By: Tessa Redmond
BENTON, Ky. (KT) – In the spirit of Pastor Appreciation Month in October, H.O.P.E. Clinic hosted a luncheon for local pastors and church staff members.
“It’s just a time for them to come together,” said Lisa Holland, executive director of H.O.P.E. Clinic. “We’ve been able to give them a little gift of some kind, and then we have a speaker there just to encourage them and just to love on them.”
First Baptist Church in Calvert City hosted the event.
“The luncheon was a blessing to us as pastors,” said Jim Ewing, senior pastor of FBC Calvert City and two-time board member at the clinic. “Lisa has made a sincere and continued effort to stay engaged with pastors and to keep them abreast of updates and progress of (H.O.P.E. Clinic’s) work.”
H.O.P.E. Clinic works to partner with churches like FBC Calvert City in Marshall, Livingstone, Eddyville and surrounding counties—but pastors were invited to attend the luncheon regardless of whether their churches financially support the pregnancy center or lend volunteers to their ministry.
“It’s for everyone,” Holland said.
Mark Welch, who serves as pastor at New Life Church in Murray, Ky., spoke at the event.
“It was a great message that reminded us about the importance of serving faithfully wherever God plants us,” Ewing said.
“It was more to encourage them to keep up or keep going,” Holland added. “It’s kind of been a rough couple of years for pastors with everything going (but) they’re there for a purpose.”
Holland said H.O.P.E. Clinic plans to make their pastoral luncheon an annual event each October.
To learn more about H.O.P.E. Clinic, visit hopeclinicwestky.com.
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