Our Last Annual Dinner In your current appointment promised to be interesting one way or another. There were several questions and in my mind and key events to take place which made the usually butterflies going into the evening intensified:

• How would the community respond to my transfer?
• was it a good idea to go with this outside MC (Denise Richardson)
• how would our new Beginner band do?
• would we make a lot of money?

My Biggest question is always: can we tell the story of the Salvation Army in a way that will be both exciting and uncompromising in other words can we get the community to give us their money with out selling our soul and perhaps... in the process steal a few hearts for the Kingdom

The dinner is over (one more in a series of final events in this chapter of our ministry) and all i can say is WOW!


Where do i begin... I know it is a Civic dinner and the purpose is to 'sell' the community on the merits and value of the Salvation Army's program but... there were at least 3 points where I was tempted to to walk up to the mic and give an Alter Call!

Our MC, Denise Richardson (news woman from both USA Today, and the Today show) actually lectured those in attendance about the "S" on a Salvation Army Uniform and told everyone that they should attend a Salvation Army worship service "just to see what it's all about" WOW


Our Successors Major's Lauren and John Hodgson (Corps officer and Kroc administrator respectively) were present giving me the opportunity to actually walk Major Lauren around and introduce her to some of the people who work closely with the corps and introduce major John to key leaders in the community.


Our Kid's were fantastic hearing them play "Muffins Rhapsody" assisted by an ensemble of experienced musicians actually brought me to tears. Words can't describe the feelings an officer/pastors develops for His or her corps/church children. Then our shining stars 11 year old Girls played "Oh how he loves you and me" were nothing short of amazing. After just Nine months of playing they were able to get up and play music that would soften the hearts of men and women. WOW


We made money. Development is still working out some of the details but we cleared between $25,000 - $30,000. Not bad for a dinner that was breaking even 4 years ago. WOW

God is Good. WOW