A new journey begins...

This is my first post as the new Pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Garland, TX.  A lot has changed since the last time I blogged - I was a young, inexperienced youth minister, still attending college at Texas Tech, when a series of events and the leading of the Lord led me into the ministry.  I haven't looked back since that day.

Now, I sit at this keyboard typing my first post on the new (and improved) "Along the Way" blogspot - with almost 10 years of ministry experience under my belt!  My family always told me that time flies and it only gets faster as you get older...this has increasingly become more evident as being the truth.  The name for this blog is in honor of my late grandfather, "Papa" Don Collins.  He served the Baptist Missionary Association of America for 55 years in capacities of pastor, missionary, college dean, and director of missions.  Before his death, Papa wrote two books, the first being titled "Along the Way" followed by the second, "Sermonettes and Stories from Along the Way."  Thus, we have the inspiration for this blog's name.

This Sunday will be another "first" as I step into the pulpit at Northside for the first time as pastor to deliver my first message.  It will be from 2 Corinthians 5:9-21 in a message entitled, "The Vision & Message of the Church."  The aim of this message will be to set the course for where the ministry here at Northside will be headed from this point forward.  I ask for your prayers as the Lord leads me in this new adventure, that I would gain more wisdom, experience, and that I would grow to become more like Christ "along the way"...

Here is our new church website:  http://www.northsidegarland.org/
You can find me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.burchett.9
You can find me on Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/pastorburchett/

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