Grandmother's house becomes home for new youth minister at CCC

It is almost like he was meant to be here ever since he was a child.

The Rev. Sam Guidry has been added to the Christian Community Church of Boswell ministry staff, as the youth and families pastor. He has served as a youth group leader at Compelled Church in Temperance, Michigan. He also enjoyed the opportunity to preach at churches in the Toledo/Michigan area either as a special speaker or filling in for pastors on vacation or otherwise unable to serve on a specific Sunday.

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"I have a long history with Somerset County. My father was a Marine, so throughout my childhood we were on the move all over the country," Guidry said in an email. "Typically we would only stay in a location a year or two. Sometimes it would only be a few months. My grandmother and her husband, Louise and John Carr, purchased a farm just outside of Boswell. It became a place of stability for me as I came to the farm for between a week and a month every summer from when I was 6 until I was 20.

"After that the property continued to be important in my life. I proposed to my wife Allana here in 2001 while visiting my grandmother. Over the years much of the property was sold off but the family retained the farmhouse and the land around it. When my mother passed away, I inherited the property. We initially intended to utilize it as a holiday and weekend home. We started a routine of monthly visits in 2021 to assess and work on the property as well as to enjoy the beauty of the Somerset County. During our visits, we quickly fell in love with the area and the people here. After about the third visit my wife and I were sitting in the family room one evening. I looked at her and said, 'Are we supposed to move here?' and she just started to laugh because she was feeling that way as well. After that we began an extended process towards moving."

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It was during that time that the Rev. Kelly announced that Christian Community Church would be adding a staff member.

"Then sometime later (he) asked us if we would be interested in the position," Guidry said. "It took us about six months to tie up my ministry in Toledo and here we are."

Looking ahead to the ministry need

The Rev. Charles Kelly said Guidry was hired because the church had a need for an assistant pastor on staff.

"When I need someone to fill in when I’m away, the possibility of illness, etc. Not only to help me as senior pastor with the heavy load of ministry, but to work more extensively with our youth group and to serve as a families pastor to help with visitations, lead Sunday school, Bible studies and to perform other basic duties of our ministry," Kelly said in an email.

Sam, along with his wife Alanna, have served in many facets of ministry for more than 20 years. They have five children: John, Robert, Samantha, Chayla and Nisa.

Guidry has served as spiritual care coordinator at Ohio Living Home Health and Hospice and worked at YES FM Ministries as radio network director of listener and community engagement. He has also served at Cherry Street Mission Ministries at Toledo, Ohio. He will receive his master’s degree this December from Bowling Green University.

"Pastor Guidry is also quite knowledgeable in regard to high tech areas of ministry which we were in need of help," Kelly said. "His former employment at a Christian radio station should prove to be quite beneficial in regard to our needs here with our rather elaborate sound system, live streaming and computer network."

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In 2020 Guidry released his first book, "The Hupomone Principle, Finding Freedom in Biblical Perseverance."

"Goals would include helping to stabilize even more our already strong ministry by being an extra support in regard to preaching, teaching and to have him and his family present at many of our church functions," Kelly said. "I would expect him to be a great asset to our Men’s Fellowship ministry. Also to enhance our youth group in enabling it to flourish all the more. To reach our young people for Christ and to strengthen them in their walk with the Lord."The Rev. Kelly said he thinks Sam and his family will be an asset to the church as well as the community.

"I believe he’ll not only fit well here at our church, but also within our community. He’s a wonderful family man and very personable," he said. "I’m getting a little older and the load is a little heavier for me. Sam will be able to reach out in the community perhaps even better than I. Not only Pastor Sam, but his wife and daughter are already proving to be a blessing by helping with our children’s classes and participation at work days and other gatherings at the church."

"We love it here in Somerset County," Guidry said. "Everyone has been so welcoming as we have made the transition, and the area is amazingly beautiful. The members of Christian Community Church have welcomed us with open arms and quickly made us feel like a part of the family. We are looking forward to serving our church family at Christian Community Church but we also look forward to becoming an active part of the greater community."

The Christian Community Church is at 2610 Lincoln Highway, Stoystown, along Route 30, one-quarter mile west of Route 219 near Boswell. Services are: Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for morning worship; Wednesdays at 7 p.m. for Bible study and youth/children’s classes.

For more information call 814-443-4061 or visit: www.cccboswell.com.

Follow Madolin Edwards on Twitter @DAMadolinE.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Guidrys welcomed to Christian Community Church staff