November 2018 Branches

hwood to impact you?
Now after
many years at Southwood,
I cannot believe how fast this time has flown ...
really fast! I am truly thankful for my opportunity to be
here. Indeed, I am blessed to be part of this wonderful
Church family!
Todd Gandy
Southwood gave Amy and I a place
to worship God together. As a young
married couple, we struggled to find a
church, and Southwood was answer to our
(and Amy’s mom’s) prayers. On the very
first Sunday we visited, Amy and I were
impacted by the love and kindness of the
people we met. I had questions about the
PCA, and one of the members took me to lunch to explain
the PCA’s doctrine and how it changed his life. Secondly,
Southwood gave us an opportunity to serve and trust God
to work through us. Amy and I had the privilege of helping
start Southwood’s youth ministry with Brock and Jana
Warner and a host of other volunteers. Even though we
had no training and no experience, we got to witness God
work through us as we trusted Jesus to impact the lives of
high school students, and grow a small seed into a thriving
ministry. Not only were we blessed by the ministry and the
people in it, so were our children. They learned to love the
unlovely and share with the less fortunate. Southwood has
also impacted us through its members. We have always
been surrounded by people who were willing to challenge
us, laugh with us, cry with us, struggle through hard times
with us, and be a beautiful representation of Jesus to us for
the 28 years we have attended.
Phillip Wright
Through my being at Southwood, God's
love has given me friends. Even though I
have been in the darkness of not feeling
loved by others, through God's love l
have felt loved sometimes at Southwood.
Through being at Southwood I have
gained strength with conviction the way I
believe to stand up for who I am in Christ.
Because of going to Southwood with knowing the gospel,
I'm so passionate about going by what the Bible says, not
interpreting Scripture a different way than what the Bible
says. Sometimes I'm in the darkness of people not wanting
to talk to me at Southwood, but then there are times at
Southwood when I feel the light of the gospel helping
people want to talk to me. All these are ways God has used
Southwood to impact me positively and ways God can use
Southwood to impact me so much more with the people to
want to reach down into me to pull out things from my life.
Carlotta Howard
At the time I started going to Southwood,
I was engaged to Zack, and we later got
married in the Lodge. Mike Honeycutt
was the pastor at the time, and he did
our wedding. I thank God for Southwood
because through everything the people
from Southwood have been very, very
supportive and helpful to our family,
especially in our many times of grief and when the Spinks
and others came to pray for God’s blessing on our house.
Kim Delchamps
23 years ago I was in college and
babysitting for Donna Watson's children.
She was Barney Heyward's assistant. One
day she called and said, "Would you be
interested in a receptionist job?" I think
back on that day and I'm so happy Barney
hired me! Most people my age have had
many jobs and are shocked when I say
how long I have worked in the same church office. I'm
thankful for the opportunity to have worked alongside
many staff that have now also become dear friends.
Two personal notes: My dad passed away 10 years ago and
leading up to that, he was sick and I was given time off when
needed. Many prayers, cards and emails were received and
I was grateful to my Southwood family. Recently, I had an
unexpected expense and didn't tell many people. Right
before the bill was due, Will came in my office and said a
few families had paid the bill. So thankful and surprised.
Later I thought more about it and I wasn't too surprised
because the people of Southwood are very loving and
generous ... but I was (and still am!) extremely thankful!!
Ethan G. Atkins
One of the many blessings in my life was
to have been born into Southwood's
congregation (in 1990). A real treasure
was getting to experience the young
church grow from a small gathering in
a strip mall to seeing the cornerstone
of the church building itself being built.
Once the building was complete, myself
and my five siblings explored every nook and cranny of the
place, causing my parents great distress as it took quite
a while to track us all down. Southwood was a second
home to me, where I could find brothers and sisters my
own age to get to know and experience life with. God has
blessed us all through the companionship found here. God
has provided a solitude where the picture of Heaven can
be seen. I am blessed to have that picture throughout my
entire life.