By JUDY KILGORE
Religion Editor

This job definitely has its “perks.” Reading all the church newsletters and bulletins every week really keeps me in touch with the Fayette community. Since I live in Newnan, I really don’t have any way to keep up with Fayette activities, except through our paper.

While all the newsletters are really good and newsy, one of the best is that of Inman United Methodist Church. From the first time I read one, I felt a kinship with Inman. I don’t know if it is because of their deep historical background and emphasis on genealogy (I have Dormans in my family tree, but haven’t been able to connect with the Inman Dormans yet), or because it is a relatively small Methodist Church. Whatever the case, I always enjoy reading Inman’s newsletters. I’ve even considered visiting one Sunday.

The following column came across my desk last week and really touched me. It was written by Erica Gassaway, the music director at Inman, and concerns a personal experience which I think we can all relate to. My thanks to Erica for allowing me to share it with you. I know you will enjoy it. The title alone is an attention grabber....

How I Found Jesus in a Spiral-Sliced Ham

“As most of you are aware, Mike’s mother, Mary Gassaway, died the middle of June. As is Inman’s tradition, a dinner was provided to our family the day of the funeral. The interesting thing that should be noted is, by and large, my church family provided food to people they have never met, have never seen, and probably never will meet, for no one in Mike’s family has attended our church since Mike and I married in 1995. So, for the most part, several wonderful people from Inman United Methodist Church gave of their time to feed a group of virtual strangers, many of whom do not know Jesus Christ.

“Mike and I are grateful for this ‘quiet’ ministry of our church. It is the kind of thing that sets Inman apart.

“What you, may not know is that one of our nieces—a young lady who hasn’t seen the inside of a church for God-knows how many years—was so touched by the meal provided that she began attending a church in her local community. She told me recently that she thought it was so special that a group of strangers thought enough of Mike and me to make sure we didn’t have to cook on the day of the funeral. Something as simple as a spiral-sliced ham and accompanying dishes of food made an impact on her; she realized she didn’t have the kind of connection she needed in order to make an impact on her life. So, very tentatively, she attended a church.

“God is wonderful, for that congregation reached out to her and she is now attending regularly. Our niece has finally found the comfort that only God can provide. It is unfortunate that it took the death of my mother-in-law to show her how precious life is and what it means to belong to the family of the One who really matters, but at the same time, much good came from that experience.

“Why do I share this with you? Because each of us needs to be reminded from time to time that what we do can make a life-changing impact on another person—even when we are strangers to one another, we are not strangers to Jesus Christ!”

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