Pastor's Notes

I hope that everyone had a good Christmas season, and enjoyed their time with family and friends. We had Sarah's parents in, Monday through Wednesday, and exchanged gifts with them on Tuesday evening. We will go down and exchange gifts with my family on New Year's Day.

For Christmas this year, Sarah and I are taking the children to Disney World. Over the last few months, I have sacrificed much family time, and wanted to be able to spend some undivided attention with them. My parents will be joining us on this trip, and we will drive down together in a 12 passenger van. We will be departing for my parents on January 20, and will come home on January 30.

I trust that you were able to spend some time this past month in musing on the holiness of God and how it applies to your daily life. Next week, we will look at another attribute of God. I am still praying concerning the particular attribute, as I have been torn between two. Lord willing, we will either study the immutability of God, or the Eternality of God.

On January 1, Pastor Bossley will officially begin serving as the Associate Pastor of the Cornwall Baptist Church. He has already begun serving in that capacity over the last few weeks. In addition to teaching Sunday School, and alternating preaching for Family Prayer Meetings, he has spent much time in keeping both properties clean. Please pray that God will continue to give us wisdom and unity as we labor together to serve God in Cornwall and the Surrounding communities.

Pastor's Notes

As I write this, they are talking about the arrival of our first major snow storm of the year. The temperatures have gotten much colder in the last week. I am amazed at how quickly the weather can change in a week. As a reminder, in inclement weather, please call the church first to make sure that the parking lot is plowed and that the roads are clear for traveling. Because I do not drive to church, I do not know the condition of the roads. Please use common sense in making a decision on whether to drive in poor weather.

Sarah and I are excited for the Christmas present that we have for the children. We believe that we have been successful in keeping it a secret from them, and will share with you next week what we are doing.

This week we are celebrating Christmas. May we join with the chorus of the angels who sang "Glory to God in the highest". As we remember the birth of Christ, may our praise be to God for His wondrous gift.

New Year's Eve will be a great time of fellowship for the church family. We hope that you are able to make plans to be with us for the evening. The next day, the family and I will be heading to South Jersey to celebrate Christmas with my family. We will probably over night there and come home on Saturday. Maybe I will be able to get a stromboli while I am down there. It is always neat to see how differently things are made from state to state. That is one of the examples.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

This past Monday, Betty Wright went home to be with the Lord. Betty has been a dear friend, and one who has been a great encouragement to me in the ministry. I have missed her presence in the services over the last several months, and will miss her words of encouragement in the years to come.

Sarah was invited to go shopping on Thursday, and Mom even paid for the baby sitter so that it was just her and mom shopping. If I understood her correctly she was able to finish shopping for everyone in one day. I am so glad that I do not have to go shopping now. I guess I do need to get a gift for her. I am still racking my brain for an idea, which makes it hard for me to get something, and I do not like to just go looking until I find something.

As we approach the Christmas season, please feel free to bring in poinsettias and place them in the front of the church. The flowers will add to the beauty of the sanctuary as we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. This is a time of year when we can remember that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, was born to die for our sin. His birth and death was in the perfect timing of God's will.

It is my desire to see our children's programs grow, especially after the New Year. If you know some young people, please invite them to our Sunday School, Junior Church, and Sailor's Kids programs. Obviously, there is a service for the adults during these times as well.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

Many of you have been praying for the Perkins Family for the last few years as Scott has been battling brain cancer. The family has been through many trials, as Katey had cranial surgery while still an infant, Scott was in Walter Reed for several months as he was diagnosed with brain cancer while on active duty with the Air National Guard. Recently, Scott was medically discharged from the military. Now, he is taking the last of his chemotherapy sessions and they have seen some improvement. However, Katey is preparing to have another cranial surgery on December 21. Shelly is also having some surgeries scheduled. If you would like to send them a card, please e-mail me for their address.

CHANGE!!! Our New Year's Eve Open House will not be at the parsonage, but will instead be at our Maranatha Campus. Please bring some board games that you enjoy playing, and some snacks to share. If you have a favorite ping pong paddle, there is a ping pong table. There is also a fusball table for those of you who like table soccer. Lord willing, we will set up a television and movie player to watch a movie for those interested - I just bought one that I need to screen first. As the New Year approaches, we will pray it in, and celebrate as a church family. We will still start at 7pm and if you choose to leave before midnight, that is not a problem.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

I hope that Everyone had a good Thanksgiving! We had a good time around our house, enjoying time with each other. We watched some movies, ate a big turkey dinner, and made a craft together. It was a relaxing day to enjoy some time together.

There is a lot that is coming up this week. We will be having a Theology Class, and a Ladies Bible Study on the same night. I have a meeting on Friday in South Jersey and will be traveling with my friend, Pastor Roof, down and back. I am looking forward to the time of fellowship with him.

The Christmas Dinner will be on Saturday, December 19 at 5:30 PM. The church will provide a ham and turkey for the dinner, and we ask that you bring a side and/or dessert to share. I look forward to this time of fellowship together as we remember the birth of our Savior, and that He came to die for our sins.

It is interesting listening to Joel talk, he is using more and more words, but he has a hard time with his siblings names. Stephen is "Oonan", Rebekah is "Nekah" and Jennifer is "UhHuh." Perhaps in the near future, we will be able to tell which one of his sisters and brother he is complaining about. Until then, we are continuing to teach him their names.

As we prepare for Christmas, we will set up a table in the back for non-perishables. During this time there are some families that are going through a season of difficulty, and we would like to be able to minister to them, and share with them an example of God's Great love.

Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

Sarah and the children were delayed a day in coming home because of a problem with the van. As they were preparing to leave her parents house, the check engine light came on. Rather than try and make a lengthy trip with something major wrong, she took the time to have it checked out. It seems that the problem should not affect the operation of the vehicle, but the amount of pollution that we create. We will need to get it fixed in the next couple of weeks.

This Wednesday we will have our Thanksgiving Eve service. We encourage you to join us for this time of fellowship as we rejoice in what God is doing in our lives. Please bring a praise and a pie for our fellowship. I trust that this Thanksgiving will be one that we remember for many years because of all of the blessings that God has poured out on us. May we rejoice for he is a great God and worthy of praise. While we have the privilege of setting aside one day of the year, may our daily lives be ones of offering praise to God.

For Christmas, we will have a Prayer Meeting Service on December 23. There will not be a Christmas Eve Service. The following week, we will have no Prayer meeting, but a New Year's Eve fellowship at the Parsonage. We enjoy this great time of fellowship. Please let me know this week whether December 12 or 19 works better for you for a Church Christmas Dinner. It seems hard to believe that this coming up on us so quickly.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

Sarah and the children left on Wednesday to visit with her family in North Carolina. Her sister and nephew are flying in from California, and her brother teaches at the school where her Dad is the administrator. They have a busy time planned. Her grandmother was supposed to fly in from Ohio, but she broke her arm and is unable to make it.

They had hoped to make it to North Carolina on Thursday, but due to heavy rain and high winds they stayed at my parent's house for an extra day. Mom took them to an outlet mall. I always hated those trips. We went once a year right before school started, and we had to carry the bags with our clothes in them after Mom bought them. We would get there early and they threw us out at the end of the day.

Brendan and Melissa Homquist were originally scheduled to be with us in July for our Vacation Bible School on July 19-23, 2010. However, they recently e-mailed us to let us know of a change in their itinerary. Melissa is expecting, and so they will be unable to come home until September. We rejoice with their newest gift. If you believe that you could help in any way, please let Dale Conklin know so that we can begin making plans. We will be doing a Sea Quest theme this year. I will keep you informed.

Men, we will be scheduling some project nights on Thursdays from January through April here in the church. There are some minor and major projects that we can accomplish together. This will be a time of fellowship, and a chance to finish some projects around the church.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

How exciting it is to be reminded that this world is not our home. There is much about Heaven that we have been told in Scriptures, of the beauty of the Heavenly city, of a street of gold, of the absence of tears, illness, death, and the sun. However, the greatest delight we have in Heaven is that we shall be in the presence of our God and Savior for all eternity.

There is much about Heaven that we do not know. God has given us but a foretaste of its glories. If this is so, I can only begin to imagine how much greater the joy and delight that will be there when we arrive home. May our hearts and minds be encouraged as we consider the study of our future home. May our prayer be "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

It is our delight to have the Stelzers with us this morning. Dr. Stelzer has spent 20 years in the ministry, and is currently a professor in the Bible department at Pensacola Christian College and Pensacola Theological Seminary. I have had him as an instructor on both the undergraduate and graduate level, and look forward to having him share the Word of God with us this morning.

Basic Baptist Beliefs: a study on the Biblical Distinctives of Being a Baptist. Starting next week, Pastor Bossley will begin teaching this class during the Adult Sunday School hour. This class will examine the reasons why we identify ourselves as a Baptist Church. We will examine both the doctrinal positions and their practical import into what we believe. Come join us for this time of study, and bring your children for classes for their age.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

Next Sunday, we will have Dr. Karl Stelzer from Pensacola Christian College with us for a Bible Conference on Heaven. He will be highlighting several aspects of our future home, and we look forward to having him with us. This conference has been something that I have looked forward to for close to three years now. While I regret that the original speaker was not able to be with us, I believe that God has Divinely provided for us, and that we will learn much next weekend.

It is my primary desire that this conference will be an encouragement to you as we study on our Heavenly citizenship. I am hoping that we will be challenged to consider the end of our life and its joys that await us, so that we might choose to live godly in the present time.

On November 15, we will be starting a new Adult Sunday School Class taught by Pastor Bossley. We will have more information next Sunday, but I encourage you to make plans to attend the Sunday School hour. We begin combined with singing and celebrating birthdays and then we break up into different classes. This is a great time for the entire family.

We are currently examining prices for redoing some blacktop around the church. We are examining prices for doing the hole dug up by the septic, the potholes at the bottom, the driveway, and the entirety. This is an expensive fix that we will need to address in the coming months. We covet your prayers as we look toward caring for our property.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

This week Stephen turned six. We gave him some presents Wednesday, and then had cake with him on Thursday. Other than having laryngitis, he seemed to have a good time. As I write this, we are planning to go down to South Jersey in a couple of hours. I believe that Mom is planning on celebrating with him down there.

In a couple weeks, Sarah and the children will be heading down to North Carolina to visit with her parents. Rachel and Michah (Our newest nephew) are flying in from Ohio. Ryan and Laci now live and work in the area, so they will be around for part of the time. While they are away, I will be able to get ahead in some of the projects looming before me.

Next Sunday, we will finish the Adult Sunday School lessons through "The Maturing Church: Studies in 1 and 2 Corinthians." The following week, we will have Dr. Stelzer with us for a Bible Conference on Heaven. Please use the enclosed flyer to invite people to this special conference as we discuss the realities of our future home. Following the Bible Conference, Pastor Bossley will begin teaching the adult class.

Today is my sister's birthday. Hopefully, by putting this on the back of the bulletin, I will remember to call her. If not, I can always show her the bulletin to demonstrate that I remembered her birthday. Wow! October is a busy month for us with so many birthdays.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

This past Wednesday, the membership of the Maranatha Bible Church voted to legally dissolve Maranatha and after the payment of all debts that the assets be turned over to Cornwall Baptist Church. This will now be passed on to our attorney, who will provide us with an announcement for the paper. For the next 4 weeks, we will need to announce the dissolution and ask any one who has any outstanding bills to come forward to be paid. After this is completed, the resolution will go to the state Attorney General for his approval. This will take a couple of weeks to accomplish. Once all of this is finished, we will be in the eyes of the law that we have already determined that we are in the eyes of the Lord - One church.

This is an exciting time for our ministry, and I am looking forward to God's leading in the days and weeks to come. We are beginning a new phase in our ministry, and one in which we all need to labor together. It is my prayer, that as a result of our reunification, that we will see many souls in the community saved and added to the church.

This coming week, we will be informing all of the missionaries of Maranatha and Cornwall of the decisions that have been made so that they can pray with us. None of the missionaries will be dropped in support, and we will be having them come in as they return home on furlough. Brendan and Melissa Holmquist will be with us for the week of Vacation Bible School next summer, July 19-23. Brendan will be sharing a continuous story (?) about their ministry during the week. We will also have them present their ministry to us either the Sunday prior or after VBS.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    I have received materials to begin working on my next class.  I waited to start until October 1, so that I would have until the middle of May to complete the class.  Since I am not aware of how my time will be consumed with the merging of our churches, I attempted to take an easier class.  I am enrolled in Post Exilic Prophets which covers Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.  I have to read Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi four times each, outlining each chapter and finding the key verse of each chapter: read 800 pages of collateral reading, from at least ten sources: and write a 17-20 page research paper.  That's what I get for looking for an easy class. :)

    I am hoping to complete early, and then to take some classes in Hebrew.  I have never studied the language for a class before, and thus I only have a rudimentary understanding.

    For those who are unaware, in May, I completed a Master of Ministry degree in Bible Exposition, and am currently working on a Master of Divinity degree.  I cannot attain the degree, but will pursue equivalency so that I can earn a Doctor of Ministry degree.  If I continue at the present rate, it will take about seven years to earn a Doctorate.  For the purpose of clarification, my first priority is the church.  Often studies are temporarily set aside because of the demands of the church.  The church will remain my first responsibility and priority.  If at any time I believe that taking classes is a hindrance to this ministry, they will immediately cease.  Sarah, for some reason, wants me to continue, and is the one pushing me to earn a Doctorate degree.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    I praise God for the decisions that were made last week by the membership of the church.  We will continue to labor in the ministry as one church, and as we look forward to seeing God's good hand of blessing upon our ministry.  As we are growing, let me give you some important phone numbers.  If you are trying to contact Pastor Racite or the church office, please use 534-3335, if you are trying to contact Pastor Bossley or the Maranatha Campus, please use 534-2627.  Pastor Racite's cell phone is (845) 926-8063.  I am available at any time you need to call and get a hold of  me.

    Pastor Bossley will be maintaining Monday's off, and Pastor Racite will continue to take Tuesday's off.  On Tuesday and Friday, Pastor Bossley will be in his office here at the church.  Otherwise, he will be working from his study at the Maranatha Campus.

    On Tuesday, Pastor Bossley and I will be traveling to New Paltz to receive some information concerning the status of certain laws in New York that pertain to our ministry.  I do not often attend these, but I do like to go periodically to know what is going on.

    Tomorrow, Jennifer turns 7.  I cannot believe where the time has gone.  I still remember holding her in my arms soon after she was born and talking with her, and what my heart's desire was for her.  I continue to pray that she will grow to be a godly young lady who loves the Lord with all of her heart.  Sarah and I covet your prayers as we continue to teach and train her in the way of righteousness.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    Sarah and the kids returned to the shore on Monday looking forward to spending some more time with Mommom and Poppop.  They got in on Monday night and were able to spend a little time on the Boardwalk before bed.  On Tuesday, Jodie and Randy took their family home early, and Mom went to see the doctor.  Mom spent the rest of the week in bed, and so we did not get to spend any time with my parents.

    I traveled down Thursday afternoon hoping to be able to spend some time with the family.  We were planning to go to the beach, and to rides on Friday night.  Well, what is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?  We did get to walk the boardwalk on Thursday evening.  However, Stephen was ill on Friday.  We were hoping that a couple breathing treatments would help, and then we would be able to go to the Boardwalk.  In the middle of the afternoon, we had to take him to the emergency room.  We finally got him released around 9 PM and then we started for home and got in around 1 AM.

    I am so glad to be done with vacation, that I do not want to even think of taking another one in the near future.  It would probably help if I even liked being away from home, but I do not.  Sarah and I talked about taking a trip for our anniversary, but she might need to do a lot more selling to get me interested in going anywhere for a while.  Their next excursion is when the plan to travel to see her parents in November.  Her sister and grandmother will also be  coming in at the same time.  I will be here working on a class at the time.

-Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    The family and I had a great time in Ocean City this last week.  We were able to go to the zoo, the lighthouse, an aviation museum, and an aquarium.  In addition to all of that, we spent some time each day walking on the boardwalk.  On Friday, we spent some time with Dad on the boardwalk looking for coins.  I found over $2, and the kids found over $3.  Sarah found some as well, but she might not admit it.  The place we stayed was nice, almost too nice.  It had fancy furniture and we were worried that the kids might ruin some of it.  However, we made it through the week, without any damage.

    On our way out, we dropped by the house where we usually stay.  They were cleaning from the previous week, and had a cancellation.  They offered us a great deal, and so Sarah and the kids will head down tonight or tomorrow, and spend a few more days down there.  This coming week is supposed to be warmer, and so they might be able to make it out to the beach with their cousins on Monday and Tuesday.  Depending on how much I can get accomplished, I will join them on Thursday and/or Friday night.

    On Wednesday night, the reuniting committee will be meeting after the prayer service.  Please continue to keep us in prayer as we seek the Lord's leading.  Next Sunday, we will have our quarterly business meeting after the morning service.  The committee will report to the church their findings, and we will address other items of business as necessary.  I encourage our members to make plans to attend.

- Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    This coming week the family and I will be spending time in Ocean City, New Jersey.  Mom and Dad will be there for most of the week.  Jodie and her family will come in on Thursday via the ferry, and Joey and Candace will come in on Friday.  We are looking forward to some time together as a family, and already have a few side trips planned.  We will be going to the zoo, and perhaps the Cape May Lighthouse.

    As I write this, I am excited about the prospect of being on vacation, but already missing being home.  I look forward to coming home on Saturday and being with you on Sunday.  This evening we will be at Hardingville Bible Church in Monroeville, NJ.  I spent 3 and a half years there as an Assistant to the Pastor, preparing to be your pastor.  Recently, one of my college lab partners began attending there.  He is a dentist in the area, and I look forward to catching up with him.  His name is Stephen.  For Organic Chemistry, I had two lab partners, both named Stephen.  I know that one of them, and am pretty certain that we all married Sarah's.

    On October 3rd, we will be having a Combined Church Family Picnic at Maranatha Bible Church.  Time will be announced soon, but we are looking forward to having a time of fellowship and playing games with one another.  Lord willing, we will conclude with a bonfire.  During this time, we will have an opportunity to share testimonies and sing some songs together.  If you would like to help with the planning of games for either children or adults, please let me know.  I am excited about this time of combined fellowship together and hope that you can  come.

- Pastor Stephen Racite

Pastor's Notes

    Last week, the church membership made a determination to pursue the possibility of reuniting with Maranatha Bible Church. Our Greatest desire is to see if this is the Lord's will for our two ministries. We will be meeting for combined churches in September and a committee of members from both churches will be working on the logistics of reuniting, seeking whether this is the will of God, and how to accomplish this reuniting practically. During September, there will be one offering for both ministries that will go into the General Fund of the Cornwall Baptist Church. All expenses of both ministries that will be paid from that General Fund. Next Sunday there will be a Question and Answer time with the congregation. Perhaps you have some questions concerning what we are hoping to accomplish, and what the end result will look like. You may have questions that we have not considered, please bring them so that we can either answer them, or admit that we do not know the answer to them and research them out.

    This Friday, there will be many opportunities to remember the cowardly attack by a bunch of thugs on our country and the men and women who quickly went into action, giving of their lives to rescue others. We thank the men and women of the police, fire, and ambulance corps who worked tirelessly in rescuing American civilians from these attacks. Our appreciation also goes to the men and women of our military who are currently serving to defeat this enemy, and to those who have given their lives to purchase for us liberty and freedom. May we always be grateful for those who stand in the line of duty to maintain that we have the freedoms we so greatly enjoy.

- Pastor Stephen Racite