"Being a Bridge Not a Tower"

At our January 2020 Board of Elders and Men's Ministry, the guest speaker was First Lady Mrs. Cheryl Lewis of St. Philip's Ev. Lutheran Church of Detroit. She spoke about Being a Bridge and not a Tower when it comes to being a church and vessel of God. Her Husband Pastor Bertram Lewis introduced her with a loving story. About Cheryl Lewis From the time Cheryl-Ann was a little girl she loved being in church and listening to sermons and especially telling others about the goodness of Jesus. However her grandmother Delia was serving the Lord, that is how she wanted to serve the Lord as well. That is why at age seven before her feet could touch the floor, she was the youngest member of the Ladies Aid Society and the Senior choir. She learned to serve and help others by watching her mother and her grandmother. Learning to be generous with others and share what the Lord had blessed her with. She learned how to prepare baskets for visiting the sick and shut-in and picking up members who were not able to drive themselves to church or appointments and became her grandmother's loyal assistant in visitations. As a young teenager, when she expressed to her pastor her desire to serve the church in a particular way, she was told women did not do that in the Lutheran Church. But her pastor at that time made sure she had opportunities to give sermonettes during special services. From the time she was small God has made sure to put strong mentors, and especially women of strong faith, into her life to help guide and inspire her in her own faith. This is one reason she has always loved mentoring women of every age in their faith. She has been blessed to be used by the Lord in many ways throughout her adult life. She presently has a ministry of Biblical Encouragement where she sends out email devotions every day of the year, writes for several devotional markets, prays for and mentors others in their faith. She enjoys reading and helping others find healing through crochet. She is blessed to serve the Church alongside her husband, Rev. Bertram Lewis, and enjoys the company of their four amazing adult children, their spouses, and more than a dozen grandchildren. If anything would be said of her when she has gone home to be with the Lord, she hopes it is that she was an encourager of others and a bridge to Christ for those who needed to know him most.