October's Stewardship Message

Stewardship Message

By:  Mike Stull

Greetings by way of Columbus!  It’s been six years since I served as Chair of the Stewardship Committee and I’m excited to be back in that role. 

You may be scratching your head wondering why someone 150 miles away wants to commit to this kind of involvement.  Are there no churches in Columbus for Mike to attend?  Well, yes there are plenty of good churches in Columbus and I’ve enjoyed attending a multitude of different denominations and sizes.  My church just isn’t in Columbus.  Perhaps more appropriately, my church FAMILY isn’t in Columbus.

My church family has helped shape me.  It started with an invitation from the Souders and Eaton families while we were neighbors in Sebring to attend VBS.  Sunday School was a weekly commitment and I learned about Jesus’ plan for my life from dedicated teachers like JoAnn Jones.  Dorothy Campbell led Alpha Teens, which created friendships with others I may not have formed otherwise. 

Like others, I slipped away during college, but was invited back by my Dad to hear this new interim preacher, Dr. Jim Doty.  At 23, I began serving on Session at the invitation of Lee Wisler and my ideas of Christianity and the role of the church were molded, stretched, inspired and flipped upside down by mentors like Fred Whitney, Bettie Thompson, Hugh Pratt, Irene and Stanley Sams, Janet Wisler, Wade Souders, Dee McClellan, Mary Nelle Bertolini (also my favorite first grade teacher!) and a host of others. 

Dorothy Campbell nudged me once to take on the Youth Group and I laughed and shook my head no.  She nudged again and I agreed.  From our weekly meetings to bowling to lock-ins at F.A. Sebring to helping out around the community, five years of youth group ministry gave me purpose in helping change young people’s lives, while they changed mine! 

My Mom participated on the pastor nominating committee and was excited about a pastor they found.  Marty Radcliff came to Sebring Presbyterian Church and the first adjective that came to my mind after meeting him was “genuine.”  I’ve learned a lot from Marty, whether in the pew, conversing on Facebook or listening to archived sermons online. 

God’s church exists to change lives, to help redeem a fallen and imperfect world.  Some changes are subtle and occur over time.  Some changes are more dramatic.  The community of believers we call Sebring Presbyterian Church can change lives.  I know it because I’ve lived it.   I’m so very excited to see what changes are in store next!