Dear Church Family,

Every so often, I take a slow walk around the perimeter of our church’s seven-acre campus.  I usually start behind the playground on Ashburn Rd. and walk toward St. Edward Catholic Church.  Next, I take a right onto Dolfield and then a right into our parking lot which runs parallel to Huguenot Road.  Once I’m in the parking lot, I follow it past the courtyard to Dillon Road and back to where I began.  Sometimes I will loop around another time or two.  During these walks, I pray for our church, for the community around us and for the passersby on Huguenot Road.  (Recently, I did some research online through VDOT.  Each day, some 40,000 vehicles pass by our church.  So, there are plenty of folks to pray for!)

As one traverses the front of our campus, tall Pine trees reach toward the heavens.  They leave plenty of long-leaf pine needles and prickly cones which serve as reminders that our church’s campus was once a nursery where trees were grown and sold.  Perhaps you have noticed the Maple in the rear corner of the playground that turns a bright gold in autumn.  It is a delight to see.  There are some very old cedars out in the corner of the campus near where we park the church bus.  If those trees could talk!  What might they say? Lord only knows!

The next time you are at church, though, please pay special attention to the two flowering Cherry trees in the green space between the rear parking lot and Dillon Road (see photo).  As I write this, they are in full bloom.  They are gorgeous!  These two trees are very significant to our history.  The tree to the right was planted in honor of Ed Thacker, one of our charter members.  And the other tree was planted in honor of Clint Jennings, another of our charter members.  These men served faithfully and devoted their lives to helping HRBC become a vibrant part of the community.  Both trees were originally planted where the office suite now stands.  However, they were transplanted before construction ensued in 2012-13.  Now they stand as sentinels, watching members and guests come to the house of the Lord.  If these trees could talk!  What might they say?  Lord only knows!

Join me in giving thanks for our part of God’s vineyard called Huguenot Road Baptist Church.  Take a stroll around its edges.  Pray.  Breathe deeply.  You will be glad you did!

In Christ’s care,