Pastor’s Note
Where yat & Who Dat! I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally be at Southwood. Kim and the girls have arrived and are busy registering for school and trying to figure out the difference between the parkway, that other road and how not to accidently exit onto the arsenal.
We are semi-settling in, but there are still some loose ends that we are working on tying up in the next 60 days. I want to invite you to follow my tweets if you are internet/social networking inclined. ( Follow @jflarrouxiii or visit twitter.com/jflarrouxiii ) It is kind of a “Where’s Waldo” about me and the Larroux family except that I am “Waldo.” I am going to share “goings on” at Southwood, short prayer requests and personal musings from time to time.
So “What’s next?” That seems to be the question on everyone’s mind so here’s the 10,000 foot view:
• Our first official “full” staff meeting was Monday, August 2, 2010.
• My first Sunday in the pulpit is August 15, 2010.
• I’m going to be officially installed on Sunday, August 22, 2010.
• I should be a homeowner sometime prior to the end of August at which point I’ll likely disappear for several weeks to help the family get settled.
• I will preach a varied set of topical messages until about October when I plan to preach/teach about Mission and Vision for Southwood. Following that during the Christmas season we will turn our hearts and attention to the incarnation of Christ. Beginning in January (and after a bit of cold weather hunting) I am going to begin the book of Galatians and that will likely take a couple of years to complete. Get excited—it will be a wonderful immersion in grace!
I have cleared my schedule of all out of town speaking engagements that I had previously entertained with very limited exceptions—I WANT TO BE HERE! This is the pulpit over which God has given me charge and I can’t wait! There are so many wonderful things happening here that I’ve just got to pace myself to keep from jumping in to everything—I love it all, so you might see a look of “want to” on my face, but the reality of “just can’t” from my schedule.
Please pray for me, specifically. I need wisdom, boldness, passion, compassion and tenacity. Please ask that God would temper each request with it’s corresponding virtue (i.e. tenacity with gentleness, compassion with resolve, boldness with meekness and wisdom with humility). I would also ask that you pray for my family. Jean IV is still in Bay St. Louis and just began his senior year. Ann Elizabeth is a freshman at Grissom and Hannah Grace is an 8th grader at Whitesburg Middle. Kim is managing our nomadic family and her often impatient, driven, type-A, ESTJ husband….ahem (you might put her at the top of your list.)
Thank you for your love, welcoming spirit and encouragement! We have burned the boat at the shore. Southwood is our home now and Huntsville is where we’re from!
Jean F. Larroux, III
Senior Pastor