I greet you in the strong name of Jesus. We are blessed to see the dawning of the twenty-first century. We have been given the grace to examine the past, regard the present, and prepare for the future.
When the saints sing, "We have come this far by faith leaning on the Lord, trusting in His holy word, He's never failed me yet", this is Emmanuel's story. God has never failed us, abandoned us, or forsaken us. Even during the dark, dismal, and despairing palm Sundy night in March of 1972 when the beautiful old sanctuary on 16th and Ivy burned to the ground, leaving a Pastor broken hearted and a people in mourning. God did not forsake us.
Just as our name, Emmanuel, means"God with us," God has been with us to heal, nurture, bless, and advance His cause during the transition fromt he old to the new. By some amazing miracle, God kept the flock together and with the wisdom, strength, and prayers of the old ones, God brought triumph out of tragedy. God provided the land and opportunigy for the future construction of a new church edifice. By a people staying together, worshipping together, praying together, singing together, shouting together, paying tithes together, sharing together, struggling together, bearing burdens together, and dreaming God's dream together, from ashes of yesterday we lift our voices today in Thanksgiving to God because He has blessed us to witness and worship for 90 years. Only a God like our God could have made this possible.