April 21, 2024

Dear Grace Family and Friends,

I hope you all enjoyed Masters Week, or Spring Break Week, depending on your orientation.  I always enjoy getting out to the golf course to see what changes they’ve made and how colorful the flowers and shrubs are.  Leila and I went to the Par 3 Tournament on Wednesday and had a great time.  I’ve enjoyed my association with the Augusta National Golf Club.  As many of you know, they were a customer of mine in my former career.  So I spent many hours there leading up to and during the tournament for over ten years.  The thing I appreciate most about that institution is that their reputation means everything to them.  So when they set out to do something, they do it the right way.  And when they give you their word it means something.  As you know, they lease our parking lot for the Women’s Amateur Tournament at Champion’s Retreat.  Last year they parked cars all out in the grass in front of the Church and that was specifically forbidden in our lease agreement.  Someone asked me what we’d do if they broke our sprinkler system.  My response is I’m not worried about it because if they break it they will fix it.  There was never a doubt in my mind about them doing the right thing.  That’s unusual in our world today.  But that’s the reputation I want for Grace Baptist Church in Evans, Georgia.  I want people to know that we are people of our word.  So if we tell them something they can count on it.  And if we set out to do something we’re going to do it the right way.  That will make a profound impact on our community.  It’s not easy to acquire that kind of reputation and even harder to keep it.  Yet where the glory of God is concerned, any price is worth paying.  Will you join me in that commitment?   It will pay huge dividends for the cause of Christ.  I love you all!  God bless you today and always!

Pastor Bill Hilley