When Sandy and I first lived in Danville some twenty years ago, some of our closest friends were longtime Mount Hermon members Luther and Arvis Carswell. The Carswells lived on Glendale Avenue in North Danville, in the Danville Estates neighborhood. At that time, they were members of nearby Melville Avenue Baptist Church, where I served as pastor. I’ll never forget how Luther and Arvis, who had no children of their own, took us under their wings and loved us. I’ve always felt that they were to us what Priscilla and Aquilla must have been to preachers like the Apostle Paul and Apollos. Luther and Arvis encouraged us and supported us throughout our nearly four years of ministry at Melville Avenue. They also became wonderful surrogate grandparents to our son, Jordan, whom they babysat on many occasions. Jordan always loved going to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Carswell.
I also remember how that Luther and Arvis used to make crafts with their hands. I think that Jordan, now age 25, still has the toy truck that Luther made for him out of wood, as well as a collapsible wooden Christmas tree especially designed to hold dozens of Hershey’s kisses as ornaments. I think that had to be Jordan’s favorite Christmas tree as a child!
Luther and Arvis also had a deep and contagious love for missions. As I recall, their niece Susan had served as a journeyman on the foreign mission field. And they were certainly big encouragers to me when I went on my first international mission trip to Tanzania back in 1987. But, most memorably, Luther and Arvis had a real passion for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.
Every year at Christmas time, I always think of how Luther and Arvis creatively combined their love for missions with their craft making talents. Throughout the course of a year, they would acquire a booth or table at a number of regional craft shows where they would sell their wares. (They never worked a craft show on Sunday, however, so they wouldn’t be pulled away from church.) Then, in December, they would take all the income from their year of craft sales and give it all to Lottie Moon. This annual happening brought a special joy to their hearts and it certainly made a lasting impression on their young pastor.
I’ll never forget our first Christmas at Melville Avenue, back in 1985. Our small congregation’s goal for the Lottie Moon offering was a mere $555.00. But we put on a big push for Lottie Moon that year, something the church had not seen before. We had a big Lottie Moon Banquet. We decorated the church. We went all out. And, when it was all said and done, we more than doubled our offering goal, winding up with well over a thousand dollars. I still remember it vividly.
While all that may seem so miniscule now, that offering was a huge and greatly-needed victory for our church family back then. It absolutely electrified our small congregation. You would have thought we had raised a million dollars! We praised God and watched with wonder as He began to do some other exciting things in our midst in the years that followed.
Some of that same old feeling came back to me this past Sunday, when Mount Hermon Baptist Church had a record one-day missions offering of over $55,000 toward our churchwide Lottie Moon goal of $62,000. One of the first things I thought of was Arvis, who went home to be with the Lord some years ago. (A member at Mount Hermon then, Arvis passed away in the church sanctuary one Sunday just before 11:00 AM, while waiting to give her personal testimony for the second time that morning.) I couldn’t help but think of how proud and overjoyed she would have been in regard to what God did through His people at Mount Hermon this past Sunday. I’d love to tell her all about it, but somehow I suspect she already knows. And, if so, there’s certainly got to be a smile on her face.
I also remember how that Luther and Arvis used to make crafts with their hands. I think that Jordan, now age 25, still has the toy truck that Luther made for him out of wood, as well as a collapsible wooden Christmas tree especially designed to hold dozens of Hershey’s kisses as ornaments. I think that had to be Jordan’s favorite Christmas tree as a child!
Luther and Arvis also had a deep and contagious love for missions. As I recall, their niece Susan had served as a journeyman on the foreign mission field. And they were certainly big encouragers to me when I went on my first international mission trip to Tanzania back in 1987. But, most memorably, Luther and Arvis had a real passion for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.
Every year at Christmas time, I always think of how Luther and Arvis creatively combined their love for missions with their craft making talents. Throughout the course of a year, they would acquire a booth or table at a number of regional craft shows where they would sell their wares. (They never worked a craft show on Sunday, however, so they wouldn’t be pulled away from church.) Then, in December, they would take all the income from their year of craft sales and give it all to Lottie Moon. This annual happening brought a special joy to their hearts and it certainly made a lasting impression on their young pastor.
I’ll never forget our first Christmas at Melville Avenue, back in 1985. Our small congregation’s goal for the Lottie Moon offering was a mere $555.00. But we put on a big push for Lottie Moon that year, something the church had not seen before. We had a big Lottie Moon Banquet. We decorated the church. We went all out. And, when it was all said and done, we more than doubled our offering goal, winding up with well over a thousand dollars. I still remember it vividly.
While all that may seem so miniscule now, that offering was a huge and greatly-needed victory for our church family back then. It absolutely electrified our small congregation. You would have thought we had raised a million dollars! We praised God and watched with wonder as He began to do some other exciting things in our midst in the years that followed.
Some of that same old feeling came back to me this past Sunday, when Mount Hermon Baptist Church had a record one-day missions offering of over $55,000 toward our churchwide Lottie Moon goal of $62,000. One of the first things I thought of was Arvis, who went home to be with the Lord some years ago. (A member at Mount Hermon then, Arvis passed away in the church sanctuary one Sunday just before 11:00 AM, while waiting to give her personal testimony for the second time that morning.) I couldn’t help but think of how proud and overjoyed she would have been in regard to what God did through His people at Mount Hermon this past Sunday. I’d love to tell her all about it, but somehow I suspect she already knows. And, if so, there’s certainly got to be a smile on her face.
Thanks, Arvis, for your example. Your contagious love for missions still lives on.
Pastor Danny
