With the morning service at Newberry Community Church
about to get under way, Gary and Vera Canfield went intothe fellowship room to get Brian and Dawn as they were
talking to Karen Williams and her mother, Neva.
As Gary stepped into the room to announce to the children
the service about ready to begin, he and Vera stopped short
when they discovered the two women Brian and Dawn
were with.
"Oh," Gary said, a little surprised, "Why good morning,
ladies. Were Brian and Dawn keeping you company?"
"Yes they were," Neva said, smiling, "And you must be
Gary and Vera Canfield, correct?"
"Yes we are," Vera put in while walking over to greet
Neva and Karen, " And you must be Neva and Karen
Williams, am I correct?"
"Why yes, we sure are," Neva replied enthusiastically,
standing up to extend her hand to Vera and Gary with
Karen doing the same. "I'm Neva Williams and this is
my daughter Karen," Neva introduced herself and
Karen.
"Hi," Karen replied softly and warmly as she put out her
hand, "I'm Karen. I'm so glad to meet you." Vera took her
hand as did Gary.
"Its a real pleasure Neva and Karen," Gary answered
politely then added, "Mac Davenport informed us that
you might come to this morning's service and we're
thrilled you did."
"Yes," Vera added, "And we were just as thrilled to hear
about your husband's newfound salvation."
"I think we all were," Gary said.
Dawn then chimed in, "We told them we will still be praying
for them during and after the service."
"And we certainly will, too" Gary reassured Karen and her
mother.
"Oh, thank you," Karen replied with a smile of gratitude, "We
appreciate that."
Gary looked down to Brian and Dawn and said, "Why don't
you two head to the sanctuary and have a seat and will be with
you shortly, alright?"
"Okay, Dad," Brian replied and then said to Karen and her mother,
"It was nice to meet you Mrs. and Miss Williams."
Dawn added with, "We'll see you in the sanctuary." Dawn looked
back to Neva and Karen and waved to them as she and Brian walked
out of the room with Brian doing the same. Neva replied with, "It was
so nice chatting with you two, thank you." Brian and Dawn both replied
with a 'You're welcome' and then disappeared out into the hallway.
As Neva and her daughter watched the children disappear, Neva
then turned to their mother and father and remarked proudly,
"You should be very proud of your children. I have never seen
children be so hospitable and so polite and friendly as your two dear
ones."
"Why thank you, Neva" Vera responded with gladness, "Yes, we are
very proud of them."
"And they were a very gracious host and hostess," Karen added, "Much
like your greeter, Wilfred."
Gary and Vera sat down in the two chairs left vacant by Brian and Dawn
and Gary replied with, "Wilfred's been something of a mentor to them
on manners and ettiquette. He also has been like a kindly uncle to them.
"Aw, how sweet," smiled Karen.
"Oh it is," Neva responded.
"Gary's an only child in his family," Vera put in, "And I have only one
sister whose estranged from my side of the family, so the kids really
have no aunts or uncles within the family."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Neva voiced with concern.
"I never stopped praying for my sister," Vera went on, "The Lord will
work it out in His time."
"Vera," Karen addressed her, "My mom and I never stopped praying
for my dad, and well, you know the rest."
"Oh yes, that is encouraging!"
Just then, the church bell was heard ringing outside, signalling the
start of the church service. That reminded Karen of when she and
her mother walked toward the church and Karen noticing that the
bell in the belfry looked functional. Now it was confirmed.
"You still use a church bell to signal church is in session," Karen
stated with amazement, "That is so great!"
"Oh, yes," Gary replied, "We're pretty traditional in that regard."
Everyone got up from the table on hearing the bell and began to
head for the sanctuary.
As everyone got ready, Neva asked, "Who usually rings the bell?"
"Mac Davenport usually does," Vera answered, "But since Mac isn't
here, Wilfred has the honors."
"I see."
Gary motioned for Karen and her mother to head out of the room
first, followed by Vera with Gary right behind.
In the modest but well kept sanctuary of Newberry Community Church,
the church musicians were playing traditional hymn tunes by means of
piano, an acoustic guitar, a conventional guitar and a drum set.
The piano was played by a young, curly-haired blond man named Kenny
Baker, the acoustic guitar by a fortysomething average-heighted man
named Matt Reisman, the conventional guitar by a young Southern man
from Alabama named Jim O' Hara, who was also the church treasurer,
and the drums were played by a light brown, wooly haired thirty-
-something man named Roger Morrison.
Though the music was played upbeat tempo, it was not done in the
contemporary, Christian rock style of church music.
Up in the enclosed loft that overlooked the sanctuary was the sound room
which was manned by a mid-twenties brown-haired man named Tim
McCann, so chosen as he was a sales associate for a local Radio Shack
store.
Gary and Vera entered the sanctuary right behind Karen and her mother
and looked for where Brian and Dawn were sitting and made their way
to them. Vera invited Karen and her mother to sit with them which
they did.
In the pew in front of where Karen, her mom and the Canfields sat, a
a woman turned to face the Canfields She was a blond, bob-cut haired
woman in her late forties with a slightly heavy build. She introduced herself
to Karen and her mother.
"Well, hello," she said to Karen and Neva and put out her hand, which they
both took, "I'm Jane Dozier. Welcome to our church."
"Thank you," Neva replied, "I'm Neva Williams and this is my
daughter Karen."
"Its nice to meet you, thanks." Karen answered then thought, This is
really a friendly church.
The service began to get underway as Pastor Hal Shumway made
his way to the simple clear glass pulpit to open up the services with
a word of prayer, announcements, singing, choir time and the main
sermon.
This concludes Chapter Twenty-Three.
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