"Whom Do You Serve?"
By Joyce Wachsmuth --
Thank you, Paulette, for faithfully serving our Lord and church!
When I think of a phrase that Paulette Williams has shared with me that has impacted my life, it would be “Whom Do You Serve?” Those words can turn every situation, every encounter, and every disappointment to the fact that we serve Jesus Christ and Him alone. I have known Paulette Williams for over thirty years and most of those years have been as a partner in ministry. I first met Paulette at West Hills Christian School when our families had children that attended that school. Then, in the early nineties we began serving together in Children’s Ministry. She taught first grade, and I was Director of Children’s Ministry. She loves children and has a heart for children because she was brought to Sunday School by a neighbor and led to the Lord by Mrs. Johnson, her Sunday school teacher. She accepted Jesus Christ in the Sunday school class. Right after she prayed, Mrs. Johnson said, “We need to share this with our pastor.” So, she did!
In 1992, she joined our Director Team of women’s ministry here at GPBC. It really is a joy to be on a team with Paulette, because her heart and attitude is that of a team player. She is forward thinking and an initiator of ideas and, when given the chance, she takes risks and implements them. She encouraged me to think not only of the task but the people. If you are around her for any length of time, you would see quickly that she has a passion and a heart to see everyone young and old come to know Christ, but, more important, she wants to see them grow. Her desire is to see people being discipled one on one and to see their lives transformed. She has discipled numerous women as she and Wayne have ministered in three different churches. Her passion for discipleship grew from being involved with Campus Crusade. I love hearing her tell stories of how she discipled high school and college kids. Today, she continues to meet with women one-on-one and in groups to exhort and encourage each one to remain strong in the Lord.
Like many of us in ministry, Paulette has undergone disappointments and heartache personally and in ministry. Many times, they can be difficult to navigate and it would be easy to give up and lose focus. However, together with her husband, Wayne, they have pursued righteousness and the phrase “Whom Do You Serve” is one of the legacies they leave with us!
“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.” Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
Thank you, Paulette! Enjoy your sabbatical, and we look forward to serving with you more in September!
Come and celebrate Wayne and Paulette’s ministry with us this Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. in our church auditorium!
Joyce Wachsmuth