised that it would be best to not call them by name. (John Taylor, Ross Martin, Ruth Epps, Louise Franks, and Sue Yira.)

Everything is further away than it used to be.

It is twice as far to the corner and I notice they’ve added a hill.

I’ve given up running for the bus. It leaves faster than it used to.

It seems they’re making stairs steeper than they used to in the old days.

Have you noticed the smaller print they use in the newspaper?

There’s no sense asking anyone to read aloud; everyone speaks in such a low voice I can hardly hear them.

The material on clothes--so skimpy now, especially around the waist.

It’s almost impossible to reach my shoelaces; can’t imagine why.

Even people are changing. They’re much younger than they used to be when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran across an old classmate the other day and she had aged so badly, she didn’t recognize me. I got to thinking about the poor thing while I was combing my hair this morning and in doing so I glanced at my reflection. Really now, they just don’t make good mirrors any more either!

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Baptisms (Note: 11 baptisms this year; 12 last year.)

1. Steve R. Heckel (3/5/00)

2. Steven Bennett (5/9/00)

3. Jessica Easton (7/17/00)

4. Melissa Collins (7/17/00)

5. Marcus Jones (7/21/00)

6. Kenneth Robinson (7/21/00)

7. Thad Smith (8/3/00)

8. Sarah Smith (8/3/00)

9. Dana Stuckey (8/3/00)

10. Erin Willis (8/22/00)

11. Wendy Pardue (9/7/00)

"And all the people that heard him (John) and the publicans justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:29-30.)

Births (4 births this year; 3 last year)

1. Madison Kalen Strosnider (9/13/00); parents are Craig and Shelly

2. William Albert Easton, Jr. (9/13/00); parents are Billy and Jessica

3. Jaden Amar Williams (11/28/00); Autumn Williams

4. Logan Moneymaker (11/28/00); parents are Frankie and Rikki

Marriages (4 weddings this year; three last year)

1. Trenecia Jones and Kenneth Robinson (7/22/00)

2. Heather Shelburne and Adam Davis (8/22/00)

3. Wendy Maxwell and Danny Pardue (9/15/00)

4. Kyle Davis and Joanne Ogo (2/5/00)

Deaths (7 members of the church last year; 2 this year)

1. Ken Dugan, Dianne Frazier Dugan’s husband; Nashville, TN (2/18)

2. Michael Jones (5/9)

3. Clarence Starke’s funeral service (9/6)

4. Eli B. Shelburne, Sr. (10/6)

5. Mildred Friend, Stella Taylor’s mother, 7/30 service

6. Richard Nunnally, Peggy Linton’s brother; 12/27.

Ken Dugan. A recognized baseball coach and faculty member at Lipscomb University died in Nashville, TN, on February 18. Thousands attended his funeral service.

Michael Jones (May 9), minister for Jefferson Street Church of Christ, was described repeatedly by those who spoke at his funeral service as self-effacing and humble. He constantly encouraged others in their service and work. He would often say to me that he was just laying the foundation for the church in Petersburg; a real preacher would come later and go with it. Michael was friendly and easy-going. He was a minister and a minister’s friend.

He was also described as a "master tinkerer." He loved to work on old cars and trucks. He would move mechanical parts from one to another trying to get one of them to run!

Clarence Starke (Sept. 6; funeral service) was a quite and unassuming man. During his career, he worked for the Federal Government. He understood the meaning of "red tape." Mickey knew his way around a kitchen. When Jonathan was working at one of his many summer and part-time jobs, Mickey bought a set of Cutco knives from him. He had an old set from years ago and knew their value. Jonathan was encouraged in his work by that sell.

Eli B. Shelburne, Sr. suffered for many years with a diseased heart, undergoing numerous heart catheterizations. Yet, he kept a busy schedule of activities attending elders’ meetings on Tuesdays twice a month, raising a garden in the spring, and cooking a large number of fruit cakes for the widows during the Christmas season. Eli and Nettie made it to that wonderful number of 50 years in marriage.

After being in the hospital in March, Eli wrote this "thank you" note to the congregation.

"I really can’t express in enough words to each of you just how much your love and concern has meant to me over the past two weeks. Your many prayers, visits, phone calls, cards and flowers have really helped me in a great time of need. I don’t think I could have survived without God and your support.

"Also, I want to thank Skeeter and Frankie for bringing me a whole bunch of collards! Yum, yum! You all mean so much to me. May God bless us all!!" Signed, Eli B. Shelburne, Sr.

It is not an easy matter to raise six children. It would be helpful to have a master’s degree in economics, the patience of Job, and the kind of love described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. In writing some comments for his service, Bubba wrote: "When we became young adults, we sometimes despised our daddy. Oh, yes. He was a hard man. He was stubborn. He would not listen. He would not talk. It was his way all the time, with no ifs, ands or buts. . . Today, we are a little older and because of our daddy, we are all a little wiser too. The cycle is complete. We loved him. We feared him. We despised him. We loved him again. Today, we all cherish his memory."

"He seemed to have difficulty with words, consequently, he left unsaid many things he would like to have said. He hurt when other people hurt, and he hurt even more when he didn’t know what to say to them. He hurt when his children did something wrong, and he hurt more when he was at a loss for what to do to help them."

1. Margaret Woodlief retired as church secretary after 28 years of service. A retirement party was given in her honor Friday, July 14 at 7 PM in the fellowship hall. Billy Harper and Margaret worked together in the office during that entire period of nearly three decades. Juanita Harper began serving as the new secretary on Monday, July 24.

If you work with words long enough, you will make some bloopers. Billy pointed out this one during her retirement party. After typing the minutes for one of the elders’ meeting, she changed one word near the end. Melvin Jones, writing for the elders, wrote, "Respectfully yours, the elders." Margaret typed, "Resentfully yours, the elders."

Over the last seven years, we have been mailing 350 bulletins a week or 17,500 per year. That is a total of 122,500 bulletins for seven years. Over 28 years, she probably mailed about 280,000 bulletins. Over a quarter of a million bulletins!

2. The Area-Wide Fellowship Meeting was held July 30 to August 4. Tommy South was the speaker at Cawson Street on Tuesday, Aug. 1. The messages were on "The Seven Sayings of Jesus" on the cross.

3. Vacation Bible School was conducted August 7-11. The lessons were on "Character Prints of Jesus." The attendance ranged from 72-89 each day. This was some of the best material we have ever had for VBS.

4. Our annual Labor Day’s Barbecue was held at the Mannings on September 4.

5. A special teachers workshop was conducted by Ohio Valley College on Saturday, October 4. Our fall Gospel Meeting followed, Oct. 15-18; Eddie Hendrix, the minister for Hermitage Road, was our speaker.

6. Special guests speakers for the year included: Daniel Ferot, a French missionary, 8/13; Dean Barham from UVA, 2/27; James Nesmith from Broad Street, 5/28; Pat Langston of Glen Allen, 11/26.

7. My family and I attended the dedication of a new place of worship in George Town, Grand Cayman, June 24. About 150 people were present for the occasion.

8. Five couples from Cawson Street attended a "Marriage Enrichment Workshop" conducted at Southwest Church of Christ, Sat., Sept. 9.

Missions: Roanoke Rapids, NC; Strasbourg, France; Southside Church, Williamston, NC; Keller, VA; Farmville, VA; 2 missionaries in Italy (Minestroni and Pandolofini); Marsh Harbor, Bahamas; South Boston, VA; Broad Street Church of Christ, Richmond, VA; Donnie McGhee, minister in TN; Adam Davis, preacher student in WVA. Total spent in missions was approx. $30,000.

Benevolence: The church gives monthly to Fair Haven Children’s Home; $3600 per year. In addition, a special item is collected and given to Potter Children’s Home each year along with some cash donations. $3000 per year is given to assist the work of Disaster Relief in Nashville, TN. Our church pantry supplies many families with emergency relief throughout the year. Other monetary disbursements are made for heating fuel during the winter months and for food and clothing.

Our ladies worked throughout the year to make quilts, afghans, and special bags for wheelchairs and walkers. Fourteen ladies met every other Monday to make a total of 254 items: 56 lap quilts, 42 quilts for wheelchair patients, 26 afghans, 130 bags. These gifts were distributed on December 18 as Christmas gifts to the elderly and to all the residents at Hopewell Convalescent Home.

The total contribution for 2000 will be approx. $252,046 (weekly average was added in for the last Sunday of the year (12/31). The weekly average was approx. $4847. We exceeded our budgeted amount, $239,733, for the year by $12,313.

The whole church is to be commended for your faithfulness and stability throughout the years. We are doing good in many places around the world.

Concerning these numbers of attendance and contribution, we do not have such for any New Testament church. How many attended the assemblies in Jerusalem? Corinth? Rome? Luke, the NT historian, gives conversion numbers only in the beginning of the church.

I believe that there are some important things that we can conclude as we end this year and begin a new one. Here are some things that I would emphasize.

1. Keep on doing good things that are and have been characteristic of Christians for 2000 years. Nothing can ever replace the things that Jesus taught us to do and to be. There is nothing greater than love, faith, and hope. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.

2. Do more than what you have done; that is, keep on growing in the faith. If you are not attending all the services, make a commitment to do that for the new year. Be involved; be a part of the life of the church. There is a place for everyone. This is your church. Do not wait on someone else. You take the initiative.

3. We should resolve to invite more people to worship and study with us. Many more will come if we invite. Make it a point to say encouraging things about the church to others. The lost still need the Gospel; they want encouragement and love just as we do. The Bible ends with these words:

"The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him that heareth say, Come. Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17.)