NEW PASTOR'S STUDY FINISHED!

Tonight, we put my books in the pastor's study in our school building that we are converting into a church. Add a couple of chairs for visitors or counselees, some pictures, heat, a door, and state approval for entrance, and we will be open for business! Pretty exciting for Pastor Jim! My hat goes off to my lovely wife, Coletta for designing and doing most of the remodelling work. Thanks also to all the church men and women who helped with the drywall finishing, painting, ceiling tile and insulation, electrical work, wood trim, and carpeting. also, a big thanks to the men and teen boys who helped me move my bookshelves and all my ministry books from our house to my new study. It looks great! Come see it for yourself! Granddaughter Miley was with us tonight for my first "desk sitting!" (See pictures below).

CHURCH WORK NIGHT TONIGHT!

Another church building work night is over. We had a great meal served by one of our church ladies, and a great turn out. With late fall temperatures, it was cold in the building tonight, but the spirit was warm. While about 20 of us put some touches on needed projects to meet the demands of Ohio State codes and prepare rooms for practical church ministries, another crew of faithful servants met in our present facility to work with our Awana Clubbers. It is difficult having two different campuses, but we thank the Lord that he has given the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio a new 4 acres campus with ample space for future church growth.

Today (Wed.) my wife went to Marion, Ohio to help care for her mother who is in a care home recuperating from knee surgery. I did various church business items, worked some on our up and coming week end youth crusade, visited an inmate in the local county jail and went to Haviland, Ohio to try and comfort a dear church family who lost a 28 year old grandson two weeks ago tonight due to a gun shot wound. Tomorrow will hold more church building work and preparation for the week end youth crusade. I will also do my best tomorrow to make some important visits to shut ins and some folks who have visited our church as well as others who have been absent for a while. Sometime tomorrow, I also need to get in some brisk aerobic exercise.

I'm going to bed now. It's just Cabbie (the Scotty Dog) and me tonight. It will be good to have Coletta home tomorrow afternoon.

Good night.

Jim Burns, Pastor
Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

Lester, West Virginia, 1980

Here I am as a young preacher with my wife, Coletta and our two young sons, Matt and Aaron with a small group of junior campers from the Lester Baptist Church getting ready to leave for the Bill Rice Ranch at Murfreesboro, TN. These were blessed days. You can see the van we borrowed from a church member for the trip. No air conditioning. While driving, I honestly thought the heat from the firewall and engine were going to burn my legs off during the 10 hour trip. But, it was worth it all! Some of these juniors were saved that camp week, and others surrendered their lives to the Lord in needed areas.

I thank God for how He has blessed and protected our family in each of the four church ministries where we have enjoyed serving. Also, with me at the helm, I thank God that He also "protected' each congregation!

Please scroll down to see three other new blogs I just wrote today.

Thanks.

Jim C. Burns, Sr. Pastor, Liberty Baptist Church, Van Wert, Ohio

Thanks LBC for our 13 Years of Service!

I have been blessed with a wonderful wife who has served with me faithfully in Washington, D. C., West Virginia, Kansas and Ohio for 33 years. Of the four churches where Coletta and I have served, we have been at Liberty Baptist of Van Wert, Ohio longer than any. This week being our Thirteenth Anniversary, I thank the Lord for the privilege of pastoring some of the most wonderful Christians in all the world!

I'm Jim Burns and that's something to think about!

The Pictures Say it All!

Yesterday was a special day for my wife and me at the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio. It was Oct. 1, 1995 that the church voted to call me to be their new pastor. My official first Sunday to start ministering was Nov. 1st. It has been a wonderful adventure filled with laughter and tears, but also spiritual and numerical growth of which Coletta and I are very grateful. Thank you Liberty family for being so good to the Burns' family! Thank you for taking us in and being patient with us and putting up with my crazy ways for 13 years. May God give us another 13 years!


On a different note, we are making some serious progress at our new building. New sanctuary chairs have arrived, four of our classrooms are ready to go, and it won't be long that the pastor's study, the lobby and hallways and the rest of classes will be completed. Also, a big giant step for our church took place a week ago Saturday with four wall hanging air conditioners being installed. Please pray for us as we ask God for laborers from other churches to come assist us in completing this project. Our biggest giant hurdle now is getting our chapel completed and then our main auditorium. The pictures tell the story.



I'm Jim Burns and that's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

Oops!

Oops! I goofed! All I can say is that September, 08 had Hurricane "Ike" throwing us a curve all the way from Texas to Ohio, and not only did we have strong winds blow over trees all around us here at Van Wert, but it has also been like a Hurricane of activity at the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio! Sorry for the lengthy wait for today's post! I promise to do better in the future. I'll give you a new church building update in my next presentation, but for now, here's Autumn leaves with Miley Burns on Grandpa and Grandma Burns' front porch! She's now a little over 13 months, and hanging on to scare crows to stand up! Miley's Dad told me on my cell phone yesterday that she took five steps alone at their house, so, "Pa Pa" can't wait to see that. I love this grin and hope you will too.

I'm Jim Burns and that's something to think about! (See photo below).