It is always a joy to get positive feedback about the ministry at 
Red Bank UMC. Enclosed is a letter from a visitor to our church 
and the blessing she received during her time with us. 

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Dear Pastor,

Please accept this small donation and my sincerest appreciation.  
Last summer, my Mom and I attended your church.  It was the 
brightest spot of our week.  I was able to leave your place 
feeling whole and with God.  You see, we’re from Maryland, 
my son, Darryl attends college in SC.  After his service in the 
Marines and many close calls in Afghanistan & Iraq, he was in a 
tragic car accident there (on Route 20, of all the places he’s been!) 
and his neck was broken.  While we were caring for him for months, 
I was away from home, my own family and my own Church.  However, 
homesick I was feeling at the time, I felt at home there at Red 
Bank UMC.

You are by far one of the best ministers I’ve had the pleasure 
to listening to, your congregation was a great mix of ages, and your 
youth was so very involved.  From shopping around for churches both 
by my home and in your area, you don’t always find that.  You 
have so much to be proud of.  Your church had also included my son’s 
name in your prayer chain; please let everyone know our prayers were 
answered.  We are truly blessed.  My son’s neck has healed as best 
as humanly possible, and while he’ll always have to be very careful, 
he’s back in school, and is on the road to recovery.  It is nothing 
short of a miracle.  I will always be grateful for the friendship I made 
there, however brief, with Harold & Margaret Caldwell.  Please tell them 
hello for me.

God Bless You All Always,
Martha Toquinto
Gaithersburg, MD

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To the Congregation from the Pastor:  

Thanks to all of you for your work and hearts during the Lenten Easter 
Services. It was very special for me and I know it was for most of you. 
If you are like me, the many visitors can be a 	bit overwhelming during 
Easter services, but these people are choosing to worship in this space 
and we need to give God the praise for that. It is my prayer that we 
presented the Gospel to each of them in a way they could understand and 
be drawn closer to God in Christ. Thanks for the small groups that worked 
on Thursday and Friday services, the Choir for the Cantata and Alison for 
helping to put this all in bulletin form. Thanks for your hospitality as 
a congregation toward the visitors and guests and for your genuine warmth 
as a body! Thanks also for your support for the church, for your Pastor, 
for all Staff and Lay Leaders within the congregation as we work together 
for Christ.  Your love makes all the difference in the world for those 
who serve. 

Joy and Peace ~ Rev. Tommy Wilkes

P.S. - Easter Sunday 2008, we had 258 for the our Community Sunrise Service 
          163 for the 8:50am Worship and 267 for the 11am Worship 
          (430 for our “in house” Worship Services and 688 total 
		   in services for that day)