Growth is amazing and seems to happen right before your eyes.  After all, that is what life is all about – growing and changing.  I moved to Summerville, South Carolina about 7 years ago from Columbia, South Carolina.  Engaged to the most beautiful woman I ever met, my best friend in the whole world, I had my mind made up that she would be moving to Columbia for us to start our family and work in the ministry.

     After praying and seeking the Lord’s direction, I moved to Summerville instead to help out at Refuge Bibleway Church.  This is the church of my wife and her grandfather, Bishop Herbert C. Heyward is the pastor.  The church is a nice size – not so big where you don’t know anyone and not to small where everyone is in your business!  Moving from Columbia and coming from Refuge Temple Church where there are over 1,000 members, it was a new experience for me.  My prayer was to be able to work closely with the youth department and during our first church business meeting that prayer was answered when our pastor asked me to be the youth president.  So I accepted with great joy and gladness.

     Refuge Bibleway Church has a lovely youth department that is growing continually.  We have services specifically for our youth every 1st Sunday afternoon at five o’clock and on 2nd Sundays our young people participate in morning services by singing in the youth choir and ushering.  Our bible trivia that the youth department hosts every month gives away cash prizes to the winners that took their time to study the topic for the month and won in the trivia competition!  Just recently we went to the Presbyterian Home to sing Christmas carols to the elderly and it was a joyous occasion.

     Our Missionary Department is definitely lead by powerful women of God who are focused on teaching the ways of the Lord and living by example for other young women to pattern themselves after.  Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday night, the Missionary Department has services and we always are traveling with them wherever the Lord takes them so we can be a blessing in others lives.  Whether at district meetings or state conventions, whether at international convocations or the Women’s Council Convention. to the streets of Charleston and Summerville to the whole United States of America, whereever the Lord takes them, we support them and continously pray for their strength in the Lord.

     The Deacon’s are a fine group of men that constantly take care of the business of the church.  They feed the hungry, deliver communion to those that are sick, and constantly support the pastor in the vision the Lord have given him to build a new educational center in memory of the late Mother Inez Heyward.  These deacons are strong men of God, faithful, and true.  They are always there when you need them and encourage you every step of the way.

      Gosh, I could name all the other departments and names, but I would probably be typing forever.  But our church, www.refugebiblewaychurch.com is definitely the place where you should visit.  We have so many areas for you to participate in and are just about to finish the new educational center and dedicate it to the work of the Lord!  We built it, a $1 million dollar  building without mortgage and we owe no many nothing but love.

     So feel free to go to our website and check us out.  Give us a call if you need us and if you have any prayer requests, submit them through the site and we will turn those requests over into the hands of our pastor.  And when we pray for you, you can rest assure you will get the victory!

     Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!  We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you soon!