BRANCHES January 2015

BRANCHES
YOUR GOSPEL
IS TOO SMALL
living in the hope of Heaven
missionaries at
express grace
JANUARY 2015 | southwood.org
pastors' note:
the good shepherd

SOUTHWOOD
contents
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
Many people have made New Year’s resolutions. Some might even stick to them!
Well, over six years ago, Southwood resolved to streamline communication—
fewer postcards and letters—and offer one monthly publication to keep the
congregation and our friends informed about our church life. BRANCHES is
that tool. Alongside digital communication, we are excited to put this tangible
publication on your coffee tables and in your magazine racks. If you know anyone
who would like to receive a copy, call or send us an email. And of course, we offer
a digital online version as well.
This month’s issue helps frame the Express Grace Conference that is happening
this month. Get focused on why this weekend exists and the opportunities you
have to get involved! We’ve got an outstanding speaker in Scotty Smith, and a
great evening planned for dinner, dessert, and dialog with our ministry partners
and each other!
Jonathan Barnette, Editor
2 about this issue
3 pastors' note
REFLECT
4 your gospel is too small
Living in the hope of Heaven
8 express grace
Conference and missionary list
RELATE
10 session update
Interim transition and update
11 on a personal note
A letter from Will Spink
to the Southwood congregation
BRANCHES
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jonathan Barnette
DESIGNER Phillip Lackey
CONTRIBUTORS
Will Spink
Chad Townsley
Sarah Niemitz
Scotty Smith
PHOTOS
Jonathan Barnette
Phillip Lackey
FEEDBACK!
We want to hear from you! Please send
your suggestions and comments to
branches@southwood.org
1000 CARL T. JONES DRIVE | HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35802
(256) 882-3085 | WWW.SOUTHWOOD.ORG
MELISSA PATTERSON Interim Administrative Director
ADULT MINISTRIES
SARAH NIEMITZ Director of Community Development/Assimilation
JAMES PARKER Chief Musician
WILL SPINK Associate Pastor/Shepherding
STUDENT MINISTRIES
KIM DELCHAMPS Administrative Assistant
NIÑA BANTA Director of Children
NANCY McCREIGHT Assistant Director /Children/Nursery
CHAD TOWNSLEY Associate Pastor/High-Life
WINNIE WINFORD Assistant Director/High-Life
MINISTRY SUPPORT
TERRI GOOD Accountant/Bookkeeper
JONATHAN BARNETTE Director of Communication
PHILLIP LACKEY Graphic Designer
JANICE CROWSON Director of Facilities/Finance
MIKE MARREN Facilities
ELIZABETH BUTZ Receptionist
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Small Groups: Next Wave
January 11
Kids Sunday School resumes
January 11
Host Team Huddle
January 11
Express Grace Conference
January 17-18
2 JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

PASTORS’ NOTE
Seriously, a Pastor's Note with the apostrophe moved over
Are we that corny Well yes, we are, but there’s actually a reason
we intentionally wanted to write this together. We will only
do it this one time, but we want you to know how excited we
are to be your pastors.
While we and all of Southwood certainly feel a significant loss
with Jean’s departure, we hope you will think of this upcoming
season not as one where we are a church without a pastor but
rather as one where we are a church
with two pastors. In fact, since the
word “pastor” really means “shepherd,”
it would be even better to
consider all the elders God has
called to shepherd this church and
realize you have a dozen or so (and
counting) “pastors.”
We would further encourage you to
think beyond simply the elected and
ordained leadership of Southwood
to the members of the body that
God has richly blessed us with. A
season of transition is a time to lean
into each, to realize even more than
usual how much we need each other
and how valuable each member
of the body is. What a great gift that
God has called us to experience the
riches of his grace not merely on our
own but also alongside others who
have tasted his love!
This is one of the great truths we will
get to celebrate as we begin a study
of the book of Ephesians in January.
When your Southwood pastors are
in the pulpit, we will be diving into
this rich letter to the church in Ephesus that will show us God’s
heart for unity and the bonds of peace found in and through
the gospel. God (through you) has called both of us to shepherd
through the preaching at Southwood right now, and we
are eager to do so.
The Good Shepherd
Chad Townsley & Will Spink
We will also have the opportunity during this next season to
benefit from the teaching and preaching of guest pastors, who
will feed us from God’s Word. One instance of this will be our
Express Grace Conference, coming quickly on January 17 and
18, when we are hosting Scotty Smith. You will not want to miss
this great opportunity to hear from a seasoned pastor who oozes
grace and is one of the most beloved teachers of the gospel
in our denomination. You will have three chances to hear Scotty
speak; please come to all three!
As you will read in this issue, though,
the conference is not merely about
Scotty speaking. There will be many
opportunities Saturday night and
Sunday morning to learn more
about where Southwood is serving
locally and globally and how you can
be a part of showing to others the
love of Christ that we have received
ourselves. What a great time for
each of us to consider where God
might call us to be using our gifts
to show others the gospel—Southwood
continues to be about experiencing
AND expressing grace!
Now back to how many “pastors”
we have. It’s not 0. It’s at least 2. But
in a sense that is not trite at all, we
continue to have 1. Southwood has
always had one Good Shepherd,
and she still does today. And this is
actually the most important answer
to the question for each of us to remember.
The riches of God’s grace
have not come to any of us first
through a pastor. They always come
to us through Jesus Christ. He has
laid down his life for the sheep, and yet He lives today to care
for them and lead them beside quiet waters. It is faithfulness,
not presumption, to believe that He will continue to do that
during this next season. What a good Pastor we have!
chad.townsley@southwood.org
will.spink@southwood.org
@thectown | @WillSpink
JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 3

One of my favorite parts of Christmas this year was seeing my young
daughters begin to think about giving gifts to others. Instead of
simply asking “What do I want” (which we spent plenty of time
on, I assure you), they also had moments of excitement considering
“What would she like” The reason this is so exciting for me as
a father, of course, is that this slow change of perspective is
reflective of a growing grasp of what Christmas actually
means. When we begin to appreciate God’s gift of
love to us, we begin to desire to share that kind
of love with others.
That principle is true not merely of
Christmas but of God’s grace to us in
general. God’s grace is not only a gift
we receive but also a gift that transforms
us into people who delight in sharing that gift
with others. Someone who is beginning to grasp the
grace shown to him will always realize that that grace was
not intended solely for him but was designed by God for him
and for many others. In fact, the excitement of giving God’s love
and grace away begins to mirror the excitement of receiving it for
one’s self.
This priority of “expressing” grace—of not only enjoying it
ourselves but also sharing it with others—is the heart behind our
annual Express Grace Conference, this year held January 17-18.
We so easily live like children leafing through catalogs to see what
gifts we would enjoy that it is easy to allow our passion for giving
God’s grace is
not only a gift we receive
but also a gift that transforms
us into people who delight
in sharing that gift
with others.
gifts to others to wane. This conference sets aside particular time to
consider together how God’s grace is transforming our self-centered
hearts and how we can then show that grace to those around us.
One of the men God has used to awaken the hearts of many
people—including Southwood’s own pastors—to the beauty
and glory of God’s grace is this year’s guest speaker,
Scotty Smith. Scotty loves to share about how the
grace of God is impacting him personally,
including writing and sharing his own prayers.
Likewise, he loves to share about how
the grace of God is impacting others
through him. He regularly teaches
about these topics at seminaries around
the country. He has written books about
them. But in all these contexts he has a pastor’s
heart, as he planted and served for 26 years as pastor
of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN.
The article on the next few pages is one that Scotty wrote and
should get you excited about meeting him at Southwood in a
couple of weeks. If you want to read more from Scotty, check out
his blog at The Gospel Coalition, where he daily records his prayers.
What a great opportunity we have to slow down and consider the
impact of God’s grace on our own hearts and the places God might
be calling us to share that grace around Huntsville and the world!
4 JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

YOUR
GOSPEL
...iS
TOO
SMALL

SOUTHWOOD
reflect
your gospel is too small
by Scotty Smith
One of my favorite things I get to do in ministry is to teach a course
at CTS (Covenant Theological Seminary) called The Disciplines of
Grace. This class exists as a mining excursion into the limitless
treasures and radical implications of the gospel of God’s grace.
Every time the seminary offers this class I show up as both adjunct
faculty member and hungry student. For to this day I still feel like
I’m standing at the base of the Swiss Alps of the gospel wearing
lederhosen, holding a gallon bucket in one hand and a teaspoon
in the other trying to take it all in. The gospel just seems to keep
on getting bigger and bigger.
I believe this expedition will continue with joy forever in the
new heaven and new earth. For it will be impossible to excavate
exhaustively “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” I understand
now, more than ever, why Paul tells us we need God’s power,
“together with all the saints, to grasp the width, length, height
and depth of the love of God,” revealed in the gospel (Eph.
3:18-19). Only the Holy Spirit can free us from the
ravaging disease of unbelief, and only in authentic
community, with brothers and sisters in Christ,
can we hope to know more of the love
“which surpasses knowledge.” What is
my gospel genealogy, and where is this
story currently taking me
In the fall of 1968 I walked onto the campus of
The University of North Carolina a new man in Christ
toting very old baggage about God and his gospel. I was
given faith to trust in Jesus as God’s Messiah and my savior as a
senior in high school, at a viewing of a Billy Graham movie titled,
The Restless Ones. As a new believer, God relentlessly began
exposing and deconstructing many incomplete and outright
destructive notions I had about him. In fact the first book I read as a
new Christian was titled, Your God Is Too Small, by J. B. Phillips—a
masterful exposé of the ten most obvious false views of God
Phillips recognized among his contemporaries in Great Britain. I
wish I could say I immediately began replacing bad images of God
only with ones shaped by a good understanding of the gospel.
That didn’t happen for quite a while.
Like many Christians converted during the “Jesus Movement” of
the late 60’s and early 70’s, my understanding and experience of the
gospel was shaped primarily by three things: (1) do-more-try-harder
models of discipleship; (2) pragmatic campus ministries; and, (3) a
fear-based eschatology. Thankfully, during my last semester at UNC
God has a bigger
gospel agenda than
simply filling Heaven
with souls
I got my first clear glimpse of the gospel of God’s grace. Never
would I have dreamt that a three-hour class in Greek at a state
university would prove to be such a Trojan horse of redemption. My
teacher, Wright Doyle, a strong believer, was getting his doctorate
in Classics at the time. That one class freed me from a fear of
languages and opened the floodgates of gospel paradise.
After the semester was over, Wright invited me to read through
the Greek text of Ephesians with him. Moving through the first two
chapters of Ephesians at a snail’s pace was more than my proud
heart, man-centered theology and performance-based spirituality
could withstand. The Scriptures persuaded me that the gospel
is Jesus plus nothing—grace through faith sovereignly given to
people dead in their sins and trespasses by the God who chose
them in Christ even before the creation of the world. Because of
what Jesus accomplished by his life of perfect obedience and
his substitutionary death on the cross, my efforts at trying to
merit God’s favor were not only futile, they were fatal.
I was finally able to affirm the good news of
personal redemption as summarized and
celebrated in the 60th question and
answer of The Heidelberg Catechism:
Q. How are you righteous before God
A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my
conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned
against all God’s commandments, have never kept any
of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God, without any
merit of my own, out of mere grace, imputes to me the perfect
satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ. He grants these
to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself
had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for
me, if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.
Studying Ephesians with Wright, I became “Reformed” before I
had any clue what Reformed theology was. When I finally went to
Westminster Theological Seminary three years later, I learned the
words, but I already knew the wonder. Ever since, God continues
to write on my heart more chapters of a sequel to J. B. Phillips’
book. This one is called, Your Gospel Is Too Small. Though I was
satisfied for many years with just seeing and savoring the legal
rights and personal delights of the gospel for individual believers,
I’ve needed to see that there is so much more to the gospel
than the glory of personal redemption. God has a bigger gospel

eflect
SOUTHWOOD
agenda than simply filling heaven with souls dressed in the perfect
righteousness of Christ! Just listen to the opening words of Paul’s
letter to believers in Colossae:
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just
as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and
understood God’s grace in all its truth. (Col 1:6)
I’m both enticed and challenged by the scope and hope of
Paul’s vision of the gospel revealed in just this one verse
of Scripture! The apostle likens the gospel to a great
horticultural presence that is spreading throughout
the entire cosmos like fertilized Kudzu! But
unlike Kudzu, the gospel doesn’t rob
life; it redeems life, providing luscious,
life-giving nourishment everywhere it
grows—bearing the fruit of “the grace of
God in all its truth.” Paul’s gospel is certainly
a whole lot bigger than the abridged privatized
version I championed for so many years.
He makes it clear that matters of the gospel include everything
that matters to Jesus, himself. Thus, still in the first chapter of
Colossians Paul writes of Jesus:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers
or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is
before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the
head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn
from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the
supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in
him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his
blood, shed on the cross. (Col. 1:15-20)
The total work
of Christ is nothing less
than to redeem this entire
creation from the
effects of sin
original plan for this earth, redeemed and restored, to be filled
with the knowledge of his glory, as the waters cover the sea!
Because the gospel is true, God will one day delight in a people,
gathered from every single race, tribe and people group, taken
from every period of history, as they live forever to his glory in
the perfect society, culture, relationships and worship of the new
heaven and new earth… right here where we are living today.
“Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”
Nathan Bierma captures the scope and hope of “this
gospel” in his book, Bringing Heaven Down to
Earth. He writes:
“When we consider the full story of
the gospel (from the Old English
word godspel, meaning ‘good news’), we
see a larger picture of the redemption Christ
brought about, and we starve for the completion
of it. The gospel stands on three legs, not one; Christ’s
redeeming work was done to restore nature, culture, and
human beings. Now that’s good news. ‘The total work of Christ
is nothing less than to redeem this entire creation from the effects
of sin,’ writes Anthony Hoekema. ‘We need a clear understanding
of the doctrine of the new earth, therefore, in order to see God’s
redemptive program in cosmic dimensions.’
When we live in the hope of a big gospel, we see Jesus Christ not
just as a serial intruder on people’s souls but the one in whom ‘all
things hold together,’ in the words of Colossians 1. All things–not
just people’s hearts, but also the infrastructure of nature, culture,
and relationships. So the hope of a big gospel is not just going
to heaven to be with God, but a vision of the new earth and the
heavenly city as the place where God’s authority over all of life
is made complete. Living in the hope of heaven means seeing
glimpses of such a place already, and wanting more.”
What a vision of the very personal and yet very cosmic Christ—a
gospel that’s about people, but also about so much more! Jesus
is creator, sustainer and redeemer of all things! Where is “this
gospel” bearing fruit and growing Not just everywhere there are
people, but everywhere, period!
In fact as Paul begins the Colossian epistle, I hear a clear echo of
the charge given to our first parents as they were settling into the
rhythms of life in the garden paradise of Eden, “God blessed them
and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth
and subdue it’” (Gen. 1:28). In Reformed Theology, we call this the
creation, or cultural mandate. But while Adam and Eve didn’t even
make it out of the garden before sabotaging their calling, Paul
seems to be clearly implying that we, their sons and daughters,
are those through whom “this gospel” will eventually fulfill God’s
What are some of the implications of a bigger, three-legged
gospel It means that the ministry of “this gospel” will compel us
to live and love with hope in every sphere of our broken world
among all people groups, for Jesus has come to make all things
new, not simply make all new things. It means that if Reformed
theology has simply given us new words, but no wonder, then we
aren’t really Reformed, we’re just informed. It means that we must
preach the gospel of personal deliverance and live the gospel of
community development. It means that we think less about going
to heaven when we die, and more about living before we die as
those offering the first fruits of a new heaven and new earth right
here and right now. It means this and so much more.
Oh, my, my, my… I cannot wait to see where “this gospel” is going
to take me (us) next! Indeed, is your gospel as big as this gospel

Express Grace
Conference
SOUTHWOOD
reflect
2015
I will never forget the day I gave a homeless man my home phone
number. My middle-school youth group was serving lunch to the
homeless at a park in Dallas, and I struck up a conversation with a
young man who said he wanted to be a banker. “My dad is a banker,”
I said, “I bet he could get you a job at the bank! Here is my home
number, call anytime after 6pm and ask for Mark Denton. I will let
him know to expect your call.” Three collect phone calls later (and no
job at the bank), my dad was not too pleased with me. My 7th grade
self understood that the man needed a job, even wanted a job, but
I was not sure where to point him to find one. I had no idea what
would be required for him to overcome his current situation, secure a
job, and then maintain that job for a meaningful length of time. This
might be a silly example, but I hear from people all the time, “I met
this woman who really needed _____ ...and I had no idea how to help
her!” Perhaps many of us feel the same way I felt in that park - unsure
how to help in a meaningful manor.
Our mission statement is simple, to Experience and Express Grace,
but working that out in reality is not always so simple. We might
believe that a relational approach to poverty alleviation is best, but
we have no idea where or how to begin building a relationship with
one of our materially poor neighbors in Huntsville—much less one 2
continents away in India! All too often we can find ourselves talking a
lot about serving our neighbors without meaningful action.
This is why Southwood has developed strategic partnerships both
in Huntsville and around the world! We are not subcontracting out
our kingdom work to these ministries; rather, we have the privilege
of participating with them in kingdom service and following their
leadership. We could simply preach a sermon on expressing grace
and then give you a list and tell you to go and engage. However,
we know that sometimes a personal conversation goes much further
in connecting individuals with ministries and service opportunities.
To this end we have asked our ministry partners to join us Saturday,
January 17th for our Express Grace Conference. Each ministry
partner present will have a specific way that you can engage with
their ministry—whether praying, tutoring, answering phones, or
serving on a short-term mission trip. You will have the opportunity to
ask personal questions, find out about new ministries, and consider
practical ways to get involved. We want you to leave Saturday night
not only encouraged to express grace in our community, but also well
equipped to do so!
Express Grace Schedule:
5:30-6:30pm - Casual Dinner (nursery for 0-3 will open at 5:30, child
care for children over 3 will open at 6pm)
6:30-7:15pm - Worship and teaching with Scotty Smith
7:15-8:00pm - Dessert, coffee, and connecting with our ministry
partners
We are asking everyone to consider bringing a finger dessert to
share. We hope this night will be an encouraging time of fellowship
and intentional consideration of the ways we can express grace in
Huntsville and around the world!
8 JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

eflect
SOUTHWOOD
Partners Represented at Express Grace:
Each of the partners listed below will have personal representatives at our Express Grace Conference. You are encouraged to stop by their tables,
learn about their ministry, and then consider what action steps you will take to engage with their work. There are many ways to serve, and each
representative will happily share how you can fit into their ministry!
Lincoln Village Ministry Lincoln Village Ministry consists of a
partnership between churches in our city and Lincoln Mill neighbors
to share the hope of Christ and facilitate long-term community
revitalization through housing rehabilitation, a private school, afterschool
tutoring programs, and relationships with their neighbors.
The CornerStone Initiative The CornerStone Initiative is
focused in the neighborhood behind Butler High School and is
committed to relational reconciliation and long-term community
development through “front porch” conversations, workforce
development strategies, and educational support for students.
Second Mile Development Second Mile Development works
within the Terry Heights and Hillandale neighborhoods to reconcile
relationships through the promotion of neighborhood initiatives,
early childhood education, and parental empowerment.
Young Life Young Life is committed to engaging students in the
midst of their lives and culture so volunteers attend sports games, sit
in school cafeterias, and work to show God’s love to students through
the ministry of presence designed to foster deeper relationships.
Aggies Arts Aggies Arts is committed to partnering with
impoverished families in Uganda and engaging them in developing
economic independence through meaningful relationships, highquality
education, and entrepreneurship. They do this by teaching
women in Uganda how to make beaded jewelry and then providing
a Western market for the jewelry through their offices in Huntsville.
The Village of Promise The Village of Promise is committed
to engaging children and families from the womb through college,
beginning with Infant University where young parents learn about
early childhood development and are equipped to be active
participants in their child’s growth. The Village of Promise currently
works in Montview Elementary and University Place Elementary.
RUF A&M and UAH The purpose of RUF is to build a
community on the college campus that reaches students of divergent
beliefs and doubts with the message of the gospel and equips them
to love and serve Jesus and his Church. Roy Hubbard serves at
Alabama A&M, building a core of students where there is currently
little reformed presence. Reid Jones serves at University of Alabama
in Huntsville.
29:11 Inc. 29:11 Inc believes that children are our community’s
most promising investment, but that many are not thriving in their
current educational settings. To this end they are opening New
Beginnings Academy in the Terry Heights neighborhood to provide
a nurturing and academically rigorous environment for low-income
students in Huntsville—working alongside families to reverse the
trend of generational poverty through relational investments.
Global Mission Partners We have foreign mission partners scattered across the globe, but just because they cannot attend this event does
not mean that there are not meaningful ways to engage with one of these partners! Stop by the Global Missions table to learn about our different
missionaries and find specific ways to pray, give, and even go on a short-term mission trip with them in the next year!
JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 9

SOUTHWOOD
relate
SESSION UPDATE
The Session is excited about a number of things happening in
the life of Southwood in the coming month. The Express Grace
Conference will occur on January 17 and 18 with special guest
Scotty Smith. We encourage everyone to attend the Saturday
evening dinner and teaching session as well as the Sunday
Seminar hour and worship service where we will hear again from
Scotty. Please take advantage of this unique opportunity for us to
host this seasoned and beloved pastor and author in our church.
The Session is also looking forward to the stated Congregational
Meeting on February 1, 2015, where we will vote on a slate of new
Elders and Deacons to serve Southwood. The following men have
been nominated by the congregation and recommended by the
Session to be put forward for election to the office of Ruling Elder:
David Clark, Tim Howard,
Russell Joffrion, Alan Judge,
George Mayer, and James
McCoy. Tim Adcock and Brax
Watkins have been nominated
and recommended for the
office of Deacon. A separate
publication will be available
in mid-January to help the
congregation get to know
more about these men. It is
always such a joy to add new
leaders to help shepherd and
guide the church in the future.
Interim Specifics
• During the month of December the Southwood Session
continued to develop and implement a transition plan for the
interim season that is ahead. It is with great hope that we look
forward to what God will do in our midst during the coming
season.
• The Session has formed a Transition Committee of elders and
deacons to serve the Session in handling plans for the interim
season. Additionally, plans for filling the pulpit, intentional
decisions to ensure clear and consistent communication with
the congregation during this season and a clear plan to ensure
day to day administrative continuity in the Southwood office
have been put in place.
• Beginning January 4, the pulpit of Southwood will primarily
be filled by our two associate pastors, Will Spink and Chad
At the annual Congregational Meeting on February
1, 2015, we will vote on a slate of new Elders
and Deacons to serve Southwood. The following
men have been nominated by the congregation
and recommended by the Session to be put
forward for election to the office of Ruling Elder:
David Clark, Tim Howard, Russell Joffrion, Alan
Judge, George Mayer, and James McCoy. Tim
Adcock and Brax Watkins have been nominated
and recommended for the office of Deacon.
Townsley. Will and Chad will be preaching a new sermon series
on the book of Ephesians. Plans are also being made to host a
small number of guest speakers through the first quarter of the
year. The Session considers it a blessing to have strong men
on staff who can carry the load as well as good relationships
outside of Southwood that will give us the opportunity to hear
God’s Word from other gifted teachers.
At the December 7 congregational meeting, two actions were taken:
1) We approved the request to Providence Presbytery for the
dissolution of the Pastoral relationship between Jean F. Larroux,
III and Southwood. This request will now be submitted to the
Presbytery for their final approval. Jean Larroux’s resignation will
be effective January 1, 2015.
2) The congregation additionally
approved the membership
breakdown of the Pastoral
Search Committee. The composition
will be as follows:
Four (4) Active Officers (of
which at least one shall be a
Deacon) and Four (4) at-large
members (of which at least 3
must be females).
No individuals of the committee
were voted upon at the December
7 meeting. This action
allows the congregation more
time to submit names to the Session for consideration. This also
allows the Session ample time to continue to gather these names
and thoughtfully consider its recommendation of who should
serve in this vital role. Nominations will continue to be accepted
for Sessional consideration until January 6. The Session has called
a congregational meeting for January 11 for the purpose of voting
upon the specific membership of the search committee. Until this
time, please prayerfully consider making nominations by emailing
pastorsearch@southwood.org.
Please be in prayer for the entire interim season and search
process ahead of us. Pray for the Holy Sprit’s guidance and
strength as there are many details to be planned and executed in
the process of finding Southwood’s next Senior Pastor. As always,
any questions can be directed to elders@southwood.org or by
finding a Session member on a Sunday morning.
10 JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG

elate
SOUTHWOOD
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Dear Southwood,
Since the announcement of Jean’s resignation, many of you have
asked me or Christy if I am a candidate for senior pastor. After
prayer and consideration, I have decided at this time not to be
considered for that position. Let me try to explain briefly.
Christy and I love Southwood and Huntsville deeply. We love being
here and hope to continue serving and raising our family with you.
I feel called more clearly than ever to be a pastor at Southwood,
especially during this important transitional season. I think it is best
for the whole body, of which I am joyfully a part, if I focus right now
on being a pastor rather than a candidate. I want to serve where I
am clearly called rather than contemplating a calling that God has
not yet given to me.
Having an existing pastor who is also a candidate for senior pastor
can be a challenging dynamic for him and his family as well as for
the congregation. It can be awkward or confusing and at times even
divisive—the thought of which I hate for Southwood in this season.
My desire is that we will remain unified together in our commitment
to what God has called us to as a church. In particular, I hope this
decision will enable the potential search committee to have the
broadest possible search necessary for the man God would call to
Southwood without having to tiptoe around me. Please continue
to pray with me for God to direct this committee and prepare the
man he is calling to Southwood.
God is teaching me that because Jesus keeps a firm grip on his
bride, Southwood, I can and must hold her in an open hand and
trust his provision and timing. While Southwood is the church I love
and serve, she is not “my church” in the possessive sense. I trust
God will continue to make clear to me how I can best love and
serve Southwood going forward, just as I believe this decision is his
clear direction at this time.
Thank you for your constant love and support for me and my family
and for all the encouraging words we have received recently. I am
looking forward to sharing even this next transitional season with
you and enjoying what is always the abundant care of our Good
Shepherd. I feel certain He will astonish us with the good things He
has in store that we couldn’t possibly deserve or imagine!
With deep affection,
Small Groups:
next
wave
Deadline: January 11th, 2015
Sign up at southwood.org/growingsmall
JANUARY 2015 | SOUTHWOOD.ORG 11

ace
express
A Weekend Conference
January 17 & 18
Saturday, 5:30-8:00pm
Church family dinner
Serving with grace, led by Scotty Smith
Dessert and dialogue with our ministry partners
Sunday, 9:00-11:45am
Sunday in the sanctuary with Scotty Smith
with guest preacher
Scotty Smith
Saturday dinner tickets available
in the Office and Guest
Center from January 4th
through January 14th. Child
care available, newborn to
5th grade. Sign-ups also
available in the Guest Center.