As your new pastor, please allow me to share a few things about myself and how I operate. First, I am not your typical pastor. You will probably notice right away, starting with my first sermon at Hartland that I am not afraid to try new and different ideas. Some work well, others not so much. I rely on your feedback to bring you what you are looking for.
I like to use an abundance of photos and videos in my sermons because I believe that doing so not only enhances the sermon but gives the congregation something to look at besides me. Although, most of the time, I follow the lectionary calendar, but not always. There are times that I deviate, especially if I feel that there is at least one person who needs to hear a particular message. I think of myself as unpredictable, so that you never know just what to expect. It is not for me to tell you what to think, but rather my goal is to give you something to think about so that you take something with you that you didn’t bring to the worship service.
Now, for a little background about me and my lovely wife Linda. Linda is my third wife. Linda and I will have been married for 18 years in August. Prior to that, I was divorced and widowed. I have been blessed with two adult children, Sara and Corey. Linda was divorced, yet has also been blessed with an adult son, Don, all from previous marriages. I have two granddaughters. Cindi is 2 years old, and Illyana is 3 months.
Among the passions that Linda and I share is our love of animals. We currently have 3 Golden Retrievers and 4 cats. Linda is a retired Medical Technologist, who treasures family, enjoys gardening and crafts. I retired from Ford Motor Company, and I enjoy working with computers.
I have been blessed with a hearing impediment. deaf in my left ear, so there will be times when I misunderstand people, or may not even hear them at all. With that being said, I say that I am blessed because it forces me to be a better listener. I am looking forward to getting to know each other better, so that we can all make the world, God’s world, a better place.
Pastor Terry Melton