The Narrow Escape. (Chapter 20)

On the Sunday following the accident which put her father
in the hospital but also lead him to the Lord, Karen Williams
and her mother made their way to Newberry Community
Church, as mentioned by Mac Davenport when her mother
requested he be brought to them.
As they neared the street where the church was, Karen and
her mother were talking about the night before while in her
father's hospital room.
"The prayers of Pastor Hal, Mr. Davenport and his friends
really made a difference I believe." Karen stated as she
turned the red Chevy Cobalt on to Oak Street, where the
church was located.
Mrs. Williams looked over to her daughter and said, "I
really believe so too, dear. Theirs and ours as well."
"Oh yes, definitely," Karen smiled.
Mrs. Williams then said, "The young man, Mac, said a
gentleman by the name of Wilfred Templar and a young
girl named Jenny Garrett would be the first to meet us."
"Yes," Karen added, " I heard they were the ones that
had prayer together in Mac's room along with the pastor
and another family, the Canfields, wasn't it?"
Yes, I believe that's who they were."
"I can't wait to meet them all!" Karen said happily.
" I can't either, Karen."
And with that Karen saw a sign on her right which read
in black caps, NEWBERRY COMMUNITY CHURCH.
As Karen turned into the entrance to the parking lot, she
saw a caption under the main title that read, You are
welcome here.
Thank you, Karen thought in reply, feeling a warmth she
hadn't felt before.
Karen noticed three other vehicles in the lot, so they were
here early. She thought that the three other vehicles were
the pastor's and the two greeters'.
"Well, here we are, Mom," Karen said as she shifted the car
into park and shut off the engine.
 Karen removed her sunglasses and put them over the sun
visor then she and her mother got out and looked toward the
church building.
 Karen slowly walked foreward to look the building over as
her mother walked around from the other side of the car to
join her.
 When her mother came alongside her, Karen remarked,
"Its almost as I imagined it."
"Yes," Mrs. Williams acknowledged, "So simple, yet so inviting."
  The building was a simple, red-bricked structure with stained-
-glass windows of red ,yellow and green, a gray shingled roof and
a white belfry with a tall white steeple topped with the Cross.
The bell in the belfry appeared to be functional.
 Karen and her mother stopped just short of the concrete steps
that went up to the main entrance to examine the bell and belfry.
"That bell looks like its still in use," Karen remarked to her mother.
"It sure does," Mrs. Williams replied. They then walked toward the
steps.


In the foyer just before the sanctuary entrance, Jenny Garrett,
dressed in a light green three-piece dress with dark green outlines
was in the process of folding the bulletins for the day's service as
Wilfred Templar ran the copier that made the bulletins.
With the last batch made, he brought them over to the table where
Jenny was and helped her with folding them.
 They both looked to their right as they heard the glass doors to the
main entrance being pushed open.
 Wilfred and Jenny both noticed that the two women who entered
were first-time visitors.
 Wilfred and Jenny also realized that they may also be the wife and
daughter of the man Mac Davenport had rescued.
Wilfred remembered the call he received from Gary Canfield the
night before when Gary had gotten the call from Mac that the man
he rescued had received Jesus as his Savior.
 Gary informed Wilfred that Mr. Williams' wife and daughter might
attend church the following morning.
Wilfred then relayed the message to Jenny so as to be ready
for their arrival.
"They could be the family of the man Mr. Davenport rescued,"
Jenny stated.
"I believe you are correct, dear Jenny," Wilfred replied then
added, "I shall go greet them."  And with that he headed to
where the main entrance was and greeted them in the same
manner he did when he was a butler.
"Greetings, dear ladies," Wilfred spoke and bowed slightly,
 "My name is Wilfred Templar and we humbly welcome
you to Newberry Community Church."
Karen was nearly taken aback at the warmth and mannerisms
of the greeter as was her mother. Mrs. Williams held out her
hand to Wilfred and introduced herself. "I'm Neva Williams
and this is my daughter Karen."
Wilfred gently shook Mrs. Williams hand as he did Karen's.
 "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Templar, thank you." Karen
answered.
"A pleasure, dear Karen," Wilfred acknowledged warmly then
added, "And please call me Wilfred."
"Yes, Wilfred."
"If you dear ladies will please follow me, the young lady by the
table has some bulletins for you."
Wilfred led Karen and her mother to the table where Jenny
Garrett stood smiling with bulletins in hand. She stepped
foreward and introduced herself to Karen and her mom.
"Good morning," Jenny smiled while handing each of them a
bulletin, "I'm Jenny Garrett. Welcome  to Newberry Community
Church. She then shook both Karen and her mother's hand.
"Thank you, Jenny," Mrs. Williams replied gratefully, "It's nice
to be here."
It's nice to meet you, Jenny," Karen spoke. She began to feel
an immediate kinship to Jenny.
"And its nice to have you here, Karen," Jenny replied and added,
"You're here early. But we have coffee and tea made along with
some pastries if you wish to wait."
"Oh, that's lovely," Mrs. Williams said cheerfully, "Could you
direct us where, please?"
"Right this way, dear ladies," Wilfred spoke up, walking a little
ways past and stood before them.
"Thank you," Karen said as she and her mother followed Wilfred
to the room where the coffee and tea were.
"A pleasure, dear Karen."
As Wilfred led them to the room entrance to let them through he
stood beside the doorway then followed them in. There were three
folding tables each with four fold-up seats and Wilfred led the two
ladies to the one nearest the coffee and tea pots.
 "What's your pleasure, dear ladies?" Wilfred asked.
"Pleasure?" Karen wondered, one eyebrow slighty raised.
"He means what will you have." Mrs. Williams answered to
clarify.
"Oh. Just coffee for me, please."
"And for you, dear Neva?" Wilfred turned to Neva.
"The same for me, thank you." Neva acknowledged.
"Very good, ladies. Two coffees coming right up."
As Wilfred turned to get their coffees Karen was thinking,
I have never been welcomed like this at a church before, this
is so great.
Wilfred returned to the ladies' table with a white styrofoam
cup in each hand, smiling warmly as he set the cups in front of
them and delicately placed a napkin beside the cups.
"Thank you, Wilfred," Mrs. Williams replied gratefully, "Such
service."
"It really is, thank you," Karen also added.
"Always a pleasure, my dear ladies," Wilfred smiled warmly
then said, "If you ladies will please excuse me, I must stand
by the door. The folks should start arriving almost about now."
"Oh please, go right ahead," Mrs. Williams said, "We're good
and thanks."
"Very well, then. I'll have Jenny come in to keep you company
and in case you need anything."
"Thanks," Karen answered, smiling.


Wilfred headed out of the tea room and toward the heavy wooden table
where Jenny stood by.
"Dear Jenny," Wilfred addressed, "Could you please sit with the two
ladies while I tend to things out here? The folks should start arriving any
time now."
"Yes, Mr. Templar," Jenny acknowledged, "I'd love to."
"That's a dear young lady," Wilfred said, "Thank you."
Jenny headed to the tea room where Karen and her mother were to
stay with them until the church folks arrived.
 Jenny went over to Neva and Karen's table and asked them if they
needed anything to which they said no, then she poured herself some
coffee and went over and asked, "Is it okay if I join you?"
"Oh please do," Mrs. Williams replied enthusiastically, "And thank you."
"Thank you for your kind welcome, Jenny," Karen put in.
"You're welcome, Karen." Jenny replied then said, "Wilfred and I were told
that you might come to this morning's service."
"How did you find out about that, Jenny?" Karen asked curiously, smiling.
"Mr. Davenport, the man that rescued your dad, called Mr. Canfield, whose
a close friend of his, and told him your dad got saved. I'm guessing you told
Mr. Davenport you were interested in visiting us, correct?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Canfield then called Mr. Templar and I about it. That's how we found out."
"I see."
Mrs. Williams spoke next. "Your Pastor Shumway mentioned other folks in
the same room with Mac Davenport. Were you by chance one of them, Jenny?"
"Yes, Mrs. Williams," Jenny replied, "Me, Mr. and Mrs. Canfield, Mr. Templar
and the Canfields' two children all had a prayer meeting for your husband."
Karen got up and went around the table to give Jenny a sisterly hug while
Mrs. Williams took her hand in both of hers.
"That was so thoughtful of all of you," Mrs. Williams said gratefully, "And it
worked, too!"
"Thank you," Jenny answered, "I was so tickled to hear your husband got
saved after Mr. Templar called me about it."
"That made all three of us," Karen put in joyfully then added, "I can't wait to
meet the Canfields!"

Jenny looked at Karen and her mother and felt she had known them all her

life even though they just met. She had that way with people and it was for

that reason Mac Davenport had chosen her along with Wilfred to be part

of the Welcome Ministry team.

Karen began thinking about Mac Davenport and how he had rescued her

father from certain death.
 I hope to see him again, she thought to herself.

This concludes Chapter Twenty.