Dear Rose Park,
As I turned off my microphone this past Sunday following worship, Alicia Kramer and her mom Mary Perez approached me with big smiles and a very old looking booklet. It turns out, as they were doing some cleaning around the house they found the dedication folder for Rose Park. Dated July 5-12, 1959, this folder shows the various services that were held to dedicate the sanctuary. As I was reading through it and seeing some of the pictures, I was struck by one of the dates.
This Monday September 5, 2022 marks the 65th anniversary of the dedication of our fellowship hall. If you didn’t know, here’s a brief timeline:
May 27, 1956 - first service of what will be known as Rose Park Reformed Church is held in ‘the little white chapel.’
June 26, 1957 - Rose Park is officially organized.
September 5, 1957 - Educational Unit (what is now the fellowship hall) is dedicated.
July 25, 1958 - Ground breaking ceremony for the sanctuary.
July 5, 1959 - Dedication ceremony for the sanctuary.
65 years of God’s faithfulness gathering His people in the fellowship hall. 65 years worth of stories, laughter, tears, meals, and songs have been shared in that room. 65 years worth of families growing and shrinking. 65 years worth of families gathering before or after a funeral. 65 years worth of Wednesday night dinners. 65 years worth of arts and crafts done by our little ones. 65 years worth of God’s love for His people. I pray that those 65 years are just the beginning.
As we look to the past, let us also keep an eye on the horizon because God’s faithfulness cannot be constrained, rather it is eternal and it points us to the future. This is all to say, join us for the next 65 years. Join us as God continues to faithfully call us to gather for worship, Word, sacrament, Wednesday night dinner, and coffee and cookies on Sunday mornings. Join us in the fellowship hall where we’ll be drawn closer to each other as we’re drawn closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark